BANDERA, Texas – Authorities executed search and seizure warrants at We Care Wildlife Sanctuary in Lakehills on Sept. 4, 2026, after investigators said they had evidence of severely underweight horses and alleged animal abuse, mistreatment or neglect on the property.<\/p>\n
The Bandera County Sheriff\u2019s Office said it assisted Bandera County Precinct 2 Constable Greg Spengler in executing the warrants at about 7 a.m. Sept. 4. While on scene, the sheriff\u2019s office said representatives from the American Humane Society, San Antonio Zoo, veterinarians and livestock specialists conducted medical assessments of the animals and evaluated their living conditions. After those assessments, the sheriff\u2019s office said multiple animals were seized and transported to appropriate locations for further treatment and testing.<\/p>\n
Spengler\u2019s office said it obtained the warrants by providing images of severely underweight horses as probable cause to investigate animals that were allegedly abused, mistreated, or neglected. The constable\u2019s office said certified animal rescue responders from American Humane Society, volunteer veterinarians, and a specialized veterinary and animal care team from San Antonio Zoo were on-site during the execution of the warrants to deliver urgent medical assessments and care.<\/p>\n
According to the constable\u2019s office, the rescued animals included \u201ca diverse range of domestic, livestock, and exotic species, including horses, goats, pigs, turtles, tortoises, pythons, and various bird species.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur responders on scene documented critical welfare failures and severe neglect throughout the property,\u201d said Cesar Perea, associate vice president of rescue at American Humane Society. \u201cThese animals were deprived of the most basic necessities\u2014food, clean water, and standard husbandry\u2014leaving several animals, including horses, dangerously emaciated and forced to survive in hazardous conditions. We are deeply grateful to the Constable\u2019s Office for stepping in, and our priority now is ensuring every animal receives immediate veterinary care and the safe, thriving homes they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSan Antonio Zoo is committed to the welfare of all animals, not just the ones in our care,\u201d said Tim Morrow, president and CEO of San Antonio Zoo. \u201cOur veterinarian and technicians were proud to stand alongside American Humane Society to provide their expertise and support in giving these animals the care they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
The constable\u2019s office said it requested American Humane Society\u2019s involvement because of the organization\u2019s specialized expertise in animal cruelty investigations and the severe conditions documented across the facility and animals. In addition to assisting with on-scene crime scene and evidence processing, the constable\u2019s office said American Humane Society responders coordinated the safe transport of over 100 animals to a secure temporary sheltering facility, where they are receiving comprehensive forensic examinations, urgent medical treatment and ongoing care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThreats to animal welfare are taken seriously by our office, and we are committed to investigating these matters fully,\u201d Spengler said. \u201cWorking together with our partners allows us to properly address these issues in our community, and we are deeply grateful to American Humane Society, San Antonio Zoo, and the volunteers who responded quickly to provide urgent care. This case remains an active investigation, and we will continue collaborating with these organizations to ensure the animals receive ongoing care.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the on-site investigation, responders discovered more than 20 deceased animals in varying states of decomposition, including approximately 15 horses and two primates, according to the constable\u2019s office. The constable\u2019s office said the deceased primates are being transferred to a veterinary forensics laboratory for necropsies to determine their exact cause of death.<\/p>\n
Sheriff Josh Teitge said Spengler continues to lead the investigation and the sheriff\u2019s office will continue to support his investigative efforts. The sheriff\u2019s office said questions about the case should be directed to Spengler because the investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BANDERA, Texas – Authorities executed search and seizure warrants at We Care Wildlife Sanctuary in Lakehills on Sept.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427750,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[82,84,83],"class_list":["post-427749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}