San Sebastián Mayor Eladio 'Layito' Cardona Quiles says the municipality is still trying to capture the pack of stray dogs that attacked 11-year-old Yendriel Díaz López during athletic practice last week. The Municipal Office for Emergency Management (OMME) has caught only one of the dogs, describing the animals as elusive and aggressive.
Cardona Quiles said the municipality activated a protocol with the Department of Health and Department of Education, set traps, and contacted the Villa Michelle shelter in Mayagüez, offering to cover costs, but says little further action has followed, including uncertainty over whether Health officials tested the captured dog for rabies. He blamed 'irresponsible people' who abandon dogs throughout the area, noting this was the first such incident in that recreational zone.
He also criticized the government for not using $2 million Governor Jenniffer González allocated for animal control and sterilization, referenced in her State Message last May as part of a broader plan against animal abandonment. The mayor said he personally contacted the boy's mother, Yenilin López, a municipal First Step program employee, offering the family the municipality's support and resources.