SAN ANTONIO — On Tuesday, Animal Care Services investigators removed a total of 49 dogs from a cruelty situation at a San Antonio home.

According to ACS, the dogs were unsocialized, matted and soaked from their own waste. The floors and interior walls of the home were heavily damaged and soiled with feces and standing pools of dog urine. ACS takes cases like very seriously and our investigative team continues to build a criminal case.

Animal Care Services has been working with and evaluating the dogs since they came in, attending to medical needs and evaluating each dog for potential placement.

ACS said that many of the animals were so feral, they had to be sedated in order to move them from one kennel to another. At the time of their arrival to the center, staff knew many of them were not suitable for placement, but at the time, had space and wanted to provide additional assessments.

After multiple assessments by behavioral, veterinary and placement teams, five of the dogs were identified as potential candidates for rehabilitation. San Antonio Pets Alive! agreed to take responsibility for 11 additional dogs.

Unfortunately, due to public and staff safety concerns, the unlikelihood of finding placement for feral animals as well as increasing placement opportunities for adoptable animals, a total of 33 of the remaining dogs were humanely euthanized.

“This is not what we would have wanted to happen and we are heartbroken and angry for these dogs. Cases like this one are tragic for many reasons but most of all because if could have been 100% avoidable had the owner been responsible. Animal Care Services works very hard to maintain our 90% plus live release rate. In fact, the shelter currently has a 93% placement rate and ordering euthanasia is the hardest decision we make. But it is a decision that our shelter staff must make when needed,” said Lisa Norwood with ACS.   

Norwood reminds that San Antonio offers its citizens free or low-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations and more, but unfortunately, too many times tough decisions have to be made because "someone else decided not to do right by their dogs."