Somerset Independent School District says at least 20 show animals, including goats, sheep and pigs, were killed after dogs got into the district's agriculture barn in two separate attacks over the weekend in far southwest Bexar County. The first attack happened Friday, followed by a second one Saturday morning, and district officials say nothing like it has ever happened at the facility before.
The Somerset ISD Agriculture Barn has served the district's students and its Future Farmers of America program for more than 40 years, according to district officials cited by KSAT. A district official told the outlet that dogs got through perimeter fencing to reach the animals, and that two dogs were seen leaving the barn after the attacks. Somerset ISD is now investigating exactly how the animals got in.
In response, the district says it is taking immediate steps to increase monitoring and strengthen security around the property, and has moved the remaining animals out of the barn entirely. The back-to-back losses have also raised concerns among families about the safety of students who visit the barn to care for their projects.
A Financial Blow for FFA Families
For the students who raise these animals, the losses are not just emotional but financial. FFA students typically spend months feeding, training and caring for goats, sheep and pigs before they can compete in shows, and one parent told the station they had already spent $5,000 on their child's animal. That kind of investment is common in Somerset ISD, an 85-square-mile district serving roughly 4,178 students, where about 84.8% are classified as economically disadvantaged, according to the Texas Tribune. For many of those families, a livestock project represents a significant financial stretch made worthwhile by scholarship and competition opportunities.
The timing adds pressure. Somerset ISD's FFA students are expected to prepare new animals for the winter and spring show season, including the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, scheduled for February 2027 and known as one of the state's premier junior livestock events offering scholarships and sale proceeds to exhibitors. Without replacement animals soon, students risk missing months of required preparation time before those competitions.
Neighbors Step Up With Fundraisers
The Somerset community has moved quickly to respond. Neighbors have organized fundraisers, including a GoFundMe campaign aimed at helping students buy new livestock, and some have offered to house the district's remaining animals themselves while security upgrades are made. Separately, the Somerset FFA Booster Club launched its own donation drive alongside community GoFundMe efforts to help affected families replace animals before the upcoming show season, per KSAT's reporting.
What Texas Law Says About Loose Dogs and Livestock
Texas law gives livestock owners significant legal footing in cases like this. Under Texas Health and Safety Code § 822.013, any person may legally kill a dog that is actively attacking or has recently attacked livestock, and the dog's owner can be held civilly liable for all resulting property damage and care costs, according to FindLaw. In unincorporated Bexar County, allowing a dog to roam unrestrained off its owner's property is also a Class C misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500, with an additional $500 penalty for failing to maintain rabies vaccinations, per Bexar County's animal care rules.
Identifying the actual owners of loose dogs in rural, unincorporated areas remains difficult for authorities, a challenge that echoed a similar case in May, when Hoodline reported that a roaming pack mauled pets on the Far West Side before county animal control seized seven animals and cited the owner. That enforcement gap is compounded by limited resources: the county's animal facility in Kirby operates with just 60 kennels to serve the entire unincorporated county, run by a manager and five staff members fielding calls across vast rural territory.
The Somerset incident follows a broader pattern of scrutiny over roaming animals in unincorporated Bexar County. Local governments updated animal control codes in 2024 and 2025, raising minimum fines up to $2,000 for unprovoked bites and giving animal control authority to spay or neuter roaming pets before returning them to owners. Separately, Texas Penal Code § 42.092 makes animal neglect or intentional cruelty punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or third-degree felony, and state law under House Bill 598 bars convicted offenders from owning animals for five years.
For now, Somerset ISD says its investigation into how the dogs breached the barn's fencing is ongoing, and no owner has been publicly identified in connection with the attacks. Families and neighbors are focused on replacing the lost animals in time for students to prepare for winter and spring competitions.
