BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Richard Ewers’ dying wish is to find forever homes for the remaining 11 of his 27 rescue dogs.

Ewers, 71, has made it his mission to take in dumped or stray dogs. After people learned he was dying of cancer, they stepped in to help last year.

One of the volunteers said Ewers has been put into hospice and given about a week to live. She said finding homes for the remaining dogs is crucial.

“They can't be here much longer,” said Mary Oyler, with Save Our Strays San Antonio.

Eleven dogs out of 27 are left since KSAT started following this story last year.

For two years, Ewers had been taking dumped or stray dogs into his South Bexar County home.

Local volunteers and donors stepped in to help vaccinate, spay and neuter the dogs, repair Ewers' fence and help get the dogs adopted.

Since Ewers was put into hospice two weeks ago, Oyler and volunteers with Save Our Strays San Antonio have been coming to Ewers’ home every day to feed the dogs, spend time with them and give them water.

“We are very sad by this, of course, and we want to make that last wish come true for him,” Oyler said.

Oyler said she is hoping the final 11 dogs can be adopted to avoid having them get picked up by the county.

“It would add a lot more stress to what they are going through already,” Oyler said. “Not having Mr. Richard here, there's confusion, loneliness. There's depression.”

Oyler said the conditions the dogs are living in are not ideal. They have shelter because they are able to come in and out of an open window. She said her biggest concern is that they are staying all alone.

“There's no one to give them attention and love,” Oyler said. “There is no running water. There is no electricity. The conditions are just not ideal.”

She said whoever adopts or fosters the dogs will need to be patient.

“There's a lot of work involved,” Oyler said. “All they've ever known is Mr. Richard, so it's going to require a family that has a lot of patience.”

Oyler said anyone interested in adopting or fostering the dogs can find them on the Facebook page that the volunteers created, which is called Helping Mr. Richard and his dogs.

All of the dogs have been spayed or neutered, but they will need to be taken to a veterinarian for a check of their conditions.