A 27-year-old San Antonio man is facing a third-degree felony charge after investigators say surveillance footage captured him shooting and killing a neighbor's dog on the South Side. Mario Rosalio Avila allegedly parked next to the dog owner's yard on Ozalid Lane around 7:20 a.m. on July 10, approached two barking dogs, told them “shut up,” walked back to his vehicle, retrieved a rifle, and opened fire.
According to WOAI, investigators identified Avila using surveillance footage and witness testimony. The footage reportedly showed him driving a gray SUV to the residence, which belongs to Avila's sister, before the confrontation. A neighbor across the street told investigators she heard the gunshot and saw Avila holding a rifle while looking toward the dogs, and the dogs reportedly tried to move away as he approached before he shot one of them. Avila then fled north toward his residence on Ozalid Lane, per the same report.
The person who reported the shooting is the brother of the dog's owner, and both men are acquainted with Avila, the outlet notes. Avila now faces a third-degree felony charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals.
What Texas Law Says About Killing a Dog
Under Texas Penal Code § 42.092, intentionally or knowingly killing, torturing, or causing serious bodily injury to a non-livestock animal without the owner's consent is a third-degree felony, carrying two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to FindLaw. That statute has carried felony weight since 2001, when Texas passed what became known as Loco's Law — House Bill 653 and Senate Bill 1724, named for a puppy that was intentionally blinded — upgrading animal cruelty from a misdemeanor, per the SPCA of Texas.
Texas law does carve out an exception that could factor into how prosecutors and defense attorneys approach the case. Under Texas Health and Safety Code § 822.013, a person may legally kill or injure a dog without facing cruelty prosecution if the animal is actively attacking, about to attack, or known to have recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowls on their property. Whether that defense applies here would hinge on the surveillance footage and witness accounts already gathered by investigators, since the dogs were reportedly barking and moving away rather than attacking as Avila approached.
A Rising Wave of Cruelty Cases Citywide
The case lands amid a broader local crackdown on animal cruelty. San Antonio Animal Care Services reported in March that its dedicated cruelty investigation unit filed 35 criminal cases between October 2025 and February 2026 alone, already surpassing the 34 total cases filed across all of fiscal year 2025 after the department doubled its officer staffing, according to KSAT. The surge follows a 33% budget increase in 2024 that pushed the agency's funding to $32.3 million for fiscal year 2025, with a stated goal of reaching a 100% response rate to critical cruelty and aggressive-animal reports by 2026, per the San Antonio Report.
The department has also flagged persistent challenges with unsterilized and free-roaming dogs across local neighborhoods; the same outlet reported in December that only about a third of owned pets brought to city wellness clinics were spayed or neutered. Residents who suspect abuse, neglect, or loose aggressive animals within San Antonio city limits are directed to route reports through the city's 311 system for dispatch to field officers, per city ordinance. Complaints in unincorporated Bexar County, by contrast, fall under the Bexar County Sheriff's Office criminal investigation division rather than city animal control.
Federal authorities treat this category of crime with particular seriousness. The FBI classifies animal cruelty as a Group A felony in its National Incident-Based Reporting System, tracking it alongside homicides and assaults because of research linking animal violence to broader patterns of violent behavior. It remains unclear whether Avila has entered a plea or retained an attorney, and no additional details about a possible court date have been reported.
