‘Numerous dogs found dead, in bad condition’ at Marlin facility, Falls County sheriff says

MARLIN, Texas (KWTX) – The Falls County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after “numerous dogs were found dead or in bad condition” at an animal control facility in Marlin, Falls County Sheriff Joe Lopez confirmed to KWTX.

Lopez said he was alerted about the conditions at the facility, which is located at the corner of Capps and Ward, at about 1 p.m. on Jan. 9.

The sheriff said his investigation is just now beginning. The shelter was “filthy,” Lopez said, adding the floor was covered in feces. “I did talk to the mayor about this and I need her to do her own thing and start her investigation,” the sheriff added.

Jeffery Rich told KWTX he was looking for a stray dog at the facility and was horrified when he peeked inside the shelter. “I lifted up the tarp and I seen a dead dog and I started looking around and that’s when I seen that all of them were skin and bones, and the amount of feces in the kennels,” Rich said.

“There was no food or water in the kennels,” Rich further said, “Disgusting. It was horrible. The sight, you can look at a dog and look at how skinny it was, and it most likely died of starvation.”

Rich said he immediately snapped photos and recorded footage he would later share on social media with the hope of alerting the community. He said city officials asked him to delete his social media posts with the photos and videos, but remained adamant he would not take down the disturbing images until things change at the facility.

“I want to see the dogs being treated right,” Rich said, “Somebody needs to be put in jail for the way those dogs were treated and done because if it was a regular resident who had dogs like that, the police would arrest them.”

Web Xtra: Footage recorded inside the shelter

A veterinarian is at the scene to provide guidance, Sheriff Lopez said.

“There are questions that need to be answered,” Lopez said, “Instead of notifying the proper authorities, they took it upon themselves to start cleaning, disposing and I think that should have been held until a further investigation was done.”

The sheriff said his office will work to find individuals or shelters willing to care for some of the surviving dogs.

“I’m an old country boy and I’ve been around pups all the time. That’s why I don’t own a dog myself. If you own a dog, you must invest the time. You must have time to treat an animal correctly,” Lopez said, “Same thing here. If you own or operate this type of business, you’re supposed to take care of it correctly and properly.”

The City of Marlin opened the facility in early 2022 to mitigate a stray animal problem. Read more.

This is a developing story.

The animal control facility in Marlin, Texas.