Michael Karlis
District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito, at podium, is joined by Raymond Najera (right) and Beatrice and Max De Los Santos (left).
District 7 City Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito unveiled three policy proposals Wednesday aimed at curbing San Antonio's stray- and dangerous-dog problems.
Alderete Gavito was joined at the press conference by Raymond Najera, the son of an 81-year-old Air Force veteran who was mauled to death on the West Side last year. Max De Los Santos, who had both of his legs amputated following a separate dog attack in August, also attended.
"This was a promise I actually made to Raymond last year as I was campaigning, and I'm determined to keep my commitment to him," Alderete Gavito said of the proposals.
Alderete Gavito's measures include tougher penalties for owners whose dogs routinely leave their property, mandatory spay and neuter regulations and an anonymous dangerous-dog reporting system.
Last week, Alderete Gavito introduced a Council Consideration Request (CCR) for the proposals, a key step in getting them in front of the full council for debate. District 10's Marc Whyte, District 6's Melissa Cabello Havrda, District 2's Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 8's Manny Pelaez signed on in support.
There's no date set for a council discussion of the proposed changes, but Alderete Gavito said she hopes they'll be taken up quickly.
Under the first of the councilwoman's proposals, the minimum fines for owners who let their dogs wander off property would increase to $500 for a second offense and $750 for the third offense and every subsequent incident. Currently, those with wandering dogs face a first-time penalty of at least $100 and the amount rises to $200 for a second offense and $300 for a third.
"If we're just going to court and we're giving them a low fine or no fine at all, then there's no consequence for your dog being lost," Najera told the Current. "I think that's a big problem."
"The majority of dog-related issues can be traced back to irresponsible dog owners, so we need to hold them accountable before tragedy repeats itself," Alderete Gavito told reporters. "We must act now to reduce the chance of further attacks."
Between 90% and 93% of lose dogs captured by ACS have an owner, Alderete Gavito told the Current, adding that she's still working out details with her colleagues about how to handle the remaining unclaimed canines.
Alderete Gavito said she hopes her proposal to allow anonymous tipsters to make dangerous-dog complaints will encourage residents to step forward and alert authorities.
"Many resdidents do not report dangerous dogs out of fear of retaliation from their neighbors that owned the dog," she said. "Your safety is my priority, and no one should be in fear when doing the right thing."
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