Stray Anger: The City’s ACS Problem

During the August 16, 2022 City of San Antonio Budget Town Hall hosted by District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, a frustrated citizen expressed concern (cut to the 55-minute mark here) at the large number of dogs and cats dumped in the vicinity of San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS).

She described witnessing incidents in which dogs were thrown from car windows and trucks.

As Councilwoman Havrda left (presumably for a prior engagement), City Manager Erik Walsh listened as the citizen explained that she believed the animals were dumped because ACS won’t respond to calls for assistance. Specifically, she asserted that the city states they won’t pick up strays unless they are contained. She alleged that the city also told her ACS won’t pick up strays because they don’t “have any room for them.”

InfuseSA has listened to multiple 311 calls in which citizens are told to abandon found-animals back to the streets. These recordings back-up the citizen’s claims that the city is instructing individuals to abandon and/or release them back into the streets.

The ACS proposed budget for FY 2023 is approximately $21.3 million which includes a $2.68 million increase from FY 2022. While ACS’ budget continues to skyrocket as their efficiency diminishes, InfuseSA will closely examine how these inefficiencies increase animal suffering, directly jeopardize public safety, and lead the city to instruct citizens to engage in the illegal act of animal abandonment.