San Antonio Animal Care Services (SAACS) is stepping up its efforts to ensure pets receive the care and homes they deserve with its Strategic Plan focused on five key areas. The plan emphasizes increased resources and lifesaving placement options for animals in need.
One core priority is to support the placement of pets for life, which includes providing services to keep animals in their homes, offering high standards of care at shelters, and ensuring lifesaving placement options for shelter animals.
Since the fiscal year 2023, SAACS has made over 4,400 interventions with at-risk pet owners through its Community Animal Support and Assistance Team (CASA), and has reunited 9,406 dogs and cats with their owners. Some pets were lost and brought to the shelter, while others were neglected and allowed to roam, resulting in citations and education for their owners.
With a focus on adoptions, rescue partnerships, and live release options, SAACS achieved an 85 percent placement rate in the fiscal year 2024. Over 30,000 companion animals found new homes, and 231 pets were transported to families outside of San Antonio. SAACS also participated in a large-scale adoption event in Houston, where over 170 dogs and cats found homes.
As SAACS increases enrichment options for shelter pets, it plans to conduct a community survey this spring to establish a standard of humane pet care. This resource will not only outline expected pet care standards but also guide potential ordinance changes. Public workshops will accompany the survey to engage the community in discussions about pet care standards.
