MARLIN, Texas — The Marlin Animal Shelter has been closed since January of 2024. During Tuesday's city council meeting, members considered establishing an Animal Control Committee to help combat the issue of stray dogs within the community.
- The city of Marlin Animal Shelter remains closed more than a year after allegations of neglect and abuse that began in January 2024.
- Since that closure, several reports of dangerous encounters with stray dogs have been in our community.
- The council has plans to initiate a program with the local prison, allowing inmates to help build and construct dog houses and kennels.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“ The city needs to have a solution to this problem. This has been going on for a year now,” animal activist Frances Fischer said.
The city of Marlin Animal Shelter remains closed more than a year after allegations of neglect and abuse that began in January 2024.
Since that closure - there have been several reports of dangerous encounters with stray dogs in our community.
“You see numerous dogs on chains, which is illegal in the state of Texas. You see numerous loose dogs running around, and you don’t know if they're owned or strays. You see aggressive dogs, it's very disheartening,” animal activist Dorothy Sanders said.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, the city considered establishing an animal control committee to help combat the issue.
Marlin reporter Madison Myers talked to Animal activists before the meeting, who said solutions should have been brought up sooner.
“It’s a year later, and they are just now talking about an animal control committee..it’s a little too late,” Sanders said.
Scrolling through social media - you can see several of our neighbors sharing their encounters with the stray dogs.
Local rescues even receive calls from neighbors.
“All of the rescues that rescued dogs from the Marlin shelter that day are still rescuing dogs from Marlin. We are still helping,” Fischer said.
Although no action was taken on the animal control committee, the council did say it has plans to initiate a program with the local prison, allowing inmates to help build and construct dog houses and kennels.
But until these proposals are put into place - animal activists tell me their concerns remain the same.
“The city needs help. Someone is going to get hurt, someone is going to get mauled, and we don’t need to wait for that to happen. They need to be acting now,” said Sanders.
The Marlin Animal Shelter is currently under investigation by the Texas Rangers.
