SAN ANTONIO — For days, drivers on a busy east side street called the city's 311 service to report a dog that was chained at the neck, and trapped against a metal pole.
The dog's empty water dish was just a few feet away, but he couldn't get to it because the heavy chain was twisted and wrapped around the pole, anchoring him in place.
City code prohibits the use of chain tethers. The dog was found outside the fenced yard.
Animal Care Service (ACS) workers responded to the calls for help and said the dog (they are now calling Harper), is on the road to a new life.
It is part of a loving program that is underway at ACS to help good boys like Harper find new forever friends.
They hope to spread the word to people like Schwanna Williams, who saw the dog tethered to the post and immediately went to bring him comfort items.
Williams even had a fluffy pillow for the pup, but by the time she returned with her gifts, she found ACS workers taking the animal into their custody.
As Williams filled a container with food and water, she said "I'm not going to pass by and do nothing," adding she had seen the dog the day before. "It's sad! I don't like what I'm seeing!"
While the workers filled out a violation citation for the dog owner, Williams asked them to allow the dog to finish eating, as he tried to gobble up everything before him.
Days later, ACS said the owner has made no effort to retrieve the dog, so now a team of caring people are working together for Harper and the 200 other animals that need care every single day.
Claudia Balarin is the Community Relations Manager for ACS. Balarin said, "Our team is always experiencing these incredible rescue stories. They find them in situations that are really hard to believe."
Balarin said sharing these life-saving stories across all social media platforms allows them to save countless lives every year.
"We're able to share with the San Antonio community about these really incredible dogs and what they've gone through and hope to get them adopted and find the loving family that they need," Balarin said.
She adds, "We get an overwhelming amount of support when we share these stories. A lot of people don't know what our officers are doing and the situations they find these dogs in and how they are able to rescue them, from dogs being found in a ditch, being abandoned in an apartment or tied to a chain with no way to escape."
Balarin said, "When we get these dogs' stories out there to be heard, to be read, to be seen, we to hope to get them adopted."
She says there are many ways to save shelter pets that are perfect for anyone not ready or able to adopt an animal permanently.
"If you want to be involved and you are not ready to adopt a friend, we have a lot of temporary programs. Our first one is called Shelter Paws, where you're able to take a shelter pet out for a few hours, like on your lunch break or you want to take them for a walk in the park or just spend some time at home cuddling on a dog we have a program just for that," she said, adding, "If you're looking for something that's a little more longer term, we have our foster program, where our shelter will provide you with all the resources needed, from crates, bedding, food, vet care, all with the hope of having enough time to find the right adopter for that dog."
Balarin said fosters help in many ways, from providing cute photos of pets, and advice about the temperament of the animal, to just giving the shelter extra time to find the right forever fit.
"They can learn how they are in a home environment. Are they potty trained? Are they good with kids? What's their energy level like?" she said.
Shelter pets come with added benefits. "One of the benefits of adopting a shelter dog is that they will have all of their up to date vaccinations. They will be spayed or neutered and microchipped. We also provide free training for all of our dogs," Balarin said.
Beyond hands on help, Balarin said sharing heartwarming stories about animals in need is something they encourage everyone to do.
"If you love pets and you want to support animals you can follow us on social media. We're on Instagram. We're on Facebook. You can read all about the dog stories that we have, our rescue stories, and just by sharing an adoptable post, you never know who may fall in love with these pets, all of that helps get these pets adopted," she said.
Another way to learn more about available animals is special events. Balarin said this year they are sponsoring an early Fiesta-themed event they are calling Paw-changa, Saturday Apr. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event, at their facility at 4710 State Highway 151, will feature live music, vendors, a foster pet parade, and a chance to meet adoptable pets like Harper.
Balarin said Harper will be a perfect companion for a new forever family because he is even-tempered and affectionate. She adds that after a short time in the shelter, caregivers discovered Harper is a big fan of sloppy kisses, so they hope he will find his way into a new family soon.
More information about this life saving work can be found here.