San Antonio, TX — August 12, 2026 — The San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition (SAFCC) is deeply disappointed by the lenient sentence in the case of Ryan Berlanga, a man caught on video brutally strangling a kitten to death in the breezeway of a southside apartment complex on Nov. 9, 2025.
Eight months later, on July 13, Bexar County Judge Miguel Najera accepted Berlanga’s plea of “no contest” on two counts of third-degree felony animal cruelty: just five years of deferred adjudication community supervision and 120 hours of community service. This is a major setback to animal welfare in Bexar County.
This is a case where everything was done right:
- Alley Cat Allies brought national attention to this case by offering up to a $10,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest and a conviction.
- The San Antonio Police Department had an active presence at the scene and collected evidence so the Prosecution could build a strong case.
- The local news media gave high-profile news coverage for awareness about the reward.
- The apartment complex management partnered with the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition to start a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program to humanely reduce outside cat population through sterilization and vaccinations, including a rabies vaccination, to protect residents’ safety.
After all this effort and collaboration, the Bexar County judicial system not only failed the animals who have no voice of their own, it also failed the residents of our county, local agencies, and the entire animal welfare community.
Verdicts must send a clear message that violence against animals in Bexar County will not be tolerated. No plea deals. Failing to give maximum sentences may embolden future acts of animal cruelty.
With the national attention generated by Alley Cat Allies, Judge Najera’s acceptance of this weak plea deal gives the impression that the residents of San Antonio and Bexar County condone animal abuse. This is not acceptable and we encourage residents to advocate for meaningful accountability in animal cruelty cases.
The San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition is grateful to SAPD, our local news media, and Alley Cat Allies for all their work and effort in this case. It showcased the extraordinary potential of what national and local collaborations can do in the ongoing fight against animal cruelty.
Our Cat Advocacy Team will continue to advocate for stronger enforcement of animal cruelty laws. As a result of this case, we will also explore outreach opportunities with the Bexar County judicial system to bring awareness about their crucial role in animal cruelty cases.
We encourage our community to report abuse and neglect to local animal control or law enforcement, and to also contact their elected officials to stress the importance of increased resources so our local agencies can properly investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases.
Board of Directors
San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition
Media Contact: Sara Reyes