Are you ready to expand your family with a brand new addition of a fur-baby? Adopting a pet can be one of the most rewarding and joyful experiences. Pets, particularly dogs and cats, can bring such happiness, energy, love, and affection into your life. Instead of heading to a pet store or purchasing a pet from a breeder or puppy mill, consider adopting or rescuing an animal.
The Human Society of the United States has published the Top Reasons to Adopt a Pet, take a look at some of their key points from their article about why you should adopt a pet:
- Because you’ll save a life: “Each year, 2.7 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States, simply because too many pets come into shelters and too few people consider adoption when looking for a pet.”
- Because you’ll get a great animal: “Animal shelters and rescue groups are brimming with happy, healthy pets just waiting for someone to take them home.”
- Because it’ll cost you less: “Usually when you adopt a pet, the cost of spay/neuter, first vaccinations (and sometimes even microchipping!) is included in the adoption price, which can save you some of the up front costs of adding a new member to your family.”
- Because of the bragging rights: “No one needs to see another selfie—unless it’s a selfie of you with the adorable pet you just adopted!”
- Because it’s one way to fight puppy mills: “Puppy mills are factory-style breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. Animals from puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions with improper medical care, and are often very sick and behaviorally troubled as a result.”
- Because your home will thank you: “Adopting a mature pet not only gives older animals a second chance, it often means introducing them to your family will be much easier.”
- Because all pets are good for your health, but adoptees offer an extra boost: “Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally and physically beneficial to their companions.”
- Because adoption helps more than just one animal: “Overburdened shelters take in millions of stray, abused, and lost animals every year, and by adopting an animal, you’re making room for others.”
(Credit: The Human Society of the United States.)
If you’re ready to adopt a pet and add a new companion to your family, take a look at the following animal shelters, humane societies, and other organizations in the San Antonio area that have numerous animals who are up for adoption.
San Antonio Pets Alive (SAPA!)
San Antonio Pets Alive (SAPA!) is one of many great organizations in the San Antonio area with available cats and dogs for adoption. The SAPA! mission statement reads as follows: “The goal of San Antonio Pets Alive! (SAPA!) is to make San Antonio a No Kill city. We build effective and innovative programs to overcome issues that lead to euthanasia at the city shelter to include adoptions, fostering, Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS), baby-bottle feeding, Kitten Nursery and Parvovirus Ward. We focus on saving the lives of dogs and cats that are already on the euthanasia list at the city shelter as well as providing resources to pet owners to prevent them from surrendering their pets.” SAPA! strives to find responsible individuals and households who will give these unwanted, abused and neglected animals a second chance and a forever home.
Click here to browse SAPA! available dogs and cats.
City of San Antonio: Animal Care Services
Another option for adopting an animal is through the City of San Antonio’s Animal Care Services. Similar to the SAPA!, the city’s Animal Care Services believe in making progress towards the community’s “No Kill” outlook. They also offer low cost animal services such as vaccinations, spay and neutering, microchipping, and more, in addition to providing animal control, enforcement, and online reporting for lost pets in the area.
To view a full list of their adoptable puppies, dogs, kittens, and cats, visit the City of San Antonio’s Animal Care Services Adoption page or the ACS Facebook page.
San Antonio Humane Society (SAHS)
The San Antonio Humane Society (SAHS) is a great resource in the community that has a long reputation for helping and rescuing animals in need. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill organization, the SAHS has served Bexar County and its surrounding areas since 1952 with its mission to “protect and improve the lives of dogs and cats by providing shelter, care, adoption, rescue, spay and neuter programs, and community education.” The SAHS also has a wonderful Ambassador Pet program that allows for a “raised adoption fee that helps lend a paw to other pets looking for a forever home.”
To view all the lovable felines and canines available at the SAHS, including their Ambassador Pets, visit their Adoption page.
Animal Defense League of Texas
One of the largest and most impactful animal rescue groups in Texas, the Animal Defense League of Texas aims to “enhance the quality of life for abandoned, abused, or neglected dogs and cats by providing needed medical care, food, shelter, and safety with compassion and attention until they are adopted.” In their quest to serve their mission, they provide a number of addition services in the community:
- Sheltering of animals, regardless of their conditions when they arrive
- Complete medical treatment provided to animals under the care of the shelter.
- Full-time veterinarian and staff who treat all resident animals
- Low–cost spay/neuter program for pets of low-income families
- Humane education programs in schools and the broader community
- Active adoption services to find homes for all the animals taken in by the Animal Defense League
The League also owns a 12-acre campus where they care for all their animals until they’re able to find their forever homes. Click here to view all available pets offered by the Animal Defense League of Texas.
SnipSA
An additional organization to find many adoptable fur-babies is SnipSA, whose mission is four fold: “to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and ReHome adoptable animals from high kill shelters and the community, and to encourage responsibility within the pet owning population.”
Check out all of SnipSA’s dogs, cats, and puppies.
TSA Canine Adoption Program
Last but not least, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has recently created their Canine Adoption Program, which allow families and individuals to adopt dogs that did “not meet the TSA Canine Training Center criteria for government work.” This program is very different than adopting from other organizations we’ve discussed earlier, and adoption is on a first come first serve basis and applicants must meet certain requirements. The program also requires that approved applicants “must travel to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas where the dogs are located.”
To find out more and determine if this program might be right for you, visit TSA’s Canine Adoption Program.