A Cameron County jury on Friday found a Los Fresnos man guilty of 19 counts of animal cruelty charges, officials said.
The jury found that Steve Clark Woodington failed to provide adequate care to 300 dogs that were found in a warehouse on his property Sept. 9, 2019, the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office said in a media release.
The one-week trial was heard before Cameron County Court-at-Law No. 3 Judge David Gonzalez.
“It is sad that this man’s selfishness caused the lives of the animals. The endless amount of manpower from the surrounding law enforcement agencies to ensure the rest of the dogs were properly cared for was overwhelming and expensive. How fitting the jury’s verdict was today on National Dog Day,” District Attorney Luis V. Saenz said in a press release.
According to the press release, Cameron County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to assist the Cameron County Animal Control in conducting a follow-up investigation. Throughout the investigation, they encountered a foul smell at the location, which was a warehouse, officials said.
Surrounding residents had told law enforcement officials that dogs would be barking all throughout the night, the press release stated. As they collected information, they quickly realized that there were over 300 dogs held in different-sized kennels; several dogs were crowded in the same kennel and were in very unhealthy conditions and need of medical attention, officials said.
Authorities said some dogs were covered in feces and urine, and others had open wounds. A total of 19 dogs did not survive the situation, officials said. Woodington said he was the owner and was operating an animal rescue that housed dogs until they were placed for adoption, according to officials.
