Can a person be prosecuted for letting a trapped cat out of the trap?

Can a person be prosecuted for letting a trapped cat out of the trap?

I live in a neighborhood in Texas, where the ordinance states that all pets must be on confined to the owners property or restrained on a leash. Stray/neighborhood Cats have taken to peeing on my porch and shrubs. I can’t deter them, so have a trap with a spring loaded drop door that I use to trap them, then call animal control. This morning, I trapped a cat and called animal control. When they arrived, someone had already released it. Could they be prosecuted for trespassing or any other criminal offense?

Asked on September 5, 2017 under Criminal Law, Texas

Answers:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.