SNIPSA'S HISTORY

SNIPSA is an organization formed by a group of veterinarians and caring individuals dedicated to helping homeless and unwanted animals in San Antonio and the surrounding area. SNIPSA does not have a standing shelter and instead depends on a core of volunteers to foster and rehabilitate animals in their homes. This provides us with the opportunity to learn first hand about the animal’s needs and behavior in order to facilitate an appropriate adoption. SNIPSA was incorporated in September 2005 and has re-homed more than 2000 animals.

SNIPSA’s Mission:

SNIPSA’s mission is fourfold: to RESCUE, REHABILITATE, and RE-HOME adoptable animals from high kill shelters and the community, and to encourage RESPONSIBILITY within the pet owning population by providing free spay/neuter services to areas of San Antonio with the greatest need.

Rescue/Rehabilitate/Re-Home:

The majority of the animals we help originate from high kill shelters. San Antonio euthanizes more than 35,000 animals a year, most of which are adoptable and are destroyed due to lack of shelter space and available homes. Another 35,000 carcasses are picked up on city streets equating to a ton of animals being deposited in our landfills every day. SNIPSA makes weekly trips to area shelters to remove animals whose “time is up.” Many of these animals suffer from heartworm infection, fractures, mange, dental disease, and simple neglect. SNIPSA provides the necessary medical care to get the animals back on their feet again. This can often be a lengthy process of rehabilitation. We are committed to going the extra mile to ensure an animal’s health. SNIPSA also works with the citizens in the community that have found a stray dog or cat.We help walk the individual through the process of locating an original owner. If an owner cannot be found, we provideappropriate veterinary and foster care until the animal can be re-homed. It is a “win-win” for the animal as well as the caretaker who can be an integral part of the re-homing process. Foster care is available on a space available basis.

Responsibility:

Increasing spay/neuter capacity has long been proven to be the cornerstone for saving lives. SNIPSA has recently launched MASH style spay/neuter clinics targeted towards neighborhoods with the highest number of stray and unwanted animals. Clinics are held in community centers, churches, and gymnasiums where there is already an established relationship between the individual and anchor organization. Block walking and interfacing with residents in the community is key to educating pet owners and increasing responsibility. By making sterilization accessible on a weekend, compliance is largely increased. With more than 100animals being altered per clinic, we can see a measurable result in reducing the pet overpopulation problem in the area being served. We are grateful to our volunteers whose tireless efforts make this possible.