Cameron County's Health Department has hired a police officer to help do something about loose pets on the street.

The officer is tasked specifically with animal issues such as neglect, leash rules and bite incidents.

"We want the public to be more responsible as owners. This is our effort to work with them. Because we have an immense problem in the Valley and Cameron County with the overpopulation of animals," Cameron County Health Administrator Esmeralda Guajardo said. "When you have an animal control officer, if they give a citation to an individual, the process is lengthier to get it to the judicial system. With a police officer, it's a lot quicker."

She says the county gets a lot of calls about dog bites and hopes this will address that health issue. The county also has four animal control officers.