San Antonio pet deposit assistance program killed in committee

SAN ANTONIO – A proposal to cover pet deposits for low-income San Antonio renters has been put down.

The council’s Planning and Community Development Committee voted 4-0 on Friday morning to keep a one-year, $50,000 pilot program from moving forward. The money would have come out of the city’s housing assistance program, which helps renters avoid being evicted and people facing housing instability.

“I think that we have a much greater need for a lot of other services to people than paying a pet deposit,” said Councilman John Courage (D9). “I think that $50,000 could go into helping people just pay a (sic) rent so they can stay in their home themselves.“

The proposed program crafted by city staff would have covered pet deposits of up to $500 per pet — with a $1,000 maximum — to at least 100 eligible renters. The average pet deposit in San Antonio, the city said, is about $300.

The city’s housing assistance program already includes pet deposits for people who need relocation assistance, but the proposed pilot program would have been open to anyone trying to foster or adopt a pet from Animal Care Services. They also would have had to qualify under the city’s “Equity Atlas.”

Council members questioned whether the proposal was actually solving a real problem.

ACS Assistant to the Director Shannon Oster-Gabrielson said hundreds of animals are surrendered by their owners every year. Some of those are because the owner can not pay the pet deposit at their new home, she said.

Oster-Gabrielson said she did not have any statistics on how many.

“If the biggest problem you got to keeping your dog is the deposit, then you got much bigger problems,” Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8) said.

The deposit assistance program was suggested by Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, who framed it as a way to remove barriers and help encourage pet adoptions at ACS.

“While it’s disappointing that the idea has been put on hold by the committee, that won’t stop it,” McKee-Rodriguez said in a statement texted by a spokeswoman. “I remain committed to making this program a reality to address the overpopulation of our shelters and make pet ownership more financially feasible for the renters in our city.”

Two of the co-signers to McKee-Rodriguez’s proposal — Adriana Rocha Garcia (D4) and Teri Castillo (D5) — also voted to kill it.

Pelaez suggested supporters on the council could donate some of their district’s discretionary funds to the San Antonio Apartment Association, which could administer it.

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