South Dallas seeing improvement in loose dog problem

Ever since the deadly dog mauling of a Dallas woman by a pack of loose dogs, more changes are on the way to crack down on bad dog owners and curb the loose dog problem in South Dallas.

The loose dog problem was addressed in Monday’s meeting with the Quality of Life Committee. The group, already giving direction to Dallas Animal Services where it can, spoke about other ideas still needing council approval.

Blue signs have popped up in the South Dallas neighborhood where Antoinette Brown was mauled to death by six dogs. The signs signal a Dallas Animal Services Zone.

People who live in the area say since the attack, they've seen a lot more of D.A.S. and fewer intimidating dogs.

“The question is how much better can we be if we had tighter ordinances that made it very clear: fix your animal,” said Assistant City Manager Joey Zapata.

Another idea on the table is funneling all dog calls through 911 instead of 311 to avoid confusion.

In the meantime, the city says it’s cracking down where it can, like having Marshals give priority to delinquent dog owners who have warrants.

The new priority has yielded 40 arrests in the last month as compared to 17 arrests over the previous four months.

Making mandatory spaying and neutering accessible is the biggest issue. It could cost about $1 million for the city to provide the service for free in some areas.