AUSTIN, Texas — A pair of loose dogs are roaming around a northeast Austin neighborhood, frightening residents.
Shanti Deva, who’s lived in the Hollybluff neighborhood for 20 years, said there’s usually plenty of love for animals in the community.
“There are a lot of pet owners,” Deva said. “I foster dogs, my neighbors foster dogs.”
However, Deva said there's only concern surrounding two dogs on their block.
“I don't feel safe. I don't feel safe about my dogs. I don't feel safe about my friends,” she said.
Back in March, Deva said she first noticed a tan dog and a black-and-gray dog running around loose.
“I thought that it was an accident," Deva said. “I thought they got out of somebody’s yard and somebody would be along to collect them. Then I saw them again and again,”
Deva said her neighbors a couple of doors down are the dogs' owners and frequently let them roam the neighborhood.
“They'll be in my driveway, they'll be in yards up and down the street. They'll typically stay on this street, but I've seen them several streets over in all directions,” Deva said.
She said the dogs aren't friendly.
“There was a moment where the tan dog sort of hunched down and acted like he was going to charge me. He wasn't wagging his tail,” Deva said. “I’m not a dog whisperer, but I’m fairly comfortable with dogs and he did not have a friendly stance.”
For months, Deva said she’s had difficulty getting to her car, inside her home or even walking her own dogs around because of it.
“Sometimes, my boyfriend will come out with me with a baseball bat to kind of help protect me in case the dogs come up,” she said.
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Deva said she's not the only one with a bad experience. She said neighbors have told her that the dogs bark at them, chase them around and that one neighbor was even scratched to the point of drawing blood.
She said at least 10 homeowners are afraid of the dogs.
“We have some neighbors across the street that are elderly, and they've lived in this neighborhood for possibly 60 years,” Deva said. “When they go for walks in the neighborhood now, they carry a large stick so that if a dog comes, they can at least try and protect themselves.”
Deva said she’s called 311 eight or nine times and has called 911 twice for her safety. She said at least 10 of her neighbors have also made calls.
“We have called 911, collectively, possibly 50 to 60 times. As far as I know, they haven’t done anything,” she said.
Deva said Animal Control shows up once out of every 15 calls or reports. She said when they do come, nothing much is done.
“I understand that there's loose dogs all over the city and they are short-staffed, but I feel like at this point, enough calls have been made where action should be taken,” Deva said.
KVUE reached out to the Austin Animal Center, which responds to 311 calls related to animals in the city. The center said on record that they have 17 calls to the address, and the dog's owners have not been home when they have responded. The owners have been issued warnings, according to the Austin Animal Center.
The center said if Animal Control catches the dogs roaming in real time, a violation will be issued with up to a $500 fine.
Deva said the neighbors want to feel safe, but they want the dogs to be safe too.
“We want these dogs to have a good home where they are taken care of, where they're not in danger of being hit by cars,” she said. “So, if they get loose again, what do I do? Call 311? That’s not working.”
Deva said she and her neighbors do not wish to take an further action to protect themselves from the dogs because there's still love for animals in their community.
KVUE also went to the alleged home of the dogs, but the owners did not answer the door.
The Austin Animal Center said because pets are property, the only way they would be able to take a pet away from an owner is through a court order.
They said if the dogs are aggressive, neighbors can open a Dangerous Dog case and potentially get the state to declare the dogs dangerous. The owners would then have to comply with dangerous dog laws.