CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two residents at the La Armada apartments off of Ayers St. in Corpus Christi want something done about loose dogs at their complex that they say can be vicious at times.
"It’s only a matter of time before they get a hold of a child," Peggy Evans said. "They’re killing cats. They’re going to kill children next — or at least hurt one."
"I feel sorry for anyone who’s just passing through," her neighbor Lonnie Serrata said. "They may attack. I don’t know who the owner is, or maybe there is no owner."
Evans says she's reached out to a number of agencies for help, including Corpus Christi Animal Care Services, but the dogs remain.
“We have had some calls for service," Animal Care Services Program Director Joel Skidmore said. "We’ve had calls come in anonymous that the officers have responded to. Unfortunately by the time we got there, the dogs weren’t there. So we always encourage the citizens to make a call again."
Some of the dogs in question were peacefully laying in a grassy area between apartment buildings Tuesday afternoon.
But Skidmore says looks can be deceiving.
“We always want the citizens to be aware that if there’s loose dogs, they can pose a danger," he said. "That’s why we need to be aware of it, so we can get out there and mitigate it before anything happens."
Animal control officers respond to reports that people call-in to 361-826-CITY, and Skidmore encourages anyone who has any issues with animals to do so.
"Any type of a report you see — anything concerning an animal," he said. "Just like the weather coming in — if you see an animal without shelter tonight — you call us."
Evans and Serrata hope the next time an animal control officer responds to their calls, the officer will leave with the dogs in tow.
They're concerned for the safety of fellow residents and their pets, like Evans's tiny Chihuahua.
“Aw, she’d be dead," she said when asked what would happen if the pack of dogs attacked her pet. "They would hurt her instantly or kill her."
Serrata's dog is bigger, but he says he's no match for the dogs they're worried about.
“I can’t walk my dog without them coming at me," he said. "And then it’s just, like she said, these dogs are just a giant nuisance."
