ANIMAL CARE SERVICES

A North Side park had a very unlikely visitor early last week -- a 50-pound African Spurred Tortoise -- and it’s still unclear how it got there.

A San Antonio man was given one of the longest prison sentence in Texas history for abusing a puppy in 2019, according to Animal Care Services

A 56-year-old San Antonio man who was caught on camera punching and kicking his young Rottweiler on the front porch of his home was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

San Antonio Animal Care Services says officers are seeing the number of pet neglect complaints related to heat increase as the Alamo City experiences record-high temperatures this summer.

Baby dogs and cats are overwhelming local San Antonio shelters, putting dogs at risk of euthanasia.

We wanted to know more about the nonstop flow of dogs and cats into city shelters, so we sat down with an Animal Care Services live release manager.

San Antonio Pets Alive! is a last-chance rescue organization that takes in animals that are at risk of euthanasia at San Antonio’s Animal Care Services. Right now, all three of SAPA!’s locations are full.

A San Antonio family had even more reason to celebrate the Fourth of July after their dog that had been missing for nearly a year was found safe.

A big “Empty the Shelters” animal adoption event is taking place across the United States and more than 20 Texas shelters are taking part.

San Antonio Pets Alive! is a last-chance rescue organization that takes in animals that are at risk of euthanasia at San Antonio’s Animal Care Services. Right now, all three of SAPA!’s locations are full.

Bonnie, the lovable Australian Shepherd puppy that was abandoned at Animal Care Services while covered in urine, dirt and feces with her mouth bound shut, is still recovering from her injuries.

San Antonio Pets Alive! is a last-chance rescue organization that takes in animals that are at risk of euthanasia at San Antonio’s Animal Care Services. Right now, all three of SAPA!’s locations are full.

Animal Care Service is investigating after a woman on the East Side reported her chihuahua was attacked by a pack of loose dogs

SNIPSA offered free spay and neutering for hundreds of animals in select ZIP codes during its 53rd Big Fix event.

An increase in owner-surrendered pets is overrunning local rescues and putting a strain on Animal Care Services.

Four kittens were left on the side of a road, hungry and cold, inside a small box in a brown paper bag late last week.

A big “Empty the Shelters” animal adoption event is taking place nationally to reduce the risk of overcrowding, and San Antonio shelters are taking part.

If you want to celebrate Fiesta with a new furry friend, a few San Antonio pet shelters are offering adoption specials this weekend.

Inflation doesn’t stop at the gas pump or the grocery store; records with the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that it also affects Fido, too.

Nearly 100 dogs and several cats in search of their forever families took to the skies early Saturday out of San Antonio and on to northern state animal shelters.

Some were being kept in cages in a small garage, ACS says.

A rabies-infected fox had contact with someone in Kerrville last week, making it the second rabies case this year in Kerr County.

A pup named Fred has a whole new “leash” on life, all thanks to some H-E-B employees and shoppers who helped rescue him on a cold wintry night after he was struck by a vehicle.

San Antonio Animal Care Services is offering insight into what could happen if you take in a stray.

Animal Care Services and the Animal Defense League are partnering to provide free wellness clinics for pets in some of San Antonio’s underserved neighborhoods.

Winter weather is approaching San Antonio and Animal Care Services is reminding pet owners to bring in their four-legged friends before the freeze.

Officials continue to stress owning pigs is illegal.

A San Antonio animal shelter had double the trouble after picking up a pair of pigs that were found roaming freely in city limits.

We're not bacon this up.

After missing for six long years, a cat has finally been reunited with her San Antonio family, thanks to a local animal shelter.

It’s not every day that you see a dog at school, but for one eager pup in San Antonio, he just couldn’t wait to get an education.

Six theories about the Monica Lewinsky- and Linda Tripp-centered "Impeachment," the pop cultural event that wasn't.

NASA is considering software adjustments to the Hubble Space Telescope to bring the sidelined telescope back into service.

With Halloween coming up this weekend, Animal Care Services has put together a list of tips to help keep your pets safe.

We live among gray foxes.

Two sheep in San Antonio got themselves into a baaaaaad situation after roaming free near an area highway and leading officers on a chase, according to Animal Care Services.

K9s for Warriors is a nonprofit organization that partners service dogs with veterans to help treat service-connected trauma like PTSD.

City of San Antonio Animal Care Services is hosting an emergency adoption event this week in hopes of relieving the overcrowding at the shelter.

One San Antonio animal shelter is in desperate need of fosters to help provide overnight care for several of its bottle-fed kittens.

ACS picked them up in an area not far from San Pedro Avenue.

Looking to find your fur-ever friend? San Antonio Animal Care Services has you covered.

It’s a new beginning for a San Antonio dog owner and his labrador after being reunited for the first time in 10 years.

Warning: This is a tear-jerker.

More than 130 pets from Cedar Creek, Athens and Bexar County are headed to the East Coast in search of their forever homes after they were put on a flight early Wednesday morning.

The Animal Care Services is holding a special on cat and kitten adoptions due to “an ongoing influx.”

Animal shelters in the city have seen a surge in recent weeks, but adopters and fosters have helped prevent euthanasia.

He was attacked by a pack of dogs (how dare they?!).

It’s almost National Adopt-a-Shelter Cat month (June), but San Antonio’s Animal Care Services is celebrating early with the Kittypoolooza event.

We love our pets in San Antonio.

Animal Care Services is seeking foster parents and donations amid an influx of puppies and kittens the shelter has recently received.

The Animal Care Services and BISSELL Pet Foundation are partnering for an Empty the Shelters adoption event this weekend in an effort to pair dogs and cats with families.

It’s a purr-fect family reunion!

Peacocks and parakeets - the two birds you might not have known live in the Alamo City.

San Antonio’s Animal Care Services is adding a new tool to its website to help families reconnect with lost pets.

One of these colorful birds recently started trending on the Nextdoor App in a North Side neighborhood.

SAN ANTONIO – While chicks, ducklings and baby rabbits could make your Easter celebration cuter, it is illegal to buy, sell or dye them in San Antonio. Animal Care Services is reminding locals that the sale of baby animals as holiday novelties is illegal in San Antonio. “It is illegal for any person to sell or offer for sale, barter, lease, rent or give away baby chicks or ducklings or rabbits less than 8 weeks old as pets or novelties,” the city’s animal laws state. It’s also against the law to dye or stain baby chicks, ducklings or rabbits, or even have animals that have been colored, according to ACS. The only exception to the “Easter animal” law applies to licensed hatcheries or businesses raising the animals for commercial purposes.

Fish & Wildlife are investigating the recent cases involving big cats seized and spotted in Bexar County-area neighborhoods this month. The big cats taken by authorities were not in good health, said Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo. That’s not normal.”AdThe animals will be cared for by the San Antonio Zoo until they are sent to an animal sanctuary, Morrow said. A month ago, a tiger cub was also taken from a home in southwest Bexar County. If enacted, the bill would make it illegal to own tiger petting facilities and exotic big cats.

SAN ANTONIO – Animal Care Services announced a new program on Monday to help reunite pet owners with lost animals by using the power of social media. ACS officials are calling the effort “The ACS Lost & Found Pet Network,” a closed Facebook group that reviews digital flyers of pets brought into the municipal shelter and cross-referenced with the pets in the care of ACS staff. Gypsy’s family was able to send the group a message and was reunited with her, marking the group’s first successful reunion. Ad“Gypsy is our first official reunion and we’re thrilled, said Lisa Norwood, ACS’ public relations and outreach manager. Currently, the group has close to 100 members, however, the group is always looking for new partners.

She has settled in, she’s comfortable, she’s playing, she’s exploring.”The six-month-old cub, weighing 79 pounds, also is now on a proper diet with more of the nutrients she needs. Almrud said she’s just grateful that Elsa was rescued just as frigid weather was bearing down. Although it’s illegal to have a tiger in Bexar County, the people who had Elsa only face a misdemeanor. In Texas, SB 641 will be re-introduced this year that was stalled in committee during the last legislative session. She said it would prohibit the private possession of dangerous wild animals that is still legal in much of Texas.

The city's Animal Care Services is looking to find homes or the owners for hundreds of animals it rescued during last week's severe winter weather. Shannon Simms, the director of ACS, said the city shelter rescued about 200 animals. ACS typically does not deliver pets to owners but made an exception last week. Owners looking for their pets can first visit the ACS website to find photos of all of the animals in the shelter's care. Norwood said pet owners may have to wait upon arrival because the shelter is only accepting visits by appointment due to the pandemic.

click to enlarge Pexels / Aloïs MoubaxIn the wake of last week’s history-making winter storm, some 200 animals have been placed in the adoption system in San Antonio, awaiting a new life.San Antonio Animal Care Services Interim Director Shannon Sims told local TV station KENS5 Tuesday that ACS staff braved record-breaking weather conditions to rescue animals left in the cold. "Getting from one call to the next was pretty perilous and painstaking," Sims told KENS5. I would say probably about 70% of those were associated with some sort of lack of shelter.”In the most dire instances, ACS crews found animals chained up in the snow with no food, their only source of water frozen solid. In such cases, crews can legally remove the animal, because they know it will otherwise die.The 200 animals rescued during the winter storm are now awaiting adoption into forever homes. "With a little bit of love and care, these animals turn into great adoptable pets," Sims told KENS5.

SAN ANTONIO – During the unprecedented winter weather last week, many animals were lost or left out in the cold, and the small team at Animal Care Services was able to save hundreds of animals. Joe Hernandez waited in line outside ACS on Monday afternoon, hoping to reunite with his two dogs, which he lost during the storm. “The biggest thing about a microchip is knowing the microchip number. Allan said a skeleton crew braved frigid temperatures and bad road conditions to respond to nonstop calls for abandoned and lost animals. If you have lost your pet, Allan says you should do the following:As for Hernandez, he’s been assured his dogs are waiting patiently for him.

An Animal Care Services officer is being hailed a hero after rescuing a dog that was stuck on the roof of a three-story building on San Antonio College’s campus. (Credit: ACS)SAN ANTONIO – An Animal Care Services officer is being hailed a hero after rescuing a dog that was stuck on the roof of a three-story building on San Antonio College’s campus during this week’s snow storm. The incident happened Thursday evening when a caller told ACS they had spotted the dog on the building, according to ACS officials. More college officers assisted Vasquez as they tried to guide the dog to safety. AdThe dog was able to be safely rescued and Vazquez brought her down five flights of stairs, taking her to safety, according to ACS.

A puppy that was found abandoned, in a box, outside of Animal Care Services last month has now found her forever home! SAN ANTONIO – A puppy that was found abandoned in a box outside of Animal Care Services last month has now found her forever home. As of Thursday, the animal shelter said she had officially been adopted by “a loving family she deserves,” according to ACS’s Facebook post. That same day, Animal Defense... Posted by City of San Antonio Animal Care Services on Thursday, February 11, 2021Kelly was found on Jan. 7 in a box outside of ACS’s front gate before being rescued. RELATED: Puppy safe after found abandoned in box outside San Antonio animal shelter, ACS says

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty ImagesWhenever freezing temperatures make their way to San Antonio, we always hear about the four Ps — people, pipes, plants and pets. City of San Antonio Animal Care Services want residents to put an emphasis on protecting pets from the incoming cold weather. With low temperatures forecast to be in the 20s, ACS has a warning for pet parents, "Violators face zero tolerance during extreme weather events. So how can you protect your pets from the frigid weather? Purchase an insulated doghouse or build a protective enclosure that shields your pet from the elements and gives them a safe, warm place to rest," ACS said in a press release.

SAN ANTONIO – Looking for love in all the wrong places? Two San Antonio shelters, Animals Care Services and San Antonio Humane Society are offering pet adoptions at a discounted rate this Valentine’s Day. AdThose wishing to adopt an animal from ACS, located at 4710 State Highway 151, can make an appointment here. The San Antonio Humane Society, located at 4804 Fredericksburg Road, will have its no-contact adoption special from Wednesday through Tuesday. Potential adopters will still be screened by the Humane Society.

SAN ANTONIO – With an arctic airmass plunging into South Texas this week, Animal Care Services is reminding San Antonio pet owners to protect their animals as the shelter has a “zero tolerance” policy. ACS said it is best to keep pets, especially cats, indoors during these cold-weather events. If pet owners are unable to place them indoors, they could purchase or build an insulated dog house or protective enclosure for the outdoors. Owners who do not cooperate with ACS officers in sheltering a pet could face a fine, which generally start at $300 per violation. A City of San Antonio ordinance states a suitable shelter for a pet must include walls, a roof and an elevated floor.

A 40-year-old man accused of strangling his dog to death told officials the pet died from depression, according to an arrest affidavit. On Aug. 8, Rose's neighbors saw him carrying his dog Rocky but it appeared to be dead, the affidavit said. When asked about it, Rose told his neighbors the dog died after taking it for a walk one last time. Rose told ACS the dog "died from depression" and was unsure how it died, the affidavit said. An autopsy performed a month later determined the dog had died from mechanical asphyxia due to strangulation, according to the affidavit.

Biogen sells Avonex and Tysabri, which are approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis. As part of the scheme, Biogen identified for its vendor, Advanced Care Scripts (ACS), certain patients in Biogen’s Avonex or Tysabri free drug program. Medicare paid the remaining portion of the patients’ Avonex or Tysabri claims. The government alleged that Biogen engaged in this conduct in the first quarter of 2011 for certain Avonex patients, and in the second and third quarters of 2012 and 2013 for certain Tysabri patients. In a separate settlement announced today, ACS has agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve its role in the above-referenced conduct.

On Tuesday, San Antonio police executed search warrants at both homes located in the 300 block of W. Ansley Boulevard. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inboxSims said most of the roosters and hens are in good condition, which is not uncommon with fighting roosters. According to Sims, roosters are housed in San Antonio before taken to rural areas for fights. ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said the South Side properties had "no legal means for those numbers" of roosters and hens. San Antonio police and ACS did not say if arrests were made in connection with the birds found at the homes.

Animal Care ServicesA local dog was reunited with its owner after nearly seven years thanks to the "power of a microchip," according to a recent Facebook post from Animal Care Services (ACS). ACS stated in its Monday post that a stray named Honey entered the shelter last week. Employees found a microchip on Honey, showing him registered to someone who adopted him years ago.

Animal Care Services officers rescued a fox that was found perched on top of a cabinet in an office at San Antonio College last week. The fox made its way into the ceiling vents to get into the Moody Learning Center, ACS said in a Facebook post on Monday. The fox was then transported the animal to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc. for further examination. Once cleared as healthy, ACS released the fox at Brackenridge Park at the request of the staff at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation. ACS said to expect to see more wildlife as the weather gets cooler and warns to maintain a safe distance.

click to enlarge Unsplash / Jamie StreetSan Antonio has gone to the dogs — in a good way.Last week, officials with San Antonio's Animal Care Services (ACS) said it ended its fiscal year with the highest live-release rate for animals in its history, KSAT reports Officials also told the station that the 92% live-release rate makes ACS one of the "most successful animal shelters" in the state.The live-release percentage is calculated using the total of all pets that are adopted, rescued, transferred to another shelter or returned to their owners after being lost.The numbers aren't insignificant, either. ACS adopted out more than 6,000 pets last fiscal year and helped save an additional 10,597 animals through partnerships with rescues and sister shelters, according to officials.Officials also said that out of the 27,194 animals brought to the shelter, 2,204 were euthanized, the lowest rate in the shelter's history.

Investigators from the city's Animal Care Services are searching for the person who tossed a kitten into the San Antonio River last month to drown. According to a news release, ACS said a resident was feeding birds by the Aresenal Bridge, located at 479-499 E. Arsenal St., on Sept. 22 when they saw an unidentified person get out of a car and throw a purple soft-sided pet crate into the river below before speeding away.

SAN ANTONIO Surveillance cameras at the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services building caught a small dog being dumped in front of the building this week, according to shelter officials. The dog, which the staff named Flash, was seen running around the parking lot before running onto the freeway officials said. ACS officials checked the surveillance camera footage and saw Flash had been dumped outside the shelter. Flash tried to follow that person driving away, which is when we noticed him running around our parking lot, officials said in a Facebook post. Wed like to encourage those seeking assistance with a pet to please reach out to us before giving up.Dumping a pet is never the answer, officials said.

Were keeping you informed...and its what we love to do. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current. Every reader contribution is valuable and so appreciated, and goes directly to support our coverage of critical issues and neighborhood culture.

New year new mew.The City of San Antonio's Animal Care Services (ACS) is advertising a deal for anyone who's resolved to make new friends this year. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current. Every reader contribution is valuable and so appreciated, and goes directly to support our coverage of critical issues and neighborhood culture.

SAN ANTONIO - City of San Antonio Animal Care Services is offering an adoption special for UFOs (Unquestionably Furry Occupants). Dogs will be available for adoption for just $15, and cat adoption fees will drop to just $5 Friday through Sunday. The adopt-a-thon is spoofing the "Storm Area 51" event, which went viral on social media for jokingly urging people to take over the military facility in Nevada where conspiracy theorists say aliens and their spaceships are held. Shelter pets are out of this world," said ACS live-release manager Bethany Colonnese. All pets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will have already been vaccinated, dewormed, sterilized, and implanted with a microchip.

SAN ANTONIO - This article is sponsored by Martinez & Associates. San Antonio is a great place to volunteer and there are several opportunities for residents to get involved in activities that will enhance our community. City of San Antonio Development ServicesDo you have a calling to help make the city beautiful? San Antonio Food BankThe SAFB serves 58,000 people each week and distributes 74,000,000 meals each year. If you're in a group or an individual, there are many opportunities to volunteer the San Antonio Food Bank.

Officers took 18 dogs, six cats, two turtles, a tortoise and the birds from the home, according to a news release from Animal Care Services. Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

ACS is waiving adoption fees on Saturday, Krispy Kreme is offering up a free doughnut deal and several free movie screenings are taking place in the Alamo City! Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.