More than 160 dog bites reported per year in Harlingen

HARLINGEN, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — The stray animal population in Harlingen continues to grow and concerns over dog attacks are front and center after a city commissioner shared his close encounter during a city meeting last week.

The City of Harlingen's Environmental Health Director Shannon Harvill says dog attacks happen much more often than people think and are relatively common.

Harvill says about 160 bites are reported each year in the city.

Magdalena Camargo told ValleyCentral she was recently attacked by a dog, which led to a broken finger. She says she stopped walking her dogs as a precaution to avoid another attack.

"I stopped because my hand was broken so I couldn't walk them," Camargo said. "And then I kind of didn't go back because I saw too many dogs in the street."

The City of Harlingen has a strict ordinance against dog bites. Pet owners can face fines depending on the incident and their pet must be quarantined to check for diseases.

Harvill says the numbers of attacks have remained steady; although, the number of stray dogs in the city is increasing.

"We have seen an increase in stray dogs," Harvill said. "Our animal control officers are out every day trying to address those calls that we get on a daily basis. They are also on call on weekends for emergency calls, for dog bites, for any type of aggressive animal chasing somebody."

She says the police will also write a report and investigate the matter. Camargo says most dogs are not at fault, but the responsibility ultimately falls on the owner.

"As owners, we need to have gates closed," Camargo said. "You know, the dogs become territorial. They're going to protect their property. Of course, sometimes they don't realize that the street is not their property."

Harvill adds that if you are approached by a loose dog that you can carry a stick or any object with you and help "shoo" the animal away.