MARLIN, Texas (KWTX) – On Saturday morning loud cries and car honks to demand accountability came from city hall.
”Those dogs probably cried and barked in agony and no one heard them,” protestor Terri Westmoreland said.
A group of around 40 peaceful protestors made some calls for change after disturbing videos showed dogs underfed and living surrounded by their own feces at the Marlin Animal Shelter.
Other photos show a dog lying dead in a kennel at the city-owned facility. According to the Falls County Sheriff’s Office, multiple dogs were found dead there.
”I drove past here on Saturday and I thought it was a vet clinic,” protestor Mandy Fourie said. “I thought ‘oh that’s cute,’ If I would have known that there were dogs in there I would have stopped and done something.”
Marlin animal advocates were joined by people from Moody, Temple and Thornton to demand that Marlin’s city manager, animal control officer and police chief all be arrested.
”My message is we need prosecutions, we need people held accountable, this is intentional cruelty by government leaders,” Fourie said.
In a statement released Friday night, Marlin’s mayor Susan Byrd said, “as a proponent for dog rescues we are all working to cooperate with the investigation by the Falls County Sheriff’s Office. Upon completion of the investigation, the City of Marlin will do our best to ensure the responsible parties are all held accountable.”
Staff from Journey Home Rescue, who took in three of the dogs, even came out to the protest to send a loud message.
”Arrests need to be made and they need to be held accountable for each and every death,” Frances Fischer, Journey Home Rescue co-founder, said.
KWTX tried calling the Marlin Police Chief multiple times for a response on the calls for his arrest and have not yet heard back.
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