Stray Animal Problem Can Lead to Numerous Health-Related Concerns, Including Rabies

By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The persistent number of stray animals across Eagle Pass and Maverick County continues to create serious public safety and health concerns, particularly in neighborhoods where loose dogs regularly roam near homes.

The problem has become increasingly noticeable in the Loma Bonita sector, where residents risk being bitten or attacked while walking outside, as well as throughout Maverick County.

Children may be especially vulnerable when aggressive or sick animals enter residential areas.
Although local officials have considered different solutions over the years, the stray animal problem has continued for decades without a lasting resolution.

Stray dogs and cats may carry untreated illnesses, suffer injuries or become victims of deliberate abuse. They can also be exposed to zoonotic diseases that spread between animals and humans, including rabies and toxoplasmosis.

While some people consider stray animals a nuisance, many are on the streets or in shelters because of abandonment, inadequate care or the failure of owners to spay, neuter and properly secure their pets.

The consequences of an uncontrolled animal population became tragically clear in 1979, when the Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras region experienced a serious rabies crisis.

Historical reports indicate that three children died from rabies that summer. The victims reportedly included 8-year-old Gerardo Castaño, 8-year-old Marianita Garza of Eagle Pass and an unidentified 9-year-old girl from Piedras Negras.

Garza was reportedly bitten by a pet on May 31, 1979, and died during the first week of July. Reports stated that the children contracted the disease after being bitten by infected pets. Those animals were believed to have contracted rabies from wild or stray animals.

The deaths prompted authorities on both sides of the border to begin an aggressive campaign against the disease. Hundreds of animals were rounded up and killed.

Estimates indicated that approximately 8,000 animals were killed in Piedras Negras, while at least 75 people in Eagle Pass underwent anti-rabies treatment.

Then-Eagle Pass City Manager Roberto Gonzalez ordered a review and stronger enforcement of animal control laws. The City Council also adopted emergency measures to prevent the crisis from worsening.

Concerns returned during the mid-1980s when state health officials feared another Piedras Negras outbreak could spread into Maverick County. Reports documented rabies involving approximately 60 dogs, one person and one cow in Piedras Negras, along with four cases in Eagle Pass. Maverick County did not have an animal shelter at the time.

This history shows that stray animals are not merely a neighborhood nuisance. The issue involves public safety, disease prevention, humane treatment and responsible pet ownership. Without coordinated action, enforcement and community participation, this decades-old problem will continue placing people and animals at risk.