Stray dogs attack Trinity cats over break

Several cats at Trinity killed, others injured, by stray dogs during winter break

by Margaret Browne

During winter break, five of Trinity’s cats, were attacked and killed by feral dogs. The cats killed, according to their CAT Alliance names, include Mr. Yellow; Scout, a kitten who lived near Murchison; TK, who lived near the Jane and Dicke Smith art building and Onyx, a black cat. Argyle, a black and white cat who lived near Miller, was injured by a dog, but not killed.

Lisa Steelman, Residential Life coordinator and a member of CAT Alliance who was with Mr. Yellow when he died, expressed concerns about student awareness.

“The main thing is that everyone should know about [the attacks]. Students should be aware of what is going on because they do love the cats,” Steelman said.

While some of these cats were new or lesser known, others were popular among students. Some students may have seen Mr. Yellow lounging on the stairs of Cardiac hill or purring in the grass behind the Witt residential hall.

The five cats were attacked in five separate incidents, and the events were made known to CAT Alliance members and others involved.

“Each incident [was] unique. In many of the instances you could tell by injuries on the face and neck. Also, you can tell when cat fur has been slobbered on by a dog. It is very distinct,” said Mindy Brent, a member of CAT Alliance.

In some cases the cats were discovered mid-attack. CAT Alliance members found Mr. Yellow, Scout and Argyle while they were being attacked. Though Mr. Yellow and Scout could not be saved, Argyle managed to survive.

“It was not just one pack of dogs,” Brent said, “We’ve had people identify different dogs. Once the dog was identified as a pitbull, another time it was identified as a three-legged brown stray.”

According to the CAT Alliance, the campus becomes more inviting to homeless animals that would normally stay away for fear of humans, as students leave for the holidays.

“It seems like there was no way to really prevent it because it’s an open campus,” observed sophomore Marjorie Yap, a member of CAT Alliance.

As students and faculty returned to campus, the dog attacks came to a halt.

“The last attack happened early morning on Jan. 2,” Brent said.

According to Steelman, a contributing factor to the stray dog population could be the lack of Trap-Neuter-Return programs in San Antonio for dogs.

“It is no secret that there are a ton of stray dogs in San Antonio,” Steelman said.

Steelman urges students to contact authorities when they spot stray dogs on campus.

“If students do see stray dogs, even dogs without leashes or owners, please contact TUPD because we don’t want this to continue,” Steelman said.