Animal Care Services (ACS) in San Antonio is facing sharp scrutiny as local advocacy group No Kill SA calls for reforms, spotlighting the steep rise in euthanasia rates within the city's animal shelter system. Holding a downtown vigil, the group paid tribute to the over 5,000 pets they claim were euthanized by ACS in 2023, though ACS reports the number closer to 4,800. No Kill SA's director, Lea LaPort, urged the agency to "just making sure that when they’re in there in the care of the shelter that they are getting homes by either adoption foster or rescue," as captured by Fox San Antonio.
The situation grows grimmer as adoption numbers plunge and the rate of euthanizations climbs, making this year the first in which the city has euthanized more animals than it has found homes for. In a significant setback, the city-run shelter’s live release rate plummeted from around 88% to 81%, a 7% decrease marking the largest decline in over a decade, Axios reports. The drop moves ACS below the "no-kill" benchmark of a 90% live release rate, a standard it had not fallen short of in five years.
ACS Director Shannon Sims acknowledged both the responsibility and challenge, stating, "We have a public safety role first and foremost. We really don't have the opportunity to turn a blind eye." Sims told Axios that, unlike private shelters, ACS "can't just shut the doors and say 'Hey we're full.'" With ACS juggling around 70 animal intakes a day and limited kennel capacity, staff have been compelled to house pets even in their offices.
Addressing the root cause, Sims emphasized the need to "Getting as many animals as we can spayed and neutered has to be a priority to stem the flow." A push for increased spay and neuter surgeries is underway, with potential budget hikes purposed to nearly double ACS's capacity for these procedures. In the fiscal year thus far, ACS has euthanized 4,393 animals according to Norwood—more than double the figure from two years prior—and has seen a fourth consecutive year of declining adoptions.
For a city grappling with a burgeoning animal population and a fraying safety net, San Antonio looks towards a 26% agency budget increase for ACS next year, potentially the largest percentage increase of any department supported by the city's general fund. Included in the budget proposal is the addition of 29 new positions and an apprenticeship program focused on raising the live release rate. Sims suggests how the community can aid: by keeping pets properly restrained, spaying and neutering, and participating in fostering or Shelter Paws day outings to boost adoption potential.
