San Antonio Animal Care Services to waive adoption fees for dogs and cats over Valentine’s Day weekend
Fee-waived adoptions aimed at easing shelter crowding
San Antonio Animal Care Services (SAACS) plans to waive adoption fees for dogs and cats during Valentine’s Day weekend, pairing the holiday with a push to move animals out of the city shelter and into permanent homes. The promotion is branded around a Valentine’s theme—“I chews you”—and is scheduled to run over the Feb. 14–16 weekend.
The municipal shelter is located at 4710 State Highway 151. As with other SAACS adoption promotions held in the past year, the agency’s standard adoption policies and procedures remain in place, including the expectation that adopters complete the usual in-person process.
What adopters typically receive through SAACS
City shelter adoptions generally include core veterinary services completed before an animal goes home. In previous city-run promotions, SAACS has said adopted animals are sterilized, receive vaccinations, and are microchipped with a registration included. The city has also highlighted training support through shelter staff for dogs adopted from SAACS in earlier adoption drives.
Location: 4710 State Highway 151
Offer: Adoption fees waived for eligible dogs and cats during the Valentine’s Day weekend window
Process: Standard screening and adoption procedures apply
A broader Valentine’s adoption push across San Antonio
The SAACS promotion arrives as multiple local animal-welfare organizations schedule Valentine’s-adjacent adoption campaigns and events. San Antonio Pets Alive has announced a fee-waived adoption promotion through Feb. 16 tied to a “Sweet as Candy” theme, and it has also publicized an off-site adoption event at a Petco location on Valentine’s Day.
Other groups are also using pop-up events and themed programming to increase visibility for adoptable animals, including a limited-time cat-focused event hosted by a local foundation and a donation-based outreach effort by the San Antonio Humane Society built around Valentine’s cards featuring long-stay pets.
Why themed promotions are increasingly common
Across San Antonio’s sheltering network, holiday-themed campaigns have become a recurring tactic for driving foot traffic during high-attention periods. SAACS has used similar limited-time promotions tied to major calendar events, including discounted-fee adoption drives and single-day fee-waived adoption events, as a way to increase placements while maintaining normal adoption safeguards.
Adoption promotions can reduce the upfront cost barrier for households while still requiring the same in-person adoption process.
Key considerations for prospective adopters
Animal-welfare agencies routinely emphasize that adoption is a long-term commitment and that household readiness—time, housing rules, and the costs of food and veterinary care—matters as much as the initial adoption fee. For residents considering a new pet during the holiday weekend, shelters and rescues encourage meeting multiple animals, asking staff about behavior and medical history, and planning for an adjustment period after bringing a pet home.
For those not ready to adopt, local organizations continue to rely on fostering and volunteer support to reduce crowding and improve outcomes for animals awaiting placement.