As our community continues to grow, the number of animals entrusted to Boerne Animal Care Services has grown right alongside the number of humans.
From dogs and cats to ducks and other wildlife, the staff at ACS treat each animal with the love and attention they need to thrive. The heart behind the adoption of these pets is Animal Release Coordinator Maria Garcia, who has been with the City of Boerne for 4.5 years.
“I take great pride in my role,” Garcia said. “I am responsible for ensuring the safe, accurate, and compassionate release of animals through adoption, transfer, or reunification with their owners.”
In her role, Maria coordinates with rescue partners and adopters to find the best fit for each animal. In 2025 alone, ACS facilitated the adoption or release of 480 animals.
Maria started as a shelter technician, managing the hands-on care of the animals in the shelter and tending to their needs. In her new role, she helps those same animals find their forever homes.
“One of my favorite parts of the job is when the little kittens go to a foster home very small, and then we see them come back for vaccines or to get spayed or neutered and they’re growing in a happy family environment,” Garcia said. “It’s very rewarding to see the little kittens that we aren’t sure will make it end up growing into healthy cats.”
Maria’s love of animals and a caring nature was instilled in her at a young age by her mother, a nurse, and her father, a farmer.
LEARN MORE: Pet Adoption at Boerne ACS
Working in animal care long enough, though, will also bring many hard moments behind the scenes that can lead to compassion fatigue, Maria said.
“When puppies come in without their mom and they’re sick, or when you arrive in the morning and there’s a feral mama cat and five or six kittens, it can be a lot,” she said. “One of my greatest challenges is balancing emotional situations with the responsibility of making the best decision for the animals and the community.”
Through it all, Maria and her coworkers continue to show up each day for the animals of Boerne. Animals like Peppa, a pitbull who spent nearly a year at the animal shelter while recovering from heartworms. She was eventually adopted by a family that ended up adopting two other animals from ACS.
“Those are the moments that make me love my job,” Garcia said. “I love seeing the adopted animals shining in their new homes, even as far away as Louisiana, Montana, Washinton, and Canada.”
LEARN MORE: Pet Fostering with Boerne ACS
Though Maria has only been at the City of Boerne for a few years, her commitment to the community has earned much-deserved recognition. At last year’s employee award ceremony, she received the first-ever MVP Award as the employee who best embodies the City’s core values of integrity, respect, collaboration, excellence, and service in their work everyday.
Maria is quick to thank her coworkers for their support, especially ACS Supervisor Stefanie Fisher for being receptive to new ideas and allowing the team to work together to find the best path forward.
“We have a lot of support to grow professionally. Stefanie always supports us and encourages us to go for more,” Garcia said.
She is also grateful for the leadership of the Boerne Police Department, which oversees Animal Care Services, including Chief Steve Perez and Administrative Assistant Maria Guerrero.
Garcia has called the Boerne area home for the last 14 years and enjoys how well the community is cared for and maintained. She is proud of her three children, who she encourages to do their best in whatever they undertake.
