WACO, Texas (KXXV) — At least one local woman tells 25 News that Waco animal control is allegedly taking animals from people in our community unjustly.
I talked to the woman whose dogs were taken, and officials held the dogs from her until a judge intervened and let her have her dogs back.
Mary Pride tells me about the day Waco Police and animal control came to her home and took her dogs off her couch.
She says, “I pulled up. Officers all lined up standing there. I parked my car and get out and start screaming no don’t do this to me.”
It all began when her dogs, Iva and Diva, got out of her fenced in backyard and animal control brought them to her home, but said they were neglected due to having a skin rash and not being spayed.
So they came back with a search warrant and took her dogs from her.
Mary had to visit them through the fence at the animal shelter.
She remembers, “I went through hell on earth worrying about my babies sleeping at night.”
She went to court last Thursday and a judge ruled they were taken unnecessarily and she got them back Friday.
Karen Ehgotz says, “The fact they take her dogs and don’t discuss or negotiate it. It’s mind boggling."
Humane Society volunteer Karen Ehgotz says it happens all the time.
She says, “If you have a dog who scratches someone they will take them and deem them dangerous.”
She tells 25 News last January through August only 5 dogs were deemed dangerous. Then those numbers jumped to 10 a month.
Ehgotz says, “They are taking people’s property.”
Now Mary keeps her dogs in kennels inside her home so they don’t get out.
And she has a warning for other pet owners in Waco.
Mary says, “They take animals from pet owners. If yours gets out, they take them not knowing there are loving homes that love their pets.”
We reached out to Waco Police to get a comment about the animal control taking animals unjustly.
As soon as they get back to us concerning this, we’ll bring that update to you.
