Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said he and the sheriff's department are not on the same page.
The two disagree when it comes to an investigation into the owners of 17 poodles found fighting for their lives in floodwaters in the Green Valley Farms area outside San Benito.
"These dogs were abandoned," Cascos said. "The county is going to pursue it. Maybe not through the sheriff's department, but through our health department, and give the DA the information that they have compiled."
Heavy rains over the weekend flooded the notoriously low lying subdivision leaving residents evacuating to safety Monday and emergency managers searching for anyone who might need help getting out.
That's about the time they stumbled upon a dilapidated shed where the poodles had been for nearly three days on their own.
"We were lucky that our first responders happened to see them. Had we not gone, those dogs would be dead within eight to 12 hours," Cascos said.
Cameron County Sheriff''s Department officials told Action 4 News that they didn't find it necessary to pursue criminal charges against the owners.
Deputies said the dogs are in good condition and that the owners had fled for their own safety.
But Cascos says that's not an excuse.
"This is a serious offense," he said. "I think it's something that needs to be brought out to the public."
Action 4 News asked Altas Palmas Animal Clinic veterinarian Dr. Kathryn Dittman about the trauma the dogs may have experienced.
"It's certainly stressful on animals as it is on people," she said. "What if you were sitting on a house for days waiting for someone to come get you? They probably hadn't eaten in that period of time."
On the bright side, the poodles are said to be doing fine. Dr. Dittman said if they're young, they're resilient.
"They're pretty intelligent dogs," she said. "I think they would make good pets even after they've been through a traumatic event like this."
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