A new county animal care facility planned for San Antonio’s Southwest Side is intended to ease chronic overcrowding at Bexar County’s existing shelter system, which officials say is routinely operating far beyond capacity.
The new facility is set to be built along Cagnon Road and will add 132 new kennels for the county.
Dr. Andrea Guerrero with Bexar County’s Public Health Department said the county’s shelter in Kirby has about 60 kennels and is “consistently at 200% capacity.”
Guerrero said the county takes in animals under a wide range of circumstances, including strays, abuse cases, pet surrenders, and situations involving an arrest or death of an owner. She called the additional space a major help for the county’s unincorporated areas, saying, “The capacity that this is going to add is going to be an enormous resource for unincorporated Bexar County.”
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Even with the planned expansion, county leaders indicated more space will likely be needed. Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores, who attended the groundbreaking for the new facility this morning, said she is already pushing for the facility to be expanded further.
“We will need more. That’s why I really advocated for it to be expanded. That’s why it’s now 132 kennels. I think initially the plan was for 96 kennels,” Clay-Flores said.
Until any additional expansion plans are finalized, Clay-Flores and Guerrero encouraged responsible pet ownership to avoid further straining the county’s current animal care facilities.
The project is expected to be completed in April 2027.