SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio will soon have a new Animal Care Services (ACS) director, tabbing a candidate whose career "has truly run the gamut," according to a city press release.
Jonathan Gary, currently the animal welfare superintendent for Oklahoma City, will start at ACS on Dec. 30, succeeding former Director Shannon Sims after he retired in May.
"I have total confidence in Mr. Gary's ability to lead Animal Care Services in its mission to protect both the animals and the residents of our community," San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh said in a release, adding Gary has experience with medical services, supervision and managing shelter operations.
In all, Gary has been with the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division for 25 years. His selection caps a nationwide search that officials said involved more than 100 applicants.
"That's an incredible breadth of experience that will serve San Antonio well," Walsh went on to say.
ACS works to connect pets in shelters to new families, provides spay/neuter services and helps to respond to animal-related incidents.
The department has also played a central role in the city's recent and ongoing dialogue over how to handle dangerous dogs, starting with the deadly mauling of 81-year-old Ramon Najera in February 2023. The coming months saw a surge in dangerous dog complaints as ACS and city officials worked to make it easier to report them. City Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito is currently pushing for stricter enforcement for owners.
The department has also seen a boost in funding, through the city budget, to more easily and quickly respond to dangerous dog calls. Last December, ACS launched an online dashboard so the public can more readily see where dogs categorized as dangerous live in the Alamo City.
As of Tuesday, there were 197 such animals listed in the registry.
Shannon Sims had been with ACS for 10 years, serving as director for nearly three before his retirement. Upon Gary's arrival, Mike Shannon will return to his development services director position after serving as interim director of ACS for the past several months.
