All may not be as soft and cuddly at Starcross Wolves as the breeding outfit's Web site indicates. According to nearby residents in Kaufman County, Texas, this operation's wolf hybrids are regularly seen and heard fighting viciously and ganging up on each other with little or no human intervention. Dogs are reportedly injured, often fatally, in these frequent altercations, and our callers claim that the owner shows little concern. We're told that the property is periodically littered with carcasses.

An hour's worth of video footage-reportedly secured by outraged neighbors-has left PETA caseworkers horrified and appears to corroborate their alarming claims. For your viewing convenience, we have edited this video footage down to a 9-minute clip. We issue a cautionary warning about the graphic nature of this video footage, yet we encourage everyone to view it so that you can better understand the situation. Please click here to view the video clip.

Residents claim that they have worked tirelessly for two years to get officials to take action, to no avail. PETA caseworkers recently asked officials to immediately investigate this matter and secure the welfare of any animals found injured on this property. We have yet to receive a definitive response.

Texas Penal Code § 42.09 explicitly prohibits anyone from "[failing] unreasonably to provide necessary food, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody" or "[confining] an animal in a cruel manner;" "cruel manner" is defined as a "manner that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering." Please contact this jurisdiction's officials right away and politely ask them to thoroughly investigate this matter, to file any applicable criminal charges, and to secure the welfare of any and all animals at this facility:

David Byrnes, Sheriff
Deputy R. Widener, Animal Control Officer
Kaufman County Sheriff's Department
100 W. Mulberry
Kaufman, TX 75142
972-932-4337
972-932-9751 (fax)

Deputy Walter Dykes, Environmental Crimes Division
Kaufman County Sheriff's Department
100 W. Mulberry
Kaufman, TX 75142
972-932-4337, ext. 2857
972-932-9751 (fax)

Ed Walton, District Attorney
Kaufman County District Attorney's Office
Kaufman County Courthouse
100 W. Mulberry St.
Kaufman, TX 75142
972-932-0262
972-932-0357 (fax)

Jim Deller, Commissioner, Precinct 4
Kaufman County
P.O. Box 766
Kemp, TX 75143
903-498-2013, ext. 2
903-498-4033 (fax)7