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San Antonio woman in her 90s spends her time crafting dog beds for animal shelter

The dog beds go from her room to animal shelters around San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Joan Potters’ room has transformed into a makeshift workshop — colorful fabric swatches and sewing tools on nearly every surface.

Every day, you can find Potters, 93, carefully crafting dog beds from fabric scraps left over from the Greater San Antonio Quilting Guild.

“I just am happy to do it for them and to know that some dog is going to be comfortable,” Potters said.

The dog beds go from her room to animal shelters around San Antonio, like the San Antonio Humane Society and the Paul Jolly Center for pet adoptions.

“It makes me feel so good to know that they’re not going to be laying on cement or a hard floor or in the winter,” Potters said.

Despite her age, her energy shines with every stitch.

“I get tired, but I’ll just keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore,” Potters said.

Potters pays attention to detail, making sure no loose threads can get stuck on the dog’s paws.

“I cut up rags for days until I have enough to stuff with,” Potters said.

On top of the recycled fabric, it’s a group effort to keep our four-legged friends warm.

Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ will occasionally help her with the sewing, delivering around 30 to 40 beds to dog shelters each month.

Potters said our furry friends need someone looking out for them.

“You know their bones ache, too. You know they have feelings. They can’t talk to us in our language, but look at their eyes and the expression on their face. They all have expressions and I just love them,” Potters said.

To help a dog in need, a wish list for the San Antonio Humane Society can be found here.

Donations can be brought directly to 4804 Fredericksburg Rd.


About the Authors
Gavin Nesbitt headshot

Gavin Nesbitt is an award-winning photojournalist and video editor who joined KSAT in September 2021. He won a Lone Star Emmy, a Regional Murrow, a Texas Broadcast News Award, a Headliners Foundation Silver Showcase Award and 2 Telly Awards for his work covering the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

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