BRUCEVILLE-EDDY, Texas (KWTX) – A Central Texas woman accused of abandoning two pit bulls that terrorized her neighbors has been charged, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KWTX.
Rebecca Lynn Crawford, 30, is charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals, the affidavit states. Crawford was arrested after three of her wandering dogs were rescued in recent weeks and she refused to pick up two of the animals, police wrote in the warrant.
Several neighbors spoke with police and provided written statements detailing how Crawford’s dogs terrorized their neighborhood or impacted their quality of life.
On Dec. 27, 2024, police were called to the 100 block of Pinto Drive after two pit bulls, Jade and Lily, were spotted roaming and found to be infested with fleas while “thin, underweight and visibly scared,” police said. The dogs were identified as “belonging to Rebecca Crawford, who resides in the [200 block] of Horseshoe Bend,” police wrote in the warrant.
On Dec. 30, 2024, police located a female pit bull named Athena roaming in the 300 block of Horseshoe Bend. “This dog was also identified as belonging to Rebecca Crawford,” the affidavit states. Residents in the area where Athena was found said the pit bull would go to their home daily and they have to feed it because Crawford “does not take care of her dogs,” the affidavit states. Athena was also infested with fleas and “visibly scared,” police wrote.
Police said that over the past couple of years, they have had at least nine encounters with Crawford regarding her dogs roaming freely outside her property. Crawford, according to police, had previously taken ownership of the pit bulls when they were found wandering, and had been issued 16 citations for city ordinance violations.
“The dogs have been reported to have killed chickens, attacked neighbors’ cats, and have been aggressive towards neighbors in the area,” police alleged in the affidavit, “There has also been concerns Crawford’s dogs could eventually attack a citizen due to the dogs constantly roaming the neighborhood searching for food.”
On Dec. 30, Crawford reached out to police to ask about regaining custody of Athena, but when asked about Jade and Lily, initially denied ownership of those two dogs. Crawford told police Athena was her dog, but Jade and Lily were just strays she had been caring for while she looked for a home for the dogs, police wrote in the affidavit.
According to the court document, Crawford told police she was only interested in picking up Athena, but it would be best for police to find new homes for Jade and Lily.
The Bruceville-Eddy Police Department has “body camera footage that confirms” Crawford had previously taken ownership of Athena and Jade in addition to statements from neighbors indicating Lily also belongs to Crawford, the arrest affidavit states.
On Jan. 1, Crawford allegedly posted in a local community Facebook group page under an anonymous name, police said. A woman apparently made a comment to Crawford about her dogs and wrote, “if you are not following the law then people have a the right to feel safe by whatever means is legal.”
Crawford, allegedly under the guise of anonymity, replied to the woman, “I’m trying to but I have to work. If I don’t work, then the dogs and my kids don’t eat,” the affidavit states without clarifying how police learned it was Crawford commenting anonymously.
In the affidavit, police included the complete statements submitted by seven neighbors who live in close proximity to Crawford.
One neighbor wrote that the pit bulls have been visiting her property since they were puppies and she would often feed them and give them water during hot summer months. The neighbor further alleged the dogs were often suffering from scars inflicted by barbed wire. “Several times, they almost got hit in the street … My concern is that they have a good home. So many times, they came over shaking and hungry,” she included in the statement.
Another neighbor wrote in a statement to police that she once visited Crawford’s property and noticed there were “several dogs and puppies malnourished and covered in fleas. When I walked onto the property, my shoes and legs were also covered in fleas.” That neighbor further wrote their family is unable to open their gates to park their vehicles within their fenced-off property because Crawford’s dogs immediately enter their property as soon as they open their gates and become aggressive with their own dogs.
Another neighbor documented a similar concern: “We have not been able to park inside of our gate in fear that these dogs will come in and attack our dogs.” This neighbor also said they had reached out to animal control about taking the dogs away from Crawford because she was unable to care for all of them. When visiting Crawford to discuss her dogs, the neighbor said, they “immediately had fleas on our shoes and legs as soon as we walked into the property.” The neighbor further wrote, “I have never seen their gate closed … Anytime I reached out to the owners about the dogs being off their property or issues with my kids not being able to get off the school bus, I was ignored.” Even more alarming, this neighbor alleged Crawford’s family has had “several litters of puppies and when I saw them after only being alive for a few days, [the puppies] covered in fleas so bad they could not have made it. A few days after I saw them, I received a message stating they had all passed away.”
One neighbor said one of Crawford’s pit bulls once “nipped” his 78-year-old mother and a “lady” on Crawford’s property witnessed the incident and did nothing to call of the dogs, apologize, or get the owners to come get the dogs. This neighbor further alleged Crawford’s dogs defecate on his yard. “This gets on my mower when I’m mowing and it’s very irritating,” they said.
Yet another neighbor wrote that Crawford’s dogs chased her 77-year-old mother and her cats and “almost killed the youngest cat.” They attempted to speak with Crawford but she “basically said she was not going to do anything about it,” the neighbor told police.
Another neighbor wrote in his statement to police that Crawford’s three dogs “have given his neighborhood nothing but problems” and further alleged the dogs “have attacked my dog and neighboring animals … I’m afraid if my three-year-old son is outside with us, he could be attacked. I don’t want to shoot a dog, but I will. They try to attack my dog at least three times a week.”
On Jan. 7, a hearing was held at the Justice of the Peace Court #4. Crawford was present and “stated she was just trying to get Athena back and was not going to get the other two dogs,” police wrote in the affidavit.
After the hearing, Judge Brian Richardson issued an order that found “Crawford did cruelly treat the animals by not feeding the animals, no vet visits, no adequate shelter, and not being contained on property,” the affidavit claims.
Crawford was arrested in early January 2025 but is no longer listed as an active inmate at the McLennan County Jail.
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