SAN ANTONIO — Wimberley Frazier thought she was hours away from saving a dog’s life.
Her rescue, Nate and Snoops Dog House, had been approved to pick up Rambo, a dog scheduled for euthanasia at San Antonio’s Animal Care Services shelter. But as she prepared to get Rambo and a few other dogs, Frazier says she received an email telling her Rambo had been stolen.
“It said, ‘We just learned from our supervisor that Rambo was stolen from our facility and he’s no longer in our care,’” Frazier said. “I was dumbfounded.”
ACS: Surveillance footage may identify man who stole a dog from the shelter
According to ACS Director Jon Gary, leaders have been combing through surveillance footage to understand how this happened.
“An individual came onto the property, removed Rambo from his kennel, and then took him off the property,” Gary said after reviewing those clips.
Gary added that the man appeared to check several exits before finding a way out of the facility.
Tuesday, ACS identified additional surveillance images that show clearer views of the suspect’s face as he entered the campus. ACS forwarded those images to the police to add to their ongoing investigation.
We asked Gary if this incident prompted ACS to look into further security measures.
Gary says that’s not on the table at this time, highlighting that even with all the volunteers, workers, and adopters on the property, animals are only stolen a few times per year. He says that’s consistent with what shelters see nationwide.
Just walking up to the front of the facility, you see several cameras, a locked gate, security guards, and scanners for employees to use with their badges.
“I do feel like it’s pretty secure,” Gary said. “This doesn’t happen very often.”
Gary says the staff was also reminded to be on the lookout for anything suspicious and to make sure entries are secured at all times.
More than anything, Frazier says she just wants to know Rambo is safe.
“I just want to know that he’s okay and not in harm’s way,” she said.
Frazier has filed her own police report and still plans to rescue dogs at risk of being euthanized at ACS.
ACS is working with the San Antonio police to investigate the theft.
Stealing an animal is considered a property crime under Texas law. It remains unclear what charges could be filed if a suspect is identified.