By GvilleTX Newsroom
Krugerville police said a nighttime anonymous welfare call on Aug. 11 led to an animal-neglect investigation at a Krugerville residence, where officers later removed 24 animals from the property and arrested Peter Carrero on 17 cruelty-related charges. The case matters locally because Texas law lets animal-care concerns move quickly from a welfare response to a seizure warrant and court hearing when officers believe animals are being cruelly treated.
Source: Krugerville Police Department
The first officers who responded found six puppies kept outdoors in extreme heat without adequate shelter, food or water, the Krugerville Police Department said in a public statement. Police said officers returned the next day with a search warrant and took 18 additional animals from the property.
Carrero was arrested on charges involving cruelty to livestock and non-livestock animals, according to Krugerville police. In a separate department post, police said the charges were tied to evidence that 17 animals had not received proper care.
Police said officers also found five dead animals at the residence. The surviving animals were placed with Animal Control Services for veterinary evaluation and treatment, the department said.
Source: Krugerville Police Department
At an Aug. 14 hearing, a court ruled that the seized animals would remain in municipal custody and later be made available for adoption, according to Krugerville police.
Texas Health and Safety Code Section 821.022 allows a peace officer or animal-control officer to seek a seizure warrant when the officer believes an animal is being cruelly treated. The same section requires a hearing within 10 calendar days after the warrant is issued.
After a cruelty seizure hearing, Section 821.023 allows the court to return an animal, order a sale, place the animal with a municipal or county shelter or nonprofit animal-welfare organization, or order humane destruction when authorized.
The criminal statutes cited by the case cover both livestock and non-livestock animals. Texas Penal Code Section 42.09 includes unreasonable failure to provide necessary food, water or care for livestock. Section 42.092 includes unreasonable failure to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for non-livestock animals.
Krugerville’s city code allows its animal-control officer to impound an animal the officer determines has been treated cruelly or inhumanely. The code says animals impounded under city rules or state law are held at a city-contracted shelter or at city facilities if available.
The Krugerville Police Department’s services page lists All American Dogs as the city’s animal-control provider. All American Dogs says it provides animal-control and code-enforcement services to more than 35 municipalities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and offers 24/7 emergency response.
Gainesville uses a separate local system. The city’s animal-control page says Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter handles care and custody of impounded animals for Gainesville, and Noah’s Ark says it serves Gainesville and Cooke County in cooperation with the city.
_Editor's note: Everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law._
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