Breeder: Joseph Wyatt
Address: 467 CR 4830
City, State, Zip: Kempner, TX 76539
USDA License: none found
State License: none found (though lacking a state license, conditions at the facility that violate Texas licensed breeder regulations noted)
Date and Time of CAPS Investigation: 1/21/23, 1606
Weather at Time of Investigation: 60°F and sunny
Approximate number of dogs and puppies observed at time of investigation: 1
Breeds: Pit Bull
A trailer and house were on the property, shown on Google maps as being 467 CR 4830 and 477 CR 4830 respectively. Nobody answered the door to the house and the trailer did not appear to have a person living in it, but I saw a pit bull with sagging teats in a chain link enclosure in the front yard. Her pen was about five feet wide and seven feet long, with chain link walls about six feet tall. Her pen was about 20’ from the road, with a metal sheet on the road side partially blocking view to the pen, though most of it was still visible from the road when approaching the property from the south. The enclosure had no dog house and tattered tarp partially covering the top (91.103(b)(1,2,3) Shelter from the elements). Months of feces covered covered about 75% of the ground (91.100(3)(C) Cleaning), with bits of kibble scattered among them (91.107(b) Feeding).
Also on the ground was an overturned metal bucket, a metal water dish covered in feces stains and containing a thin layer of brown water (91.108 Watering), a three-foot-wide metal sheet with sharp edges (91.100(3)(A)(ii) Surfaces), a plastic mat about two feet wide, a rusting metal dog cage (91.100(3)(A)(ii) Surfaces), and what appeared to be a child’s plastic toy vacuum. The mat and metal sheet, with no top over them, offered no way to avoid being on a wet surface during rain *((91.103(b)(4) Shelter from the elements).
Near the entrance to the enclosure was a plastic cooler with a steak knife set on top.
The dog wagged her tail and stepped towards me as I approached, appearing to be friendly and showing no signs of aggression.
Given that the dog had no potable water and food scattered about her own waste, Wyatt appears to be in violation of Texas Penal Code 42.092(b)(3) given that he treated the dog in a cruel manner by causing unjustified pain or suffering when he deprived her of potable water, edible food, and shelter.
Two police cars were parked at a residence on CR4830, eight houses south of Wyatt’s home. The police cars were parked with civilian cars behind a locked gate. After leaving Wyatt’s property, I honked my horn at the residence but nobody came out, so I called 911 to report the dog’s situation. I was told that there was no Animal Control for the city of Kempner, and that the information or the call would be forwarded to the county of Lampassas. On 1/24/23 I called the Lampassas County Sheriff’s Department, who said they received the call but that Animal Control was out all week and wouldn’t return until 1/30/23.
