Pack of up to 40 feral dogs prowls Godley, Texas, raising public-safety and animal-control concerns
Residents say the loose dogs, now seen in daylight, are malnourished and aggressive; county and city officials say legal authority and shelter space are limited
A roaming pack of as many as 40 feral dogs has settled into the streets of Godley, a small city in northern Texas, according to residents and local officials, prompting fears for public safety and renewed debate over animal-abandonment enforcement.
Neighbors say the group, which began appearing months ago, has grown bolder and now travels the neighborhood during daylight hours. Residents told local station NBC DFW they have seen the animals repeatedly near homes, that many appear sick or malnourished, and that parents are keeping children indoors out of concern.
Bruce Moats, a Godley resident, told NBC 5 that one recent encounter left his family frightened. He said his wife rushed their daughter inside while his son locked himself in a vehicle, and that he armed himself as he went to secure his house. "We now have dogs — feral dogs, obviously sick, obviously having issues trying to find food — that are out and about at the same time that my children and our children are on the streets," Moats said. "The dogs are going to look for food, and I don’t want my children to be that dog food."
Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey acknowledged the problem but said county authorities face legal and logistical constraints. He told NBC DFW that the county lacks clear authority to round up feral dogs and that local shelters are already full, leaving officials with limited options for captured animals. "It is a great concern," Bailey said. "But I don’t have a solution, nor an answer, other than we are in dialogue with other cities in the county to see if there’s something we can do to mitigate this problem."
City officials in Godley said they are preparing to review a proposal to increase penalties for people who abandon animals. The proposal is scheduled to be discussed by the city council later this week, according to local reports. Residents and some officials have urged tougher enforcement against animal abandonment as a means to curb the growing stray population.
Footage shared with local media shows the dogs moving together in groups and approaching residential streets, behavior neighbors said has become more common during daylight hours after initially appearing only at night. Several residents reported that individual animals appear ill or underweight, and expressed concern about potential disease transmission and attacks on pets or people.
Animal-control response in suburban and rural Texas can be complicated by jurisdictional boundaries, limited staffing, and constrained shelter capacity, officials say. In this case, county and municipal agencies have indicated they are exploring cooperative measures with neighboring jurisdictions but offered no immediate plan to remove or house the animals. Officials also said euthanasia is not a preferred first option but could become a consideration if captured animals are suffering and no shelter space exists.
Local residents said they have taken precautionary steps, including keeping children indoors, avoiding walking pets without a leash, and reporting sightings to authorities. Some homeowners have considered installing cameras and motion lighting to deter the animals and document encounters for officials.
Experts and officials often point to abandonment, inadequate spay-and-neuter programs, and gaps in animal-control funding as factors that can contribute to growing stray and feral populations, but specific causes in Godley are under investigation. The proposed city ordinance to punish animal abandonment aims to reduce new animals joining the stray population, while county officials continue talks with neighboring municipalities over immediate response options.
The situation in Godley highlights the challenges many communities face when unmanaged animal populations intersect with residential areas. Efforts to resolve the immediate safety concerns will depend on coordinated action, available shelter capacity, and enforcement of local animal-welfare laws, residents and officials said.
