AUSTIN, Texas – During this week’s cold snap and winter storm, animal protection agencies in our area have been working non-stop to keep pets safe. Sadly, they’ve gotten many calls about people leaving their animals out in the elements. 

Citations in San Antonio

What they’re saying:

“It’s sad to say nothing surprises me anymore,” said Lisa Norwood with San Antonio Animal Care Services. 

According to the City of San Antonio, they handed out 47 criminal citations on Monday and Tuesday for pets left outside in freezing temperatures. On Wednesday, that number was still going up. 

“We’ve actually written so many citations in the last couple of days that they’re still putting those together. I can tell you that it is over 50, probably approaching the 60-70 mark,” said Lisa Norwood. 

Citations in Austin

What they’re saying:

In Austin, APD and Animal Protection officers have been busy. 

“We’ve seen a lot of calls,” said Austin Animal Protection Officer Amber Harvey. 

“I have seen an uptick in the last couple of days,” said Det. Christian Esquivel with the Austin Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Unit. 

Thirty animal neglect citations were issued in Austin during the cold snap, with situations running the gamut. 

“Dogs being left out without shelter or possibly in a wire crate,” said Harvey. “Or being on chains outside.”

“Animals being left outside on patios at apartment complexes, animals being left outside in the backyard while it’s sleeting, in vehicles,” said Esquivel. 

Is it illegal to leave dogs outside?

The backstory:

In 2022, the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act made it illegal in Texas to leave a dog restrained outside, unless it has adequate shelter that protects it from rain, hail, sleet, snow and subfreezing temperatures. 

In Austin, like in San Antonio, the city ordinance is even stricter than state law, when it comes to leaving pets out in the cold.

Austin bans animals from being kept in cold vehicles, requires all owners to provide shelter from the cold, and you cannot tether a dog in any weather. 

If you break the rules, you could be fined up to $500 per day, or up to $2,000 if there’s criminal negligence involved. 

“We had one where we had to convince the dog owner to surrender his dog because it was an ongoing thing. And it was in that bad of a situation,” said Harvey. 

What they’re saying:

Generally speaking, animal officers say they try to help owners before giving them a ticket. 

“Ultimately, we want to get compliance from the owners,” said Esquivel. “So we’ll try to educate them as best we can.”

“We have crates here we can send people home with. We have blankets, and we have dog houses,” said Harvey. 

Bottom line: be prepared and have a plan before the next cold snap. 

“The best thing to do is to bring them inside during freezing temperatures,” said Harvey. 

If you’re feeling cold outside, your pet probably is, too. 

If you are concerned about the safety of an animal, you can make a report by calling 9-1-1, or 3-1-1 in Austin.