SAN ANTONIO — Not even a year old, San Antonio Pets Alive! has already reached its capacity and is pushing the city to save more of its precious pets.
The animal shelter, located at 4710 Highway 151, has been taking in strays and helping them find loving homes since January.
"We don’t have room to keep taking more," said Ellen Jefferson, a veterinarian at Pets Alive! "For every day that we are full, we can’t help the animals that need our help."
The shelter has so far more than doubled the city's no-kill rate from 30 percent last January. As of last month, Pets Alive! saved 72 percent of the animals that were brought in. Their goal is to reach 90 percent.
Jefferson explained that it costs around $700 to $1,000 to operate on most of the animals that they see. Sometimes, they don't even know there's anything wrong with the animal.
“Mange is not that big of a deal at all, but people are scared of it," Jefferson said. "Lots and lots and lots of puppies are on the euthanasia list because of mange."
Pets Alive! relies on donations to keep the place running. Make a donation by visiting the San Antonio Pets Alive! website.
