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Advocacy group takes out billboards critical of San Antonio's animal-welfare record

The move comes after council members criticized Animal Care Services for falling short of improvement goals despite getting a budget increase.

By Michael Karlis on Thu, Apr 18, 2024 at 4:33 pm

Courtesy Image / Animal Advocates San Antonio

The billboards paid for by nonprofit Animal Advocates San Antonio encourage urges concerned residents to speak out against ACS's Live Release rate.

An animal-advocacy group critical of the City of San Antonio's Animal Care Services leased out two billboards this week urging Alamo City residents to speak up against animal neglect and cruelty.

Officials with Animal Advocates San Antonio told the Current that they took out the ads in response to ACS failing to meet self-imposed goals on improving its record — even though the city department got a 33% budget increase this fiscal year.

Animal Advocates San Antonio, a frequent critic of ACS's live-release rate, is specifically upset that the department's goal for that metric is lower this year than last, even though officials now have $7 million more to work with. An animal shelter's live-release rate reflects how many of its animals are returned, adopted out or transferred to aid groups versus those that it euthanizes.

During a presentation to City Council's Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, Shannon Oster-Gabrielson, assistant to ACS Director Shannon Sims, said the department only adopted out 2,921 pets between Oct. 1, 2023 and the end of March. Its goal is to adopt out 5,000 for this fiscal year.

"Hot on the heels of a vigil in January, a protest in March and the consistent appearance of people voicing concerns during public comment, this year sees a more engaged public outraged by how ACS is spending tax dollars and has resulted in more people holding ACS accountable for their actions," Animal Advocates San Antonio said in email discussing its lease of the billboards.

Courtesy of Animal Advocates San Antonio

The two billboards leased by nonprofit Animal Advocates of San Antonio are located along I-10 and U.S. Highway 281.

Animal Advocates San Antonio's billboards are visible just before the I-10 and Loop 410 intersection on the northbound side and along U.S. Highway 281 on the southbound side just past Loop 1604. They encourage people to visit the organization's website which offers them the options for speaking up against ACS.

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About The Author

Michael Karlis

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Michael Karlis is a Staff Writer at the San Antonio Current. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., whose work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Orlando Weekly, NewsBreak, 420 Magazine and Mexico Travel Today. He reports primarily on breaking news, politics...