County saves more than 100 dogs from St. Hedwig puppy mill

SAN ANTONIO — When Bexar County animal-care officers entered the St. Hedwig-area farm-road property that Ronald McNeil shares with his sister, they were horrified by what they saw.

In the backyard, they found stacks of cages containing nearly 100 dogs and puppies — mainly Boston terriers and papillons — covered in fecal matter and urine, with one empty cage nearly impenetrable because mold had grown on the dog feces inside.

When the officers entered the home — where McNeil kept at least six more dogs — they had to wear protective gear because they were overwhelmed by the smell from a five-inch, wall-to-wall mound of feces on the second floor.

The Sept. 2 raid of McNeil's home, which resulted in the removal of 104 dogs from his property, marked the first major dog seizure by Bexar County since it took responsibility for the county's unincorporated areas from San Antonio's Animal Care Services last October.

The investigation was prompted by a call to the sheriff's office from a concerned citizen.

“It was obvious that (McNeil) was running a puppy mill,” said Renee Green, Bexar County's director of public works. “During the course of the investigation, the deputies realized that these animals were in deplorable conditions, and at that point they called our animal-control services.”

Since the seizure, the dogs have been kept at Dodd Animal Hospital, at a cost of $2,500 a day to the county.

McNeil faces the possibility that he could be charged with animal cruelty, but the first issue to be resolved in this case was the disposition of the animals the county removed from his property.

McNeil did not challenge the county's assertions about the dogs in the outdoor kennels, and merely sought to regain custody of two dogs (a Boston terrier and a papillon) he kept inside the home.

Thursday afternoon, he made his case in the court of Bexar County Precinct 2, Place 3 Justice of the Peace Monica Caballero.

McNeil, a bald, burly, retired military veteran who has lived at the same home since 1990, talked about his battles with diabetes, and suggested that his low blood sugar left him so weak that he didn't have the energy to maintain a clean environment for himself or his dogs. He came across as more confused and saddened by the situation than defiant.

McNeil said the Boston terrier in question is aggressive around strangers and probably “can't get trained out of it.” He fretted that if he didn't get the dog back, it may end up euthanized.

In attempting to justify his request for the two dogs, McNeil softly said: “I have feelings for them. I think they can have happy lives with me.”

Caballero didn't buy that argument, though she explained her denial with considerable diplomacy.

“Nobody doubts your sincerity in what you're trying to do, but maybe this will give you a break to get your house cleaned up,” she said. “Maybe caring for dogs is too much to put on your plate right now.”

The county is holding those two dogs while McNeil appeals Caballero's decision. Green said 15-20 of the older dogs are in such bad health they may have to be euthanized, but expressed hope that the rest can be adopted.

Kelly Reid Walls, a local rescue activist who attended the hearing, said the county “handled the seizure in a professional manner and demonstrated a willingness to work with animal welfare groups” to ensure the dogs are placed in safe homes.

“I believe Judge Caballero issued a fair ruling that focused on the welfare of the dogs while showing compassion for an owner in need of assistance,” Walls added.

The county's action on such a big animal-care case also shines a light on an issue raised this year by Carlton Soules, Republican nominee for county judge. Soules has argued that Bexar County's split with ACS was a mistake exemplifying County Judge Nelson Wolff's “quickness to dissolve partnerships.”

Soules has also insisted that the county — which currently has three animal-care officers and hopes to add one animal-cruelty officer in the next fiscal year — is not equipped to keep up with the volume of animal-care problems in unincorporated areas.

In this case, however, the county got it right, and it bolstered its animal-care credentials in the process.