San Antonio police and Animal Care Services officers pulled 26 pugs out of a home in the 300 block of Clarence Street after finding the dogs living in what officials described as an unsanitary habitation, with the animals lacking proper care and treatment. The rescue happened this week as the city’s already strained shelter system absorbs yet another large-scale seizure.
According to KENS 5, San Antonio Police Department SAFFE and patrol officers rescued the 26 dogs alongside Animal Care Services personnel, who assisted with removing the animals from the property. SAPD and city departments said they worked together to protect community health and safety during the operation. Animal Care Services has said it will provide the dogs with necessary care and treatment going forward.
The SAFFE unit that helped carry out the rescue is made up of community-policing officers assigned to local substations who serve as agency liaisons, frequently backing up Animal Care Services during search warrants and animal removals, according to the City of San Antonio. Unlike officers responding to emergency dispatch calls, SAFFE teams typically focus on resolving longer-running neighborhood quality-of-life problems, which made them a natural fit for a property housing dozens of animals in poor condition.
A City Ordinance the Property Already Violated
Whatever caused the overcrowding at the Clarence Street address, the sheer number of dogs put the property in automatic violation of San Antonio’s own pet limits. Under Chapter 5 of the city code, residential properties are capped at five dogs or eight total domestic pets unless the owner has an excess animal permit, per KSAT. Twenty-six pugs on one property is more than five times that limit…