UPDATE: SHERIFF'S OFFICE ANIMAL CONTROL UNIT
- 3850 Justice El Paso, TX 79938 
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Direct: (915) 538-2119
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)
EMAIL: jtovar@epcounty.com
EPCSO.ORG
Release Date / Time: Thursday , October 29, 2009 11:10 AM
SECTION: El Paso County Sheriff's Office (PATROL DIVISION )
EVENT: UPDATE: Sheriff's Office Animal Control Unit
LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE: El Paso County, TX
DATE / TIME: Day to Day Developments
RESULT: UPDATE
UPDATE- The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is in the process of hiring / 
training / equipping personnel to carry out the duties of the Sheriff's Office Animal Control Unit. The Sheriff's Office is in the process of negotiating contracts with the City of El Paso where services would be needed in cases of urgent circumstances. Right now, Animal Control will no longer respond to unincorporated areas of El Paso County even though it is in these very areas where issues with feral dogs, loose livestock, and local wild fauna roaming through residential area are encountered very frequently. Sheriff's Deputies are only responding to calls with aggressive or vicious animals such as dog bites & stray livestock.
Deputies will not use deadly force on these animals unless situations arise involving an immediate threat to public safety or as a humanitarian gesture for an animal critically wounded and suffering.
Background:
On Monday. October 5, 2009, County Commissioners voted & awarded the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office $115,000.00 to fund the hiring of 3 civilian Animal Control Officers including equipment, vehicles and training. The Animal Unit would patrol & respond the outlying areas of the county where there is a significant stray dog problem. This Animal Unit would better handle & target areas where animal control services are now frequently needed. There are current discussions with the city on the issue of boarding & safekeeping the animals. The Animal Control Program will commence after the finalization of policies & the hiring / training of the officers. There is no projected start date at this time & the location where the animals are to be kept will also be announced at a later date.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.