The cemetery dogs of San Jose Burial Park

I first learned about packs of dogs living at San Jose Burial Park the day after Easter, when my friend Trina Howard called in a panic asking for help. She told me about a story that aired on KSAT 12 about mangy strays roaming the cemetery, bothering visitors, and she wanted to do something about it. 

Stray dogs are not uncommon in San Antonio, especially in this part of town. It has become easier and easier to turn a blind eye knowing that I do not have the resources needed to save them all, but something about this story inspired me to take immediate action. I posted a story on the dogs to my blog, contacted Animal Care Services (ACS), started a Facebook page to garner support and headed out to San Jose to evaluate the situation for myself. I was inspired in no small part by The Patrick Miracle, an online community of over 103,000 worldwide supporters that responded to the story of a pit bull that was thrown down a garbage chute in a Newark apartment building and found alive moments before being thrown into a trash compactor.

It was interviews in the KSAT 12 story that truly catalyzed me to get involved. People on the grounds at the cemetery were upset, some because the dogs looked to be in poor health and others because they were a nuisance. Residents had contacted ACS, but the dogs were still there, so they called in the media.  One man said, "Somebody should come out and do something about it," and I wondered who that "somebody" should be. If the men interviewed or the reporters filming the dogs that day were not the somebody meant to help, then who was? For Patrick, somebody was a garbage man, followed by a network of anonymous fans. So why not me and Trina?

I considered that perhaps the news crew and those interviewed did not know that ACS had been to the cemetery many times before, unable to catch any of the street-wise strays. Perhaps they did not know that ACS killed 1,699 dogs and cats at its facility last month alone, and any dog brought in from this area would have greater than 73 percent chance of being killed, regardless of its health or temperment. Perhaps they did not know that some of the dogs living on the cemetery grounds had been unofficially adopted by the employees there, who had done the best they could to care for them even though new dogs show up at the park every week, having been dumped by previous owners.

"Some of them stay, and some of them disappear," said one cemetery employee.

Things are finally looking up for these pups. As news of their plight spread on the internet, volunteers stood up to help educate the cemetery employees about how to best care for the animals by setting up food and water stations at times and locations that would not disturb the cemetery's visitors. People donated dog food and contributed financially to pay for health care, including spay/neuter, so as many dogs as possible can be placed into foster care and adopted into forever homes. Helotes Humane Society agreed to sponsor the dogs, accepting donations on their behalf and facilitating low-cost medical care and supplies.

This weekend, six dogs received heartworm and internal parasite prevention (dewormer). Five dogs were vaccinated for parvo and distemper. One dog and one puppy were immediately placed into foster care. Some of the dogs left at the cemetery will begin mange treatment next weekend, and as soon as volunteers are identified who can foster the dogs until they are adopted, the rest of the puppies and friendly dogs will leave their graveyard days behind.

One of the dogs, named Speedy, will stay at San Jose. Thanks to the help of donors and volunteers, Speedy will be spayed and provided with any medical care she may need, and one of the employees at the cemetery will put his new animal welfare education to use and officially adopt her.

The public response to the cemetery dogs has been heartworming, with 119 Facebook fans and several active volunteers and donors over the course of a week. And while most of these dogs can now look forward to a safe future with families of their own, the root of the problem has yet to be addressed. With new dogs showing up each week - some friendly, and some unsocialized - the cemetery dogs will be a lifelong project until people stop dumping animals at the park.

"We need to get the dogs out of the area because the more folks see someone taking care of them the more dumping that will probably occur," said ACS director Gary Hendel in an email. But until there are volunteers ready to foster, the dogs have nowhere to go. 

There are currently no signs posted in this area regarding the dumping of animals, but according to Texas Penal Code Section 42.09, intentionally or knowingly abandoning an animal or giving an animal to another person without making reasonable arrangements for assumption of custody is a Class A misdemeanor, or a state jail felony for a third offense. Punishment for Class A misdemeanors may include a fine of up to $4,000, up to one year of jail, or both. If you witness an animal being dumped or abandoned in San Antonio, you can anonymously report the crime to the SAPD non-emergency line at (210) 207-7273.

Those interested in volunteering or donating to help the Cemetery Dogs should see http://www.facebook.com/CemeteryDogs or hhsfrancis.chipin.com/the-cemetery-dogs.