Bexar County broke ground Tuesday on a $12 million animal care facility that will more than triple its shelter capacity as the county expands its response to stray and roaming animals outside of San Antonio city limits.
The roughly 17,000-square-foot facility at 6841 Cagnon Road on the Southwest Side will include 132 kennels, veterinary surgery and examination space, an adoption area and administrative offices. County officials expect construction to be completed in April 2027.
The new facility comes as the county’s existing animal shelter in Kirby struggles to keep up with demand. Jacy Elrod, director of the Bexar County animal shelter, said the 60-kennel facility in Northeast Bexar County serves roughly 1,100 animals per year.
That number includes stray dogs and cats, as well as animals taken in through cruelty investigations or seizures by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
While the county does transfer animals to rescue organizations and also adopts them out, demand is so high that the facility routinely operates over capacity, said Andrea Guerrero, director of Bexar County Public Health, which oversees the county’s animal care services.
“We are at capacity most of the time, usually at like 200% of capacity,” Guerrero said. “Having the expanded capacity here with additional kennels, with a surgery center and adoption room really gives us the opportunity to create a really robust public health resource for the community.”
The expansion comes as the City of San Antonio continues to make its own major investments in animal care. The city increased its Animal Care Services budget by 12.3% this year to $38 million and plans to open a new veterinary hospital next year as part of its five-year strategic plan.
County officials say their growing animal care system is intended to fill a different need. While San Antonio’s department primarily serves residents within city limits, the county responds to animals in unincorporated areas and also sees a role supporting smaller suburban cities with more limited resources.
Outgoing Judge Peter Sakai said the county’s expansion could also create opportunities for greater collaboration with city partners.
“I really believe that this is going to be a collaboration with the county and the city,” Sakai said. “These are discussions that we’re going to have to have to see how we can partner up so that we understand the needs of this community.”
The groundbreaking marks the latest step in a broader expansion of the county’s animal care services. Last year, commissioners created a dedicated Animal Care Department, bringing together animal control officers and shelter staff who had previously operated separately.
Plans for the shelter have also grown significantly from what commissioners originally envisioned. The county approved $5.5 million for a 48-kennel facility in 2022, before doubling the planned capacity to 96 kennels and increasing the budget to $8.8 million in 2024.
At the time, County Manager David Smith warned commissioners that the original facility would be at risk of being over capacity “the day we open.” The project later grew again to the current $12 million price tag with the 132 kennels.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, who advocated for the additional kennel space as the project was developed, framed the county’s investment in animal care as a public safety issue.
“Addressing stray animals is not just an animal welfare issue; it is a public safety priority,” Clay-Flores said.
She pointed to loose dogs as a potential danger to drivers and pedestrians, particularly children walking to school and seniors walking through their neighborhoods.
“By expanding our capacity to responsibly care and manage stray animals, we help create safer streets and safer communities,” she said.
The new facility, she said, will give the county greater capacity to remove stray animals from the streets while reuniting lost pets with their owners and finding homes for others through adoption.
But Clay-Flores stressed that the additional shelter space does not replace the need for responsible pet ownership in Bexar County.
“Keep your dog behind a fence, if you go for a walk, keep them on leash,” she said. “And please make sure you spay and neuter your animals.”
