SAN ANTONIO – A South Side property where 18 neglected dogs were recently rescued was also the site of a 2023 animal cruelty investigation that uncovered more than 70 live and dead animals living in unsanitary conditions.
Newly released information from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office shows investigators are trying to determine whether the property’s owner is connected to the latest case after an earlier prosecution tied to the property was dismissed because of insufficient evidence.
RELATED: Deputies seize 18 dogs allegedly left for weeks after owner left the state
Deputies were called to the property in the 15500 block of Interstate 35 South on the evening of July 19 after receiving reports that dogs had been left behind.
Investigators were initially told the property’s owner had left the state. A person living at the property had been feeding the dogs but could no longer afford to care for them, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said the 18 dogs had gone about three weeks without adequate care.
A judge signed a seizure warrant that night, but Bexar County Animal Control was unable to remove the animals until the following morning because of the size of the operation. Deputies and animal control officers returned July 20 to seize the dogs, while the sheriff’s office crime scene unit documented the warrant’s execution.
The property was also the site of a major animal cruelty investigation nearly three years earlier.
On Aug. 1, 2023, Bexar County Animal Control contacted the sheriff’s office after more than 70 live and dead animals were found at the property. Authorities said the surviving animals were living in unhealthy and unsanitary conditions. The live animals were rescued, and the deceased animals were removed from the property.
Investigators later obtained an arrest warrant for Peyton Leon Wyrick on a felony animal cruelty charge. He was arrested, but the case was later dismissed after prosecutors determined there was not enough evidence to move forward.
We are asking the DA’s office why the case was dropped.
BCSO provided News 4 and Fox SA with several videos of pets being taken off the property and treated back in 2023.
According to the sheriff’s office, several people currently living at the property still identify Wyrick as the owner. Investigators are now working to determine whether he is connected to the latest allegations involving the 18 dogs.
The investigation has been complicated by the number of people living at the property, including some who investigators believe may be squatters. Authorities said some residents may also have brought additional animals onto the property, making it more difficult to determine who owned the dogs and who was responsible for caring for them.
The sheriff’s office said it conducted follow-up visits after the 2023 animal seizure, but those visits ended once the immediate concerns had been addressed.
Bexar County Animal Control responded to another call involving three dogs at the property in March 2026, but officials did not see anything from their vantage point and the gate was locked. They left a placard, but the owner never called.
Investigators said multiple agencies are now working to resolve the situation and prevent the property from becoming the site of another large-scale animal welfare investigation.
Court records show Wyrick and other resident of this address are due in court on July 29 for a civil administrative hearing, and one of the filings is an application for a warrant to seize animals.
It’s unclear if Wyrick will face criminal charges.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no new charges have been announced. Authorities are encouraging anyone who suspects animal cruelty to report it to Bexar County Animal Control by emailing ACE@bexar.org