A set of new fines for people who abandon animals in San Antonio has a much narrower scope than originally described.
Though it appears staff legal staff accurately described a key caveat during a Thursday council vote, at least two council members said they didn’t realize the fines they approved will not cover people who dump their own pets.
The City Council approved the following change to the city’s animal code in a 10-1 vote Thursday, including fines between $500 and $2,000.
Sec. 5-23. Abandonment.
(a) Abandonment of non-livestock and livestock animals, excluding uncaptured wild living creatures, is a violation of the Texas Penal Code and depending on the circumstances, is a class A misdemeanor, state jail felony, or a felony of the third degree.
(b) It shall be a violation of thi