NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) — Residents of New Iberia have been dealing with packs of roaming dogs attacking pets and people for over a year, prompting the police chief to demand action from the parish.

Parish President Larry Richard explained how the parish has been managing stray animals for New Iberia since 2018 under a contract that pays over $170,000 annually, providing 15 dog kennels and 5 cat kennels for the city’s use.

“We’re doing the best we can trying to help the city,” Richard said.

Richard said the parish has been picking up, boarding, feeding, and medicating stray dogs until New Iberia establishes its own animal control facility.

Despite setting traps across Iberia Parish, Richard admits the effort is challenging due to the dogs’ constant movement.

Animal control is already over capacity, with more than half the shelter filled by animals from New Iberia.

Richard emphasized that the long-term solution is for New Iberia to take on its own animal control responsibilities, as the parish cannot carry the burden forever.

He pointed out that the real issue lies with dog owners not taking responsibility for their pets.

While the parish continues to assist, the effectiveness of the police chief’s letter in prompting action remains to be seen.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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