BURLESON COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Residents in Burleson County are calling for a county-wide conversation about pet abandonment and responsibility after learning a litter of puppies were dumped at a local bar in Somerville Sunday evening.
- A surveillance video posted on Facebook captures a woman dumping at least six puppies outside of the Half Moon Saloon Bar in Somerville.
- The Burleson County Sheriff's Office released a statement on social media, stating they're investigating the incident.
- A foster with non-profit The Haven Animal Rescue of Texas is currently holding the puppies until they're ready for adoption.
- But many residents are calling for a larger conversations about responsible pet ownership and abandonment.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's a sad truth, but Andy Calabrese tells me animals being dumped outside his business is nothing new.
He's the owner of Half Moon Saloon in Somerville.
"I've owned this place here in about 30 days, 20 years," he said. "In that 20 years, we have had a plethora of animals dropped off here."
But after someone dumped at least six puppies Sunday evening, he's finally had enough.
"If the timing had been different, those dogs would have been dead," he said.
This time he caught it on tape.
In the video, a tan pick up pulls up.
A woman drops the dogs and drives away.
"They were sitting right out in the direct sun with no water," Calabrese said.
The puppies are now at the Haven Animal Rescue of Texas.
"They were covered in fleas. They have some hair loss," Tracy Kellar said.
Director Tracy Kellar says it's past due for a community conversation about responsibility.
"Every single day, you should be upset about it. This one just happened to be caught on camera," she said.
It puts more pressure on the organization, one of the only shelters in Burleson County.
"They all have to eat. They all have to be vaccinated. They all have to be wormed," Kellar said.
The Burleson County Sheriff's Office posted to Facebook, saying they're investigating the incident, reminding people abandonment is a crime.
Tracy and Andy just hope its the first step to fixing an ongoing problem.
"I hope that they are able to find the responsible party, and they, you know, set an example that you can't just dump puppies in Burleson County," Kellar said.
"And I see you're getting a little emotional, may I ask why?"
"Yeah, I love animals. It bothers me to see anything hurt," Calabrese said.
