SAN ANTONIO – The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter attempted this week to move out as many dogs as possible due to upcoming renovations that would limit kennel space.
In a statement issued Wednesday by the City of San Marcos, the shelter said eight dogs needed to find a home by Friday or they would risk euthanasia. At least three of those dogs were sent to another shelter and at least two were adopted as of Friday, a Facebook post states.
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Posted by San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter on Wednesday, October 20, 2021
The eight dogs were at risk due to bite history, aggression or other concerns, but more than 30 dogs still need to find homes, according to the statement that was obtained by KXAN.
A phone call to the shelter and an email to a city spokesperson were not immediately returned to KSAT.
The city-run shelter in Hays County said the renovations, which cost $240,047, include repainting kennels, coating floors, and installing sound baffles. The San Marcos City Council approved the construction in early September.
“While all this is very exciting, we will need to have lots of kennels empty while these upgrades are taking place, and the only way that can happen is if you adopt or foster,” the shelter said in a September post.
All listed dogs are available for adoption at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter. For more information call: 512-805-2657 or visit https://bit.ly/2R6SUyt to view our full list of current adoptable animals.
Posted by San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter on Friday, October 22, 2021
In the Facebook post on Wednesday, the shelter said that it would be unable to pay for boarding costs during the renovations. Employees also did not want to split kennels due to cramped conditions for the dogs and the risk of disease transmission, the post states.
Since the renovations were approved, the shelter hosted five events in an attempt to boost adoptions or fosters. Rescue partners have also stepped in to take care of some of the animals.
While the city says that “each individual event was promoted at least once, often multiple times” on social media, animal advocates scrutinized the city and accused the shelter of not adequately promoting the deadline.
“I’m putting out an urgent plea for people to come to adopt, offer to foster, share this information,” Jennifer Hayes, who takes pictures of dogs at the shelter, told KXAN.
The city said there have been “no definitive decisions” to euthanize the animals.
To view a list of adoptable animals, click here.