The City of San Antonio and Bexar County are turning to schooling as a method to ultimately stop canine bites and assaults.
This yr, two folks died after canine assaults in San Antonio, and there have been high-profile assaults within the county too.
“It’s comprehensible that there’s an uptick in consciousness due to some recent tragic occasions,” mentioned Dr. Andrea Guerrero, the director of Public Health for the county. “It is a matter of public security, we wish the group to really feel protected.”
Now, the animal management entities within the metropolis and county need to harness that consciousness for schooling.
“All too typically, we are saying, oh, we have got a stray canine downside,” ACS Director Shannon Sims mentioned. “We know that is not the case.”
Instead, Sims says it is a duty downside.
That’s why the company launched new tv advertisements about conserving your canine in your property.
They’ve additionally launched handouts and videos about how one can shield your self and report animal points.
“It additionally will get of us sort of in tune with, hey, this might result in municipal courtroom motion towards you, it may result in one thing far worse, probably, together with the lack of lifetime of an individual,” Sims mentioned.
He says it was essential to the company to acknowledge that there is not malicious intent behind most dogs getting free from their yard, but when they do, it may ultimately result in issues.
The metropolis additionally has a collection of YouTube movies walking folks via how one can file a harmful canine affidavit, and safety measures for recognizing the indicators of a canine attack.
There can also be a video outlining what precisely constitutes a harmful canine, for the reason that definition comes from state legislation.
Dr. Guerrero says the county plans to launch new advertising and marketing concerning the problem too.
“As a public well being problem, it is actually for the care of the animal and the care of our group,” she mentioned.
The county will use their connections throughout departments to get the phrase out about microchipping, fixing animals, and reporting issues.
“It’s about ensuring that we do not depend on folks to return to us for info, that we’re partaking our group in any manner that we will,” Guerrero mentioned.
She says that is essential as a result of not everybody on the county has web providers or the power to access social media.
The metropolis additionally highlighted the significance of assembly the group the place they’re at.
Sims tells us he hopes this advertising and marketing works for stray or harmful canine points as a result of it is labored in different areas. There’s at present a advertising and marketing marketing campaign occurring concerning the significance of pet adoption. Sims says adoptions are up about 30% over this time final yr.
“We know that that is reaching some of us, and between that and the grassroots efforts of being out locally, and likewise in our social media, it is sort of a collaboration of various advertising and marketing instruments to get the phrase out to as many as we will,” Sims mentioned.
Sims says it is changing into more and more essential to have these sources on-line.
“That’s why we have actually sort of put a renewed focus in our strategic plan of attempting to extend these sources yr over yr,” Sims mentioned.
Here’s how one can report an animal problem within the metropolis:
You can report an incident with an animal right here, together with bites, strays, neglect and extra.
You also can name 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000.
Here’s what occurs after you make a report, based on ACS’s web site:
Once you name 311 and so they direct you to our division, we’ll dispatch one our our officers.
Calls can be responded to primarily based on the assigned precedence stage. We prioritize calls regarding injured, cruelty, aggressive, chew, or neglect during times of utmost climate, and many others.
ACS has informed us a number of occasions that conserving your canine in your property is essential in these conditions, and if a neighbor is not doing that, they urge you to report it.
Here’s how one can report an animal problem within the county:
Contact Bexar County Animal Control dispatch at 210-335-9000. After regular business hours, please contact Bexar Control Sheriff’s workplace to report any animal chew at 210-335-6000.
Animal cruelty is dealt with by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. If you observed animal cruelty, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 210-335-6000.
