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San Antonio Dogs Get Another Chance
 San
Antonio Dogs Get Another Chance
by Angela Grimes, Director of Operations
Every day Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
(WRR) helps hundreds of wild animals through our emergency
hotline, rehabilitation
clinic, and sanctuary,
and as our members
know, we are occasionally called upon to help with companion
animal rescues as well. Such a situation arose last week in
San Antonio. WRR was called when, yet again, other area cat
and dog shelters said they were unable to help.
An elderly woman who rescued several homeless
dogs from a life on the streets had been feeding and caring
for the animals for at least four years at her former house
and lot on the northeast side of San Antonio. She trucked
in water and food every day, trying to give the animals, who
had been "thrown away" by others, a second chance
at life. She had not spayed or neutered the dogs, primarily
due to a lack of education and spay/neuter assistance programs
in the area, and the situation quickly went out of control.
 In
early March, she was issued a citation by Animal Care Services
(the San Antonio animal control facility) and given approximately
two weeks to remove the animals from the property or they
would be confiscated — and probably killed, since San
Antonio has such a severe animal overpopulation problem and
few, if any, could count on adoption.
I visited the property with the elderly woman
and met the dogs on Monday, March 19. The animals seemed to
be in good health and well fed. They were all small- to medium-sized
dogs with sweet dispositions hidden behind a veil of shyness
and distrust. After a few minutes the barking that I thought
would never end quieted and the pups began to sniff me, follow
me, and a few even licked an extended hand. Other groups had
labeled these animals "unadoptable" or refused to
take them for lack of space, but WRR could not say no to this
situation. We certainly do not have the facilities or infrastructure
to handle 20 adult dogs and at least 13 nursing puppies at
our Kendalia sanctuary, but we can do something. These gentle
dogs will not have to pay with their lives for the failures
of the humans who discarded them.
Greg Harman, WRR's Education & Advocacy
Coordinator, quickly set to work preparing press releases,
contacting Hill Country area shelters, and putting in calls
to local television stations, which resulted in media coverage
by three of the local network stations throughout their evening
broadcasts. Only one day later, the phone was ringing with
offers of financial assistance, volunteers, and interest in
adopting.
The hard work is now ahead of us. We must
gather up all of the dogs, have them spayed or neutered, and
give them a veterinary exam. They will need to be vaccinated,
bathed, and readied for their new homes with a loving family.
We are assembling a coalition of area shelters, such as the
Bulverde Area Humane Society, to make it all possible.
How You Can Help
Volunteers and adopters are desperately needed
to make this rescue a success. For information about how you
can help, please call WRR at (830) 336-2725 or (830) 336-2725.
Media Coverage
Dogs
saved from death at Stahl Road home
by Sarah Lucero, KENS 5 Eyewitness News
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Dogs
Rescued from Filthy Home
by News 4 WOAI
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Shelters
Bear Compassionate Woman's Care Of Dogs
by KSAT 12 News
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
WRR
Helps Dozens of Dogs Rescued in Northeast San Antonio
Press Release by Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
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