“We always hope for the best outcome in these bad situations,” said Deputy Adam Turbeville, a member of the unit.
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — A unit within the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigates cases involving animals. The specialized unit is known as Animal Crimes Enforcement. The team is made up of deputies with backgrounds in animal care and livestock handling.
“We always hope for the best outcome in these bad situations,” said Deputy Adam Turbeville, a member of the unit. “The majority of us are avid animal owners or horsemen ourselves. That experience helps a lot.”
The unit’s most common call involves aggressive dogs. Turbeville said most of the calls are dogs chasing children at bus stops. However, a recent call involving an abandoned horse is a case Turbeville won’t forget.
“Nothing could have prepared me for what I had to see that day,” he said. “It’s probably one of the worst cases we’ve had in my 15 years with the sheriff’s office.”
In the case, a severely injured horse was found abandoned behind a movie theater. The scene was so graphic, as there was blood everywhere. After investigating, authorities arrested a couple in connection with the crime.
“If someone is cold-hearted enough to do that to an animal, it’s not too much of a stretch to think they could do that to a human being,” said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
On a recent follow-along, deputies responded to a complaint about a foul odor, feces and cats kept in cages at a home on the northeast side. When they arrived, Bexar County Animal Control was already on the scene.
Deputy Turbeville assessed the property and spoke with the homeowner, who was not issued a citation but was given two days to improve conditions.
“We can’t just take these animals without due diligence of conducting an investigation,” Turbeville said.
Sheriff Salazar said cases of animal cruelty often intersect with other serious crimes, including domestic violence, elder neglect and even human trafficking.
“There is a little bit of a crossover,” Salazar said. “We’ve seen certain cases where animal cruelty was just the beginning.”
As for the property owner, investigators said when they went back everything was cleaned up, and that the owner complied with the orders given. BCSO said no other action was taken.
You can ACE at ace@bexar.org, or 210-335-TIPS.