A Dallas organization criticized the city's mayor for being soft on illegal dumping after a person's cremated body was found along the Trinity River last week.
The Dowdy Ferry Animal Commission discovered a bag of the remains during a visit to the river near Overton and TX-310.
"It struck a chord with each and every one of our group," said member, Alisia Lowder.
For the last year, the animal rights group has been making daily and weekly visits to the river to search for dead dogs that have been dumped. However, they typically find much more than just animals.
"Drug paraphernalia, we've found weapons, ID's," explained Lowder. "This is an ugly reality down here."
The remains found still had a funeral tag attached to the bag. After contacting the funeral home, Lowder said they learned the remains belong to a South Dallas man who died last year. While it’s unclear how they landed by the river, Lowder believes more attention from the city could yield answers to the other cases they’ve discovered.
"You know what? Something has got to change," she said. “It has got to be consistent and it has to start at the top."
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Last year, the city vowed to crack down on illegal dumping, adding security cameras and more focus to the issue. In response to this story, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings sent the following statement:
"The dumping is a serious concern. City officials from multiple departments have been working alongside animal advocates since last year to address animal cruelty and dumping issues. The City increased its response to animal and other dumping concerns in that area with press conferences led by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson, an educational campaign, direct outreach and services to residents in target areas. We’ve also increased enforcement using traps and surveillance cameras. These measures have led to two arrests for the dumping of dead animals recently and more than 30 arrests in March alone for dumping generally citywide. Loose and mistreated dogs are a high priority and will be discussed again as part of a City Council Quality of Life Committee meeting later this month."
Lowder and her group were able to track down relatives of the man whose remains they found along the river. They don't know how the cremains landed there, but are pleased someone is planning to reclaim them. The same cannot be said for other items dumped.
"Animals in bags, animals that have come to a horrible demise," said Lowder. "This has to be addressed. We need real leadership."
