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Pflugerville Animal Shelter Overflowing After Wind Damages Area Fences


Many pet owners spent Tuesday frantically searching for their dogs, after Monday's wind storm knocked down fences and blew open gates.

Animal shelters were filled to overflowing Tuesday after picking up so many escaped animals during the storm.

It's been a stressful 24 hours for Diesel the pit bull. "Hi Diesel, come to mamma," gushed his owner Sydney, as she came to pick Diesel up from the Pflugerville Animal Shelter.

Diesel is getting old and really doesn't like to walk very far, but his partner-in-crime Hoss, is an entirely different story.

"He was in cahoots with our other dog, Hoss, who is quite the wonderer," said Sydney.

Sydney says she came home from work Monday afternoon and found the backyard fence blown over. She has no doubt it was Hoss that led the charge for the two to escape.

"We have four kids at home that are very attached," she said. "Especially the youngest, she was very worried and already started creating her hand-drawn posters to put up around the neighborhood."

But Diesel and Hoss aren't the only ones who made a run for it when they got the chance. Dozens of dogs found themselves in unfamiliar cages Tuesday after getting free from storm damaged backyards.

"We had the high winds come in and as soon as that started happening we had all the calls for service come in for loose dogs all around the city," said Pflugerville Animal Control Supervisor Jacqueline Garcia.

In total, 11 dogs were picked up in about a 12 hour period in the city of Pflugerville. Most of the animals rescued don't have any identification on them.

"We hold them for five days, that's per city ordinance," explained Garcia about typical protocol for rescued strays. "After that, if they're not claimed by an owner we do try to put them up for adoption."

While many dogs still wait in cages at the shelter to be claimed, Diesel and Hoss are on their way home to be reunited with their family.

By Karen Kiley