San Antonio pet owners can find help before a crisis

Just hours before I spoke with Tim Woodward, president of Animal Rescue Corps, a national nonprofit that assists communities with large-scale animal cruelty cases and disaster response, a man arrived at the organization’s rescue center with two beautiful dogs.

He said he had found them and begged the staff to take them.

But as they gently talked with him, the truth came out. They weren’t strays. They were his dogs. He had lost his housing and was living in a campground. He loved his dogs but could no longer keep them and couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye.

For Woodward, whose national nonprofit has participated in nearly 300 cruelty investigations involving almost 15,000 animals, stories like this reveal something we sometimes miss when talking about animal neglect.

Woodward, who has worked in communities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, says one problem surfaces repeatedly.

“Many crises don’t begin because someone doesn’t care,” Woodward said. “They begin because someone runs out of options. It’s not what is the weak link. It’s that there is no link.”

In some communities, there is no animal control, no shelter with available space, no affordable veterinary clinic and no organization to call when someone’s circumstances suddenly change. And finding affordable veterinary care is a huge obstacle. A family may love their pet deeply but be unable to manage an unexpected $500 or $1,000 veterinary bill.

“That’s how problems can snowball,” Woodward said. “Someone takes in a stray dog intending to help. They can’t get her spayed quickly enough. She has puppies. Those puppies grow up and reproduce. What began as an act of compassion can gradually become an overwhelming situation for both the person and the animals.”

San Antonio pet owners who are struggling don’t have to wait until the situation becomes overwhelming to ask for help. Contact Animal Care Services or local animal welfare organizations as soon a problem arises to learn what resources are available, including free and low-cost spay/neuter services, vaccination and wellness clinics, pet food assistance through DaisyCares and the San Antonio Food Bank, and community cat resources through the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition. Watch for free and low-cost veterinary clinics help throughout the community as well. If one organization can’t provide what you need, ask who else might be able to help. Sometimes finding the right resource takes a few phone calls.

Of course, the system isn’t perfect. Veterinary costs continue to rise, appointments can be difficult to find, and shelters and rescue groups have limited capacity. But reaching out for help before a situation becomes a crisis can sometimes make the difference between keeping a beloved pet and feeling you have no other choice but to give that animal up.

San Antonio has no shortage of people who care about animals. The challenge is making sure people know where to turn when they need help. Sometimes, the most important link we can provide isn’t a rescue after things have gone wrong, but a resource that keeps a family and their pet from reaching that crisis in the first place.