Animal Care Services (ACS) began its “empty the shelters” partnership this week, inviting San Antonians to adopt from the overcrowded shelter with a reduced adoption fee.
ACS, in partnership with the Bissell Foundation, hopes the public will help empty its overcrowded shelters. It's an event that happens a couple times a year.
ACS Spokesperson Lisa Norwood says it’s hard not to fall in love with these animals. But she wants people who are thinking of adopting to think carefully about it first.
“One of the things that we do ask though is when people come out, keep an open mind,” Norwood said. “I cannot tell you the number of times that people have come to Animal Care Services and said, 'I’m getting a big dog, I'm gonna get the biggest dog that they’ve got there,’ and they walk out with a chihuahua.”
Hundreds of animals sit in the kennels waiting to be adopted daily. Norwood said they could have up to 400 animals in the shelter at once.
“We know that shelters throughout the country, throughout the state, certainly here in San Antonio, are overwhelmed,” she explained. “There’s just not enough adopters.”
Opting to adopt helps save the lives of the animals, but also SAACS receives a donation for every pet placed with a family. The funds are used to help the rest of the animals in the shelter.
Before coming to the shelter, Norwood advised residents to visit the ACS website first and view the pets that are in the shelter. Once they find what could be their forever fur pal, they may visit the shelter and spend time with the animals.
“When you see their faces and you know that they're in need … it’s just very easy to fall in love here,” Norwood added. “Animals are in shelters through no fault of their own, and so if we can find homes for them, that’s the best thing we can do.”
ACS is open seven days a week.
The event runs through July 31, with a reduced adoption fee of $25.
