As the first weekend of spring brings warmer temperatures to El Paso, animal control officers say they are already seeing an uptick in heat-related calls and cases where pets are being left outside without basic care.
At Westside Community Park in West El Paso, Animal Services Field Supervisor Ashley Herrera said officers have been responding to more calls involving “standards of care” issues, including animals left in backyards without proper shelter, water or food.
“We have given out about 200 citations the past two weeks alone, and honestly, it’s going to go up,” Herrera said. “Right now we’ve been seeing calls for standards of care animals don’t have proper shelter, water or food in their backyard. And with the summer heat coming, those are the calls we’re going to see all the time.”…