 Neglect - 12 dogs, 16 cats, 1 ferret
Kerrville, TX (US)Date: Feb 2, 2005
County: Kerr
Local Map: available
Disposition: Not Charged
Person of Interest: Wade A. Graham
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Kerrville Code Enforcement officers placed a temporary condemnation order on a local house on Feb 3. The action stems from the Feb 2 discovery of 12 dogs, 16 cats and a ferret being kept at the College Street property by the tenant, Wade Graham.
Code enforcement was called in by a Kerrville police officer who went to the house to assist fire crews looking for a possible gas leak. Code Enforcement Officer Ed Perry said he was told Graham had contacted the fire department because he believed there was a faulty heater in the house.
�I started noticing the living conditions in the house,� said KPD officer Paul Gonzales, adding that a strong odor of animal urine and feces was evident upon entering the house.
Further investigation revealed more than two dozen animals � some in the residence and some in the back yard, he said.
According to Gonzales, the city�s code of ordinances forbids keeping more than four dogs and/or cats.
Kerr County Animal Control Supervisor Janie Roman said there are no vaccination records for the any of the cats, and only one of the dogs has a vaccination record. That dog � a corgi/shepherd mix � is registered with the county as a dangerous dog following an attack about two years ago, she said.
�We gave him the option of to release the county to remove the animals or to receive citations,� Roman said. �He opted to take the citations.�
Gonzales said a citation was issued for having more animals than allowed by the city ordinance. Other citations were written against each of the unregistered and unvaccinated dogs.
Roman said that Graham has been given until Feb. 10 to bring the animals into compliance and remove all but four of them from the property, which he rents.
�The cats are in poor condition,� Roman said. �Some of them are thin, but not in imminent danger.�
According to Gonzales, Graham wished to make no comment on the matter. However, Gonzales said Graham told him that he loves animals and doesn�t want to see them suffer.
The problems for Graham and the three other people who reportedly live in the house could occur as early as today as they will probably be told they need to find somewhere else to stay while the house is cleaned up.
�We�re going to order them to bring the house to sanitary condition,� Perry said. �I have talked with the property owner, who is in Houston. He is backing the city to take whatever action is necessary.�
�The notice prevents them from occupying the dwelling other than cleaning or removing personal items,� he said. �We�ll give them one week to bring it into compliance. There�s a lot to clean up in that house.�
Perry said he wasn�t sure what action, if any, would be taken to remove the animals.
�I�m going to have to coordinate any further efforts with animal control as far as the animals go,� he said.
According to Roman, animal control could get a warrant to remove the animals from the property, if necessary. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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