Roaming Dog Packs Plague Public Safety Concerns in Maverick County’s Loma Bonita Subdivision
By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
EAGLE PASS, Texas — For years, residents of the Loma Bonita community in Maverick County Precinct 4 have faced an ongoing problem involving stray and free-roaming dogs, including groups of animals traveling in packs through residential neighborhoods, threatening family pets and raising concerns about the safety of residents.
Despite the problem having persisted for years, residents continue to encounter roaming dogs along neighborhood streets, making ordinary activities such as walking, exercising or visiting neighbors potentially dangerous.
The situation is particularly concerning when multiple dogs travel together, sometimes displaying aggressive behavior toward other animals, including household dogs and cats, and reportedly approaching or threatening pedestrians.
Although the problem is not exclusive to Precinct 4, Loma Bonita has been identified as one of the communities where roaming dogs continue to present a persistent public safety concern.
Two candidates are vying for County Commissioner Precinct 4 who hail from Loma Bonita, Democratic Party candidate Dr. Alejandro Esquivel and Republican Party candidate Guadalupe “Lupe” Negrete, in the November 3, 2026 General Election. Both have vowed to address the problem upon being elected.
The seriousness of the situation became evident several weeks ago when a campaign worker assisting a Democratic candidate in a state election was reportedly bitten by a dog while conducting campaign activities in the Loma Bonita neighborhood.
The incident raised additional questions about the availability of animal control services in unincorporated areas of Maverick County.
According to information provided about the incident, Maverick County was unable to respond to the reported dog bite because the county reportedly did not have a vector control employee available at that time.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the dog’s ownership status, the severity of the injury and whether the animal was subsequently located, remain to be confirmed.
Nevertheless, the reported incident illustrates the potential consequences of allowing an ongoing animal control problem to remain unresolved.
For residents, the concern extends beyond the inconvenience of encountering loose animals. Packs of roaming dogs can pose a threat to children, elderly residents, individuals walking for exercise and families attempting to protect their household pets.
The problem also raises questions about animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, enforcement of applicable animal control regulations and the availability of county personnel to respond when residents report potentially dangerous animals.
Among the questions requiring answers are how many complaints involving roaming dogs have been received from Loma Bonita and other unincorporated communities, how many dog bites have been reported, and what resources Maverick County currently has available to respond.
Another important issue is whether the county has established a long-term strategy to address the problem through animal control enforcement, coordination with other agencies, responsible pet ownership education and spay-and-neuter programs.
For residents who have experienced these conditions for years, the issue is no longer simply about stray animals wandering through neighborhoods. It is about being able to safely walk along their streets without fear of being confronted or attacked by roaming dogs.
