Teen charged with animal cruelty

BROWNSVILLE -- Two adult pit bulls and eight pit bull puppies were taken to the city's animal shelter this week after officials said the pups were in danger of drowning in their owner's backyard.

Animal control officers arrived at a home on San Eugenio Street on Monday morning to investigate a "citizen complaint" and seized the dogs after finding them sitting in 4 to 5 inches of rainwater, said Jimmy Manrrique, a Brownsville police spokesman.

"(The puppies) were trying to keep their heads above the water," Manrrique said. "It was a very dreadful sight for the officers."

The mother dog was tied to a trampoline and surrounded by ankle-deep water as she held one of the puppies in her mouth to keep it from drowning, said Joe Hinojosa, the city's assistant health director.

The other seven puppies were found up to their necks in water, and the father dog was tied to the opposite side of the trampoline, Hinojosa said.

"I'm sure if (officials) hadn't saved these animals, they wouldn't have made it out there much longer," he said.

Officials knocked on the doors and windows of the home, but the owner did not come out until the dogs were being loaded into the animal control truck, Manrrique said.

The 17-year-old from Brownsville was charged with 10 counts of cruelty to animals and given a $500 personal recognizance bond for each count, according to police documents.

A court hearing will determine whether the animals will be returned to the teen. No date for that hearing has been set yet, and the city's animal shelter meanwhile is petitioning to keep the animals.

"I want to stress that if people are going to own pets, then they have to be responsible owners," Manrrique said. "They have to provide adequate food and water and treat those animals humanely, especially under the current weather conditions."