san antonio – Vanessa Acosta said she believes overpopulation is one of the main reasons San Antonio has animal problems.
“We all feel overwhelmed,” Acosta said. “San Antonio has too many people in our shelters. Too many people on the streets. Too many people in our homes.”
Acosta is a resident of Dignowty Hill and a neighborhood volunteer with San Antonio Animal Services.
KSAT first told her story in the Know My Neighborhood series, highlighting the stray animal situation in Dignowty Hill.
Acosta said the city needs a long-term solution and Ward 2 City Councilman Jalen Mackey Rodriguez is proposing a new plan.
“We have to remove barriers,” Mackey Rodriguez said. “We have created barriers to pet ownership, adoption, and foster care for more than half of our city residents.”
Mackey Rodriguez filed a Council Review Request (CCR) to create an income-based pet deposit assistance program.
The proposed program would help pay pet deposits for foster parents and adopters from San Antonio ACS and affiliated shelters. Macky Rodriguez hopes this will provide much-needed space at the shelter.
“If we don't remove the animals, we can't free up capacity,” McKee-Rodriguez said.
McKee-Rodriguez said she received signatures of support from City Council members Suk Kaul, Adriana Rocha-Garcia, Teri Castillo and Melissa Cabello-Havrda.
But Acosta said he's concerned that increased accessibility will bring more problems to San Antonio.
“It's all over,” Acosta said. “We have hoarders all over the place. Serious animal incidents are occurring all over the place.”
Acosta said he hopes the city will work on changing citizens' habits.
“Education and enforcement is 100% what we need,” Acosta said.
This request is still in its early stages. Next, it must be submitted to the Governance Committee.
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