Southside neighbors concerned for safety over potential animal hoarding situation and loose dogs

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Neighbors on the Southside are expressing concerns about what they believe may be a dog hoarding situation, with fears for the safety of both the animals and their community.

Freddy Alvarez, a neighbor, pointed to a gap in a gate on a nearby property, which he says allows about a dozen dogs to roam the streets. “They just start shooting out one at a time, and before you know it, there’s a gang of them, from about 8 to 12,” he said.

Alvarez added that the dogs often fight with other dogs. “10 o’clock at night, 1 o’clock in the morning, 4 o’clock. There’s all this barking.”

Neighbors shared photos with KGUN 9 showing three dead dogs on the road over the past three years.

Alvarez is concerned about the safety of both the dogs, who could be hit by a car, and the children and elderly residents walking through the neighborhood. He recalled a time when he had to herd the dogs back into their yard to protect Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“There are kids who ride their bikes through here,” Alvarez said. “They come from different streets and ride around the neighborhood. And that’s scary because they’re on bikes, and dogs love bikes.”

Another neighbor, Alejandro Arvizu, shared a video showing the dogs running away from a car. Arvizu also recounted an incident in which his own pug was attacked by the roaming dogs. “They went into the yard and attacked her,” he said.

In response to the increasing concerns, Arvizu and other neighbors have reinforced their yards with taller fences to keep the dogs out. “We put up this fence, this railing right here because we didn’t want dogs to get in,” Arvizu said. “And really, just trash our yard and destroy the plants or attack our dogs, which is what happened.”

Alvarez and Arvizu both said they’ve contacted animal control over the years. Arvizu said both police and animal control responded to the property last week and he saw three dogs taken, while Alvarez said he hasn’t observed any changes in the situation.

“There’s just nothing being done from what I could see,” Alvarez said. “We don’t want him to go to jail. You know, we don’t want that. We just want him to be a responsible dog owner, and he’s not being one.”

Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) confirmed it has responded to several complaints at the address. Danielle Hinte, chief animal protection officer at PACC, stated that the investigation is still open. “We are continuing to work with the owner,” Hinte said.

When animal control responds to complaints, Hinte explained, their actions depend on observed violations and the owner’s cooperation. “Animals are considered property in the state of Arizona, so we do have to treat them as such and we have to work with the owner to try to improve conditions whenever,” she added.

KGUN 9 was unable to reach the owner directly but made several attempts via the contact information associated with the address. The dogs’ owner’s family told KGUN 9 that he declined to provide a response.

Neighbors like Alvarez and Arvizu told KGUN 9 they just want to see the dogs secured in the owner’s yard for the safety of both the animals and the community. “You know, don’t let the looks of the neighborhood fool you. We love this neighborhood. We watch each other, and we just want to make sure that everybody’s safe here,” Alvarez said.

“It’s their neighborhood. We want it back,” Alvarez added, referring to the loose dogs.

As of now, the investigation remains open. KGUN 9 will provide updates as the story develops.

If you are concerned about a hoarding situation, PACC encourages residents to contact their dispatch department at (520) 724-5900, option four, or to make an anonymous report by calling 88-CRIME.

A common misconception about hoarding is that it’s defined by a specific number of animals. However, PACC notes that hoarding is actually determined by an owner’s ability to provide proper food, water, shelter, ventilation, and veterinary care for the animals.