06/02/2026
Let’s have a real conversation, Trinity County.
We have a stray dog problem. Not “kind of.” A real one.
The Sheriff’s Office is picking up between 30 and 40 dogs a month. Right now there are roughly 30 in our kennels. Trinity County Crime Stoppers and a small army of volunteers are running adoption events month after month, and they are heroes for it. But the dogs keep coming.
Meanwhile, I am getting calls from people whose pets have been attacked. People who have been bitten. People who tell me they cannot walk out to their own mailbox because a pack of dogs is in their yard.
And we have not even started talking about the cats. We have zero resources for cats. No way to catch them, no way to hold them, no way to care for them.
So I am asking — straight up — what do y’all want done?
Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822, when a county does not have a dedicated animal control office, the Sheriffs Office serves as the default animal control authority. Our resources, manpower, and kennel space are limited, and the problem continues to grow.
The problem is statewide, not just here. Rural Texas counties are getting buried in strays. To put Trinity County in perspective, the Hays County Sheriffs Office took 981 stray dog calls in a 12 month stretch and announced they can only respond to the most critical public safety cases anymore. We are pulling 30 to 40 dogs a month with limited resources, so we are right in the same fight.
Who legally has to handle this in Texas:
• Counties and cities can establish an Animal Control Office (ACO), but they are not required to.
• When a city or county has no ACO, the Sheriffs Office becomes the default animal control authority for dangerous dog issues under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822. That is exactly the position we are in.
• Texas law prohibits breed-specific bans. We have to handle dangerous dogs case by case.
• A dangerous dog owner is supposed to register the animal, restrain it, and carry $100,000 in liability insurance — but only after a court determination, which takes time and money.
I see folks on Facebook arguing both sides. Some want every dog rescued no matter the cost. Some say not one penny of tax money should go to this. Some want a county animal control department. Some want stricter laws on owners who dump animals. Some want more spay and neuter help.
There is no wrong answer here. I just want to hear from you.
Drop a comment below or pick one:
1. Build a county animal control department funded by taxes
2. Partner with a private shelter or neighboring county
3. Put county money into free spay and neuter clinics
4. Stiffer penalties for people who dump or abandon animals (keep in mind it’s nearly impossible to catch and prove those that dump animals)
5. Leave it to volunteers and donations — no tax money
6. Something else (tell me)
I will read every comment. This county belongs to all of us, and the answer needs to come from all of us.
Sheriff Woody A. Wallace
