SAN ANTONIO – Nearly a dozen dogs were rescued Wednesday from a West Side home after officials say the animals were living in “unsanitary living conditions.”
San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) and San Antonio Police Department officers arrived at the owner’s home, identified as Julius L., in the 3000 block of Vera Cruz Street and rescued 11 dogs living on the property.
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The City of San Antonio limits households to a maximum of five dogs, according to city documents. Julius had 15.
Julius told KSAT that he rescued all the dogs from the Valley and nearby areas in his West Side neighborhood.
“There’s at least one or two strays on every block of 78207,” Julius said.
“I pick some up from a local pound (small town) south of here,” Julius said. “Some are from the street. I make sure to get them fixed.”
ACS officer Joni Canavacholo said the agency was notified of constant 311 calls about animal bites at Julius’ home, which spearheaded the search-and-seizure warrant.
As she and other ACS officers walked through the property to rescue the dogs, they noticed “unsanitary living conditions” throughout the property, and some dogs “were also not in the best shape.”
However, Julius told KSAT that “there’s no feces, no trash” in the house, and the dogs “have their vaccines, they eat pretty well.”
ACS only rescued 11 dogs because Julius grabbed the remaining four and put them into his vehicle.
“They said they’re gonna come back for these. I put them in here so they wouldn’t take them,” Julius said. “I don’t trust ACS; they kill numbers every day.”
Canavacholo said the investigation began in March, and Julius faces criminal charges.
“We’re gonna take them back to ACS, they’re gonna receive care from on-staff veterinarians,” Canavacholo said.
ACS spokesperson Lisa Norwood said animal shelters are always full and in urgent need of foster parents.
“To create space for these incoming dogs, the shelter is asking for a 3-week foster commitment for pets currently in shelter care,” Norwood said in an email sent to KSAT.
April is animal cruelty awareness month, and becoming a short-term foster parent is easy, according to Norwood.
“Fosters don’t have to pay for food or medical care. We take care of that for you,” Norwood said.
She said the shelter located at 4710 State Highway 151 will have staff to assist interested foster parents.
ACS is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout the week and closes at 5 p.m. on the weekend.
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