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Photo by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
October 27, 2025
City to pursue interlocal agreement with county for animal control services; council member asks TxDOT to pump the brakes on Main Street parking
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
Imploring the city to maintain its animal programs, members of the public shared their concerns regarding the growing number of stray and abandoned animals within the city limits.
“Cats are dumped at the Forge, chickens are dumped on 11th Street,” Laura Devenport said in response to council’s decision to shut down the city’s animal shelter. “Animal control is important.”
According to interim City Administrator Jill Dickerson, the city’s current shelter can accommodate only dogs, and does not comply with the Texas Health and Safety Code.
“Our shelter is not approved by the state,” Dickerson said, adding the county will often check on animals in the facility and transport them for adoption.
Although the city does not have a facility for cats, it has sponsored Trap/Spay-Neuter/Release programs, which several people asked the city to continue hosting.
“We had it under control,” TJ’s @ The Old Forge owner Arlene Guerra said of the stray cat population near the restaurant. “We’re trying to figure out a long-term solution. We’re doing everything we can to keep them from reproducing.”
Elaine Goode said more than 400 cats have been fixed thus far through the city’s TNR program, and several cats have been rehomed.
“I’m with the animals,” Rilla Stephens said. “We’ve got a lot of stray animals that I’ve paid to fix. It’s really bad.”
Dickerson said funds are in the budget to maintain the TNR program; in the meantime, she and City Marshal Earl Heidelberg were authorized to begin working on an interlocal agreement with the county for animal control services.
In other business, Council Member Tony Battle said he asked the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to avoid eliminating angle parking on the first block of Main Street.
“We spent a lot of time talking about the potential of one-way streets on Cypress for angle parking,” Battle said. “[But on Main Street] we lose almost 30 spots. The impact to the businesses is pretty severe. We need to try to protect some of that parking because it is so pivotal…what we have asked of TxDOT is to pump the brakes.”
Battle said construction to add sidewalks is still set to go from Cedar Street to Lowes, and the lot behind Arkey’s is being studied to determine whether striped parking spaces could be designated, despite its location in a flood-prone area.
“I www.banderatx.govam advocating to protect [the angle parking on Main Street],” Battle said.
Council will meet for its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m., at City Hall. See the agenda at banderatx.gov.
“Cats are dumped at the Forge, chickens are dumped on 11th Street,” Laura Devenport said in response to council’s decision to shut down the city’s animal shelter. “Animal control is important.”
According to interim City Administrator Jill Dickerson, the city’s current shelter can accommodate only dogs, and does not comply with the Texas Health and Safety Code.
“Our shelter is not approved by the state,” Dickerson said, adding the county will often check on animals in the facility and transport them for adoption.
Although the city does not have a facility for cats, it has sponsored Trap/Spay-Neuter/Release programs, which several people asked the city to continue hosting.
“We had it under control,” TJ’s @ The Old Forge owner Arlene Guerra said of the stray cat population near the restaurant. “We’re trying to figure out a long-term solution. We’re doing everything we can to keep them from reproducing.”
Elaine Goode said more than 400 cats have been fixed thus far through the city’s TNR program, and several cats have been rehomed.
“I’m with the animals,” Rilla Stephens said. “We’ve got a lot of stray animals that I’ve paid to fix. It’s really bad.”
Dickerson said funds are in the budget to maintain the TNR program; in the meantime, she and City Marshal Earl Heidelberg were authorized to begin working on an interlocal agreement with the county for animal control services.
In other business, Council Member Tony Battle said he asked the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to avoid eliminating angle parking on the first block of Main Street.
“We spent a lot of time talking about the potential of one-way streets on Cypress for angle parking,” Battle said. “[But on Main Street] we lose almost 30 spots. The impact to the businesses is pretty severe. We need to try to protect some of that parking because it is so pivotal…what we have asked of TxDOT is to pump the brakes.”
Battle said construction to add sidewalks is still set to go from Cedar Street to Lowes, and the lot behind Arkey’s is being studied to determine whether striped parking spaces could be designated, despite its location in a flood-prone area.
“I www.banderatx.govam advocating to protect [the angle parking on Main Street],” Battle said.
Council will meet for its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m., at City Hall. See the agenda at banderatx.gov.