Freshly turned dirt, hard hats and wagging tails set the scene Monday as San Antonio officially kicked off construction of a long‑planned veterinary hospital at the Animal Care Services campus, a project city leaders say should boost treatment capacity, speed surgeries and ease chronic overcrowding on the West Side.
The groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Feb. 2, drew city leaders and shelter staff and carried a decidedly celebratory tone, tying the project back to voter approval in the 2022 bond package, according to KENS5.
City Council signed off on the construction contract in December, authorizing roughly a $15 million agreement with F.A. Nunnelly Co. to build a 14,500‑square‑foot hospital next to the existing 3,000‑square‑foot clinic, according to San Antonio Express-News. That reporting, along with city documents, puts the total medical footprint at about 17,000 to 17,500 square feet once renovations wrap.
What the hospital will include
Plans call for a large surgical suite with multiple operating tables, in‑house X‑ray and laboratory testing, separate recovery spaces for dogs and cats, and a foster drop‑off area intended to speed both intake and post‑surgery placements. The added diagnostics and specialty capacity are designed to let staff handle more complex cases on site instead of sending animals to outside clinics, as reported by KSAT.
Why it matters
Animal Care Services processes tens of thousands of animals each year but has long worked out of tight medical quarters, which can force tough calls about treatment and transfers. The current clinic has only 73 kennels, and more than 1,800 animals were euthanized last fiscal year for medical or capacity reasons, according to the San Antonio Express-News, numbers city leaders point to in arguing that more space should help reduce preventable deaths.
Construction is expected to take about 18 months, with officials projecting an opening in mid‑to‑late 2027, according to the City of San Antonio. The project is listed on the city’s 2022‑2027 bond program page, which also notes the Feb. 2 groundbreaking at 4710 State Highway 151, near Highway 151 and Old Highway 90 on the West Side.
"The current facility just wasn't designed to care for the number of animals that we have coming in here through our doors," ACS Director Jon Gary said, in remarks reported by Texas Public Radio. Councilman Jalen McKee‑Rodriguez, who pushed for the bond funding, has framed the hospital as a long‑overdue investment in both public safety and animal welfare, and organizers say the added capacity should help speed adoptions and take some pressure off rescue partners.
