San Antonio's Animal Care Services (ACS) has found itself in the hot seat as a local advocacy group, Animal Advocates San Antonio, takes a bold stance to shine a light on what they see as the city's less-than-stellar animal welfare practices. The group has plastered billboards across the city, one situated just before the I-10 and Loop 410 intersection on the northbound side and another along U.S. Highway 281 on the southbound side just past Loop 1604. Their message is clear: it's time for residents to rally against animal neglect and cruelty.
Despite a budget increase of 33% this fiscal year for ACS, critics say it's nothing to write home about. According to the San Antonio Current, the department failed to meet its own goals for improving animal welfare. With a new fiscal jolt to the tunes of a $7 million bump, ACS's live-release rate – the barometer for measuring how many animals find homes versus those meeting a less fortunate end – is actually lower this year than last, an indicator that has left many shaking their heads in disappointment.
What's more, the sting is felt deeper when looking at the numbers. ACS adopted 2,921 pets from Oct. 1, 2023, to the end of March, trailing behind their target of 5,000 adoptions for the year, according to the Current reports. It's a shortfall that has advocates up in arms, arguing that simply handing off the problem to partner organizations is not the solution.
FOX San Antonio relayed the concerns of Maggie Elizabeth Hill, founder of Animal Advocates San Antonio, stating, “Most people don't know that animal care services are euthanizing thousands of healthy and adoptable cats and dogs every year.” With over 1,800 pets euthanized in just the first two months of the year due to space constraints, according to ACS’s own report, the outcry for change has intensified.
The billboards encourage people to visit the advocacy group's website, which offers options for speaking up against ACS. In the court of public opinion and alongside the billboards, Hill and her fellow advocates are pushing for stronger community involvement to ensure animal welfare doesn't fall by the wayside. "I think it's important to know that we are everyday people who recognize that the stray population is becoming overwhelming and that we need better laws to protect animals," Hill told FOX San Antonio.
