EL PASO, Texas -- A special animal task force comprised of El Paso animal control officers and El Paso county sheriff’s deputies converged on West El Paso Wednesday.

After complaints from residents in Westway, Vinton and Canutillo, officers and deputies caught 32 stray animals and handed out 30 animal-related citations.

"It's been a problem, and I myself have called and the neighbors have called and it takes a while and they chase them and they can't catch them, but I mean they just recently have been very active," said Felisa Lopez, a Canutillo resident.

Deputies and officers handed out citations for everything from leash law violations to vaccination violations. Health officials said the operations are important because rabies is creeping closer to the Texas border from New Mexico.

"I would say that probably 99 percent of the people we have been in contact with don't have any business owning dogs because they offer a level of care that's just very, very detatched," said Eduardo De Castro, the director of El Paso’s animal services.

De Castro said these operations will continue in problematic areas.