Rio Grande City Animal Control is now becoming its own city department

Eighteen dogs fill Rio Grande City's Animal Control facility, each one picked up off the street.

Norma Lopez says seeing stray dogs has become routine.

"I can't even leave my house without even seeing five or six dogs in the city," Lopez said.

Lopez says she feels for each animal she sees wandering alone. She knows they can't survive on their own.

"We don't have an animal problem, we have a people problem. They don't understand that if you don't spay and neuter your dogs, these animals are suffering," Lopez said.

Rio Grande City Animal Control says stray animals aren't the only problem; animal abuse is also on the rise.

"So there is a drastic increase in our service calls," Rio Grande City Animal Control Departme

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