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NSE 12/14 Public Comment Item D4 Animal Shelter - Regarding Rescue Capacity, Communications, and Ongoing Relationships for Cat and Kitten Rescues
From Levi Fistori
Date Wed 12/11/2024 2:30 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
Cc Loesch, Matthew <[email protected]>; Icard, Kiska <[email protected]> You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Regarding Rescue Capacity, Communications, and Ongoing Relationships for Cat and Kitten Rescues Background:
I have spoken at the last few meetings, you may remember me as the one with purple hair.
I am the founder of Feral Freedom Northern California, and I have 5 years of rescue experience and 4 years of vet assistance experience, including 2 years in shelter medicine and high-volume spay/neuter. I work primarily with cats and kittens and used to work closely with previous SJACs employees to foster and rescue critical care neonatal kittens.
I have been the primary Intake decision-maker for rescues for the past 4 years. In 2020-2022 I routinely took 20+ kittens in a day from SJACs. As my experience is mostly with cats, the information below reflects my insights on the cat side of the shelter and rescue.
Lately, the term "rescue" has been used to refer to a large, ambiguous group of people who are pushing for change at the shelter - but 75% of the rescues (if not more) that work with SJACs are small, fosterbased rescues, each spearheaded by one person - MAYBE two if they do both dogs and cats. This means it is likely that fewer than 20 individuals pull the majority of animals. We are not the "big bad angry mob" but a small group of individuals who give up our livelihoods to VOLUNTEER our lives to help animals.
Here is some information regarding a cat/kittens rescue's capacity:
90% go to General fosters - healthy kittens eating on their own 10% go to the rescue director/coordinator's house or a select few "medical fosters" - medical / neonates
90%:
General foster limitations:
Most will only accept kittens (vs adults)
Most will accept a litter of up to 4-5 kittens
Most can only take kittens that are at least 4-5 weeks old and are eating on their own Most can only handle mild medical like URIs and are generally looking for HEALTHY kittens
10%:
Rescue coordinator's house or specialty fosters:
Severe medical
anything needing daily injections, amputations, eye removals, crit-care, etc Panleuk
Ringworm
Behavioral
Current issues limiting rescues from pulling:
Healthy kittens are not put up for rescue and are kept to foster and adopt - EVEN THOUGH THIS IS 90% OF ALL RESCUES AVAILABLE INTAKE.
Accurate medical information is not provided on the needs rescue list.
The severity of ringworm is not indicated on the needs rescue list.
Being burned by agreeing to take a healthy or stable but sick kitten, only to be given a kitten in much worse shape.
If an animal is noted as healthy, eating on its own, or only mildly sick, rescues will likely have a foster lined up - but when the animal is in much worse shape, they can't go to the foster, and the rescue coordinator must take on the case themselves.
This will personally affect their schedule and the entire rescue capacity.
See case study below: Lemon (SCRITCH Kittens)
Suggestions:
Put healthy kittens on the needs rescue list.
Rescues can routinely take 20-30 kittens in a single day if they are healthy and eating on their own.
Put EVERY animal that comes in when the shelter is above capacity on the needs rescue list.
If the shelter is over capacity, then EVERY animal coming in needs rescue because the shelter by definition, cannot properly care for it as they are over capacity.
Rescues can take minor ringworm cases more easily than severe cases but we have no way to identify their severity.
Prioritize fixing data collection to ensure accurate information is given to rescues.
We do not need personalized, custom portals for each rescue - we simply need accurate information.
Given the current dysfunction at the shelter, I do not believe it is possible to give rescues accurate information because the shelter doesn't have accurate information.
I have isolated two cases to highlight why this is the case, and it comes down primarily to data in Chameleon and highlights a need for clear guidelines on who is responsible for keeping the information up to date.
Let's first look at:
Case Study: Lemon
"Lemon was my foster kitten for less than three days before she had to be humanely euthanized. She came to me in such poor condition that I asked for all her records.
Lemon came to the San Jose shelter as a tiny, sick kitten on 10/3/24. Her condition is marked as Med R.
When the shelter vet saw her that day, her condition was noted as Upper Respiratory Infection/underweight. She was prescribed eye drops only. There is no record that these eye drops were ever given. She was not sent to a foster home and was not placed on the needs rescue list.
On the 5th, staff noted bald spots and suspected ringworm. Lemon was noted as "eating on her own" and was kept in a plastic bin in a quarantine area in the kitten nursery.
On the 6th, she saw the shelter vet and ringworm was confirmed. Her condition was now noted as "poor physical condition," and she was placed on the euthanasia list. She was given 48 hours to find rescue.
When I got her on the 7th, she weighed less than she had when she arrived at the shelter on the 3rd.
Lemon arrived, not eating at all, weighing only 200 grams. A normal weight for a kitten her age would be about triple that amount.
Monitoring neonatal kittens' weight is one of the best and necessary steps to monitor their health, yet no red flag was raised for this kitten.
She was never placed on the "needs rescue" list that goes out to rescue partners. Lemon was posted to the shelter facebook kitten rescue group only-and only after being found to have ringworm. Not because she was a baby, or sick, or emaciated. She got fluids twice and medicine twice during her whole shelter stay.
I cannot help but wonder if she would have survived if she had gotten appropriate care sooner. Or if there were protocols in place for kittens that that do not gain weight. Or if she had immediately been sent to rescue for round the clock care. Ringworm did not kill this kitten." I personally saw Lemon shortly after she arrived at Jennifer Flick's house. The kitten was already on death's door and, in all honesty, should have been euthanized at the shelter. Because of her condition, Flick had no choice but to rearrange her schedule and dedicate the majority of her limited time to trying to keep Lemon alive.
When a rescue director takes a critically ill animal in, we do not get to clock out at 5 pm. These animals live in incubators on our dining room tables, in our bathrooms, and in our spare bedrooms. When they need to be fed every two hours we are the ones to feed them. When they start crashing at 3 am we are the ones that drive them to the emergency room.
Yes, there are obvious risks to taking in shelter animals but we deserve to know what we are signing up for. You can only be burned like this so many times before you are hesitant to pull from a shelter again.
This second case study highlights multiple points of failure in procedures and staff training leading to insufficient medical data collection.
Case Study: Cookie, A1354081
"Time and time again SJACC animal records show that prescribed treatments are not recorded as being administered. We’ll never know if that would have changed the outcome for Cookie.
Cookie was brought to the shelter on 09/03/24, with a small wound on her nose and sneezing/eye discharge.
The next day she received a healthcheck, where her weight was listed as 3.63 pounds and ‘healing wound on her nose’. Her age was estimated to be 6 months old.
Though her intake condition is listed as Med R, she was not seen by a vet until 21 days later, on 09/24, when she was spayed and moved to an adoption room. Her weight was 4.10 pounds. She was prescribed terramycin for 7 days.
The next day, on 09/25, a volunteer filed a medical ticket that she was listless, not her usual “bubbly” self. Cookie was checked by a vet tech around 2 pm and was found to be “a bit jumpy” and “did not seem bothered or in pain when picked up.” A few hours later that same day, she was examined by a vet and was found to be dehydrated, lethargic, and to have abdominal pain. Vet prescribed and administered gabapentin. Neither exam recorded weight, and she was moved to the medical ward.
The next day, on 09/26 in the morning, in a vet exam, Cookie was found to be still lethargic, dehydrated, ‘no overt pain’, and had an elevated temperature. No weight was recorded. An IV catheter was placed and she received fluids but no gabapentin. Added clavamox to the list of prescribed treatments to be administered every 12 hours.
She had a seizure while in the medical ward at 5:32 pm, and was transferred to Medvet where she was euthanized on 09/26 around noon. The Medvet records list her weight as 1.93 kilos (4.25 pounds) and her temp as 102.3F.
There are no records that she received the prescribed gabapentin after the 09/25 exam, though the 09/26 exam notes state to ‘continue gabapentin as previously directed.’ There are no records that she received terramycin on 09/24 afternoon and 09/25 morning/afternoon.
There are no records of any medical checks while she was in the backroom kennel from 09/03 to 09/24."
This highlights MULTIPLE points of failure:
Intake team failed to create a vet ticket
Animals with vet ticket are seen in 1-2 days
Getting a "Med" status does not auto-create a vet ticket, it is a manual process Intake team noted medical for URI but did not note concern regarding weight
3.63# is VERY underweight for a 6-month-old cat and is an immediate cause for concern.
Staff doing vaccines did not notice she did not have a vet check scheduled or any prescribed medications for URI
Staff doing daily cleaning and feeding did not notice she did not have a vet check or any prescribed medications for URI fir THREE WEEKS.
When seen for her spay surgery:
Staff failed to notice her slow weight gain - a strong concern for an animal that age, and a strong indicator of a medical issue.
Staff failed to noticed "Med R" status and question the medical issue and lack of treatment.
Moved to the adoption room with a "Med R" status
Post spay, staff failed to notice or question "Med R" status - which should be resolved before moving to adoptions.
When finally seen by a tech and vet for discomfort:
Staff prescribed a simple eye ointment and later pain meds for surgery but did not connect the dots of her "Med R" status and connected her condition only to recent spay surgery.
When seen for lethargy and a fever:
Staff still failed to connect the dots of "Med R" status and connected her condition only to recent spay surgery.
Missing records of treatment being received.
This case study brings forth the following questions:
If an animal is given a “med” status on intake:
- Who is responsible for managing/updating asilomar statuses? - Who is responsible for checking what the “med” asilomar means? (Is it just written in notes from intake?)
- Who should be the first one to see “hmm this is marked med but has no vet ticket or history of meds” - Who makes the list of meds to give out each day?
- Who confirms this list is accurate?
- Who gives the meds each day?
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. - Who ensures the meds were actually given and accurately recorded? - Who checks that for example, if an animal is prescribed 14 days of antibiotics that it has a vet check scheduled at the end of that treatment to see if it needs more treatment? -Who confirms when an animal can be moved from "Med" to "Adoptable"? -If status isn't monitored or updated during an animal's stay, who ensures they are updated to the correct status after death?
- Examples:
- Rufus - outcome with necropsy still has income status of "Behavioral" - North - returned adoption who was euthanized; is he still counted as an adoption? Who makes sure this is updated?
- If these two are incorrect, HOW MANY outcomes are incorrect? Until these questions can be answered and those responsible are held accountable for keeping this information updated, the shelter will not be able to provide rescues with accurate information. Simply put, rescue coordinators DO NOT TRUST SHELTER INFORMATION. There cannot be a rebuilding of trust between the shelter and rescues until this is resolved.
Levi Fistori
(he/they)
President
Feral Freedom Northern California
https://www.ffnc.live
️ LGBTQIA+ run 501(c)(3)
Non-Profit Organization
All are welcome
EIN: 88-1982051
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Public Comment for NSE Dec 12 meeting - section 4. CC 24-452 Animal Care and Services Annual Report
From lyne lamoureux
Date Wed 12/11/2024 3:45 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
Cc District 6 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]>; Taber, Toni <[email protected]>
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification>]
[Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] Dear NSE Members,
I am writing to share my experience as a long-term volunteer at SJACS, where I have dedicated over eight years to caring for cats in need. While ACS and city management frequently emphasize the importance of volunteers, their actions suggest otherwise. A toxic environment has driven many volunteers away, leaving those who remain feeling undervalued and disrespected.
The past two and a half years have been especially difficult, pushing me and others to the brink. Many volunteers have stopped coming altogether or dramatically reduced their hours. The dread I feel before each shift—wondering if I will find yet another very sick cat or kitten in an adoption room—is unbearable. Tragically, kittens like Sam, Cookie, Eastwood, and Maria never made it out alive. Weekly incidents like these weigh heavily on us, leaving sleepless nights filled with guilt and helplessness. Even when urgent medical observations are submitted, responses are often delayed or unhelpful, such as a vague “animal will be put on med check,” with no further updates.
What do you do if you find that same cat with the same condition the next time you come in for your volunteer shift? Do you keep on filing medical observations over and over, or simply give up? What do you do if you know that a cat is very sick but there is no vet on-site as happens frequently on weekends? What do you do if you can’t find any coordinators in that case? This lack of communication and support leaves volunteers feeling hopeless, as does witnessing the conditions within the shelter. Staff members have confided in me, some in tears, about their frustrations and the poor conditions for animals. I’ve even seen a coordinator publicly reprimand staff. These incidents reflect the toxic culture that hinders teamwork and morale.
The shortage of volunteers exacerbates the problem. We are often forced to choose between cleaning/feeding, or socializing cats—all essential tasks that should not be compromised. Some volunteers have taken on over 20 hours of work weekly to ensure the basics are covered, essentially doing the job of paid staff due to poor management.
Environmental conditions in the facility are equally concerning. Certain rooms are freezing in the winter and unbearably hot in the summer. Cats spend 24 hours a day in these spaces, and volunteers working in PPE in hot rooms often experience headaches and nausea. These environmental concerns have been brought up for years.
Despite receiving multiple emails enforcing PPE for volunteers, management and staff frequently fail to follow the same protocols. This double standard undermines trust and accountability.
What do you do when you see staff and volunteers not following basic sanitary protocols when every week cats and kittens in adoption rooms are found to have ringworm? Many if not most of these cats were exposed and caught ringworm while at the shelter.
Policy changes have further marginalized volunteers. Two years ago, a new volunteer agreement prohibited us from entering medical and other areas. Last year, an updated agreement stated that we must obtain permission from the city to photograph animals. Recently, on the same day SJACS publicly praised a volunteer for their role in a successful adoption, we received an email forbidding us from speaking to the public or rescues.
This is the reality of volunteering at SJACS. If the city truly values its volunteers, it must address these systemic issues and create a supportive, respectful environment. We are here because we care deeply about the animals, but without meaningful change, even the most dedicated volunteers will be forced to walk away.
I urge the council to take immediate action to improve management, communication, and policies at SJACS. The animals and the volunteers who care for them deserve better.
Sincerely,
Lyne Lamoureux
San Jose resident and tax payer
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Comment for December 12 City Neighborhood Committee Discussion on Animal Shelter Audit Recommendations
From Lorraine Oback < >
Date Wed 12/11/2024 5:19 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
Cc City Clerk <[email protected]>
Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important
I originally submitted comments on the City Auditor's Report 24-06, ANIMAL CARE & SERVICES: ADDRESSING CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS AND UPDATING SHELTER PROTOCOLS WILL HELP IMPROVE ANIMAL OUTCOMES (November 2024) in advance of the December 3 City Council Meeting.
As they are still relevant, I am resubmitting them (see below) along with additional thoughts prompted by recent news stories.
RE: Pet Adoption Pawp-Up Launched ... (https://www.ktvu.com/news/pet-adoption-pop-up-launchedplans-address-problems-animal-shelter?) While I understand that the need to reduce overcrowding at the ACS is critical, I am not sure that adoption events such as the one described in this news story is a well-thought-out strategy. I see it leading to many impulse adoptions with little screening for suitability, meaning a percent will undoubtedly be returned. And the waiving of adoption fees may sound good, but it opens the door to unscrupulous people who want to obtain animals on the cheap to use as bait for dog fights and the like.
It seems far better to actively work with rescue groups who can better manage their care, either directly or through placement in foster care while they await permanent adoption from well-screened applicants.
RE:
(https://www.newsweek.com/volunteer-takes-shelter-dog-out-day-trip-never-returns-1996164?) Volunteer takes shelter dog out
for "day trip", never returns her
An animal shelter volunteer has recalled the
day she took one of the rescue's dogs on a
"day out" and then simply never returned
her. Julia Zupan, 25, from Cincinnati, Ohio,
told Newsweek she ...
www.newsweek.com
I recently learned that San Jose's "Dog Day Out" program is scheduled to terminate on 12/24/24. This strikes me as ill-advised on more than one level. Dogs need to get out of the shelter to maintain good behavior skills that make them adoptable. But equally important, taking dogs out in the community maintains awareness that there are dogs in the shelter in desperate need of adoption. As seen in the linked article, allowing dogs to go out in the community can provide unexpected benefits.
I maintain my view that these animals that have become dependent on society for their welfare deserve the same care and consideration given to children that are up for adoption. They are not excess baggage that needs to be liquidated in the easiest way possible.
I write today in support of the recommendations put forth in the City Auditor's Report 24-06, ANIMAL CARE & SERVICES: ADDRESSING CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS AND UPDATING SHELTER PROTOCOLS WILL HELP IMPROVE ANIMAL OUTCOMES (November 2024). I am glad to see that the City Council is finally addressing this issue.
Intake to SJACS should not be a death sentence, but for far too many animals that was the outcome in FY23/24. The City needs to take steps necessary to ensure that animals taken into the shelter do not face a "dead end."
Some of the recommendations should be no-brainers; e.g., Determine current shelter capacity and assess whether additional kennel space is required. I want to emphasize my support for those recommendations designed to move animals through the system and back out into safe conditions in the community; specifically:
Reassess the kitten nursery to divert kittens from the shelter.
Formalize pathway planning in the shelter and increase opportunities for adoptions, rescue, and spay and neuter services.
Designate a single point of contact to coordinate with rescue groups.
Update communications to rescue groups to include complete and accurate information.
Increase availability of low-cost medical services in the context of overall budget considerations.
Addressing overcrowding at the shelter should not overlook the reasons why the need is so great. It is a community problem, so an effort should be made to engage the community in its solution.
Education of prospective adopters is one key strategy. Far too many people seem to consider pets as household equipment that can be discarded at will. I expect that prospective adopters of children are assessed for their readiness and ability to take on the responsibility of raising a child. Adopting a pet is no less a responsibility and therefore, some sort of assessment should be conducted by the shelter to determine prospective adopters' understanding of what they are about to undertake in order to lessen the return rate.
The community at large, which includes current pet owners, needs to be made aware of the part that it plays in both the problem and the solution. I suggest a public information campaign about all aspects of pet stewardship, including the importance of not allowing unneutered pets to roam the streets where This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. they will breed the next generation of unhoused animals. An unspayed cat, for example, can have up to four litters per year, with each litter containing 4–12 kittens. Cats can go into heat every 14–21 days, and can get pregnant again as soon as two weeks after giving birth.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Respectfully,
Lorraine L. Oback
San Jose
95126
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Comments for NSE Meeting 12/12
From Rebecca Tannous < >
Date Wed 12/11/2024 9:22 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> Cc christina callahan < >
Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Council members,
Please find the email below regarding the San Jose Animal Care Center and the discontinuing Dog Day Out Program, a devastating loss to the shelter dogs, and include it in the NSE Meeting scheduled for 12/12.
Thank you,
Rebecca Tannous and Christina Callahan
From: Rebecca Tannous <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 9:19 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]> Cc: christina callahan < >
Subject: URGENT: Need for Immediate Resolution Regarding SVPP Dog Day Out Program Jennifer, Matt, and Angel,
Tina and I are writing to you deeply disappointed by the shelter’s refusal and/or delay to collaborate with SVPP on addressing the liability insurance concerns resulting in the SVPP Dog Day Out program ending 12/24/2024. This is an unacceptable outcome, and the issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible to prevent this vital program from ending.
As volunteers with both SJACC and SVPP, we have seen firsthand the tremendous impact of the Dog Day Out program with decreased stress in the shelter dogs and adoptions based on Dog Day Out feedback.
According to the Maddie’s Fund Consult, one of the key recommendations was to “Expand and promote #DoggyDayOut field trip program” and to “Post updated photos and videos from foster care and field trips on website and through social media. 3rd party endorsements are accepted more readily by potential adopters than anything staff might say.” Studies have also proven that “brief outings (~3 hours) and temporary fostering programs (~2 days) increase likelihood of adoption 500-1400%.” (Source) The This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. content obtained by the SVPP Dog Day Out program has proven invaluable and has resulted in many adoptions. The administrative work, organization, and hands-on training required to run this program are beyond what the shelter can realistically absorb, especially given the results of the recent audit and 39 other priorities. SVPP has been an incredible rescue partner and the ongoing media focus on weak rescue relationships only highlights the importance of maintaining strong partnerships. How could the shelter be considering their own dog day out program (as mentioned in multiple volunteer meetings) and not simply continue using the well-established, well-organized program SVPP runs? This program is crucial, and any obstacles must be resolved immediately to ensure continuity.
This matter requires your immediate attention and decisive action.
Regards,
Rebecca Tannous and Tina Callahan
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NSE 4 Animal Care and Services Annual Report RUFUS
From christina callahan < >
Date Wed 12/11/2024 9:32 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important For Rufus. Too Little Too Late.
Rufus came into the shelter on 1/05/2024.
I can't begin to tell you Rufus's story before I met him or how he got into the shelter, but I imagine it's a very sad story, like all the unwanted pets in the shelter.
Rufus spent 11 months in the shelter, alone in his kennel, waiting for someone to give home a chance—a chance he never had.
I first met Rufus through Dog Day Out, a program run by the rescue organization Silicon Valley Pet Project (which sadly no longer exists). My first walk with Rufus was on June 12, 2024. Rufus had already been in the shelter for over six months. When I met him, he was shut down, timid, scared, and sensitive. He appeared lost, with no one to lean on, nowhere to look for comfort and nothing but the emptiness of the unknown stare in his eyes.
With me, he was able to unwind and trust me enough to open up and show me his cute personality. We walked around leisurely, and he was curious about all the plants. He dug his nose into some pots and explored the new smells. He looked up at me with lifted spirits and even nudged my hand with his snout to show affection.
I wondered if this dog ever felt how it feels to be cared for and loved. And if he did, it seems like a feeling all too long ago just to be forgotten. Nevertheless, I wanted him to, at the very least, feel hope and enjoy a day accompanied by my side that he was not alone for those few hours we walked together. I hoped that Rufus would one day know what it felt like to be cared for and loved.
Eleven months later, Rufus was still in the shelter alone in his kennel, and ultimately, where he died in his kennel alone.
Any death that happens within 24 hours of surgery is considered an anesthesia-related death.
Several staff and volunteers expressed observations that all tell the same story: he was left unattended and sedated in his kennel after surgery, where he was ultimately found dead, alone in his kennel.
How was Rufus monitored post-operatively?
How soon was Rufus placed in his kennel after removing the ET tube? Was he breathing well on his own? Rufus was never given the chance he deserved, and he was left alone in his kennel to die after a routine surgery.
The necropsy report cause of death is UNDETERMINED.
Although findings are clinically consistent with HYPOXEMIA:
1. "Found Cyanotic"
2. Congestion of the lungs: "Severe sanguineous congestion of pulmonary parenchyma all lung lobes."
3. Congestion of the heart: "viscous to clotted blood filling the atria and ventricles." Rufus's senseless death should prompt an entire investigation into medical protocols and standards at the shelter.
Medical reports are incomplete.
Medications administered should be documented with time and personnel responsible for administration.
Medication dosages should be documented by milligrams or mg/mL.
Document post-surgical monitoring
Christina Callahan
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NSE 4 Animal Care and Services Annual Report OREO
From christina callahan < >
Date Wed 12/11/2024 9:32 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Oreo intake 8/08/2024
Oreo RESCUED 11/03/2024
Sometime in the beginning of August, while volunteering at the San Jose Animal Care shelter, I noticed a small black Shih Tzu mix in one of the kennels. I was interested in taking this dog on a walk, but I could not because he was on behavior "evaluation." When I inquired about the status of this dog, I was told he was on bite quarantine but should have been off of bite quarantine because 10 days had passed. Therefore, I waited until the next time I could come to the shelter, and I had planned to check on him, which wasn't until the following week. No one had evaluated him, and for my second attempt to walk him - I was not allowed to. The following week, I came to check on this little guy again and was made aware he was off of bite quarantine but continued to be on behavior evaluation. Therefore, I could not take him out. Weeks passed by until weeks turned into months. His kennel card had a handwritten note that read "Aggressive." I thought to myself, how could this little one be aggressive? He seemed scared.
The shelter estimated this dog's age as three to five years old. Evaluation dogs at the shelter are not taken out of their kennel at any point during the day. Unless an evaluation dog is in a half kennel, it will not get taken out of its kennel at any point of the day. Suppose they happen to be in a half-kennel. In that case, they only get taken out for a few minutes while a maintenance person cleans the kennel, and another animal care attendant will quickly leash the dog and take it out for these moments to get the dog out of the way for cleaning. Imagine how traumatic this could be for a dog that never gets out.
Every time I passed Oreo's kennel, I would stop and visit with him because he appeared stressed and frightened. He is a small dog who shares a row of kennels with large dogs. He was the only small dog in the row. You may have been to the shelter, but it is loud. Dogs are barking. Doors are closing, and people are walking in and out.
For nearly three months, this dog had never made it to the volunteer walk list. This dog was on evaluation the entire time and determined unsafe to handle, and then he was given a final date for euthanasia.
By the grace of God and San Jose Animal Advocates, a small local rescue pulled Oreo and saved him from the staff at San Jose Animal Care Center.
It turns out Oreo is only 10 months old. He entered the shelter as early as six to seven months old. While in the shelter, he was allowed NO social interaction with other dogs, NO human interaction, NO enrichment, and NO walks. NOTHING except FEAR and ISOLATION. I never saw a toy in his kennel. Not only were his puppy years stolen from him, but he was about to be euthanized for behavior issues. I don't understand how this dog stood a chance at the San Jose Animal Care Center. This is unacceptable, and this is how current leadership runs the shelter. Shelter management will give you excuses on how and why they determined Oreo un-adoptable. But the bottom line is the shelter failed to give him a chance.
Are there records of consistent non-aversive attempts to modify behavior? Are there records of staff walking him? Are there records of staff providing in-kennel enrichment/ toys for him?
The shelter staff will tell you this dog is dangerous because he bites! Please visit One Planet Rescue's brief video story featuring Oreo on Facebook and determine for yourself if this dog is a threat to the public. It is more likely that this dog bit because it was scared and uncared for. Are Animal Care Attendants adequately trained to perform adoption counseling? Where is the accountability for a dog returned within 24 hours and placed on bite quarantine? Is it always the puppy's fault?
This situation is beyond belief, and as a concerned citizen of San Jose, I am disheartened. It is simply unacceptable that a young, innocent dog like Oreo could be subjected to such neglect and mistreatment in a place that is supposed to provide care and protection.
Christina Callahan
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Comments for NSE Meeting 12/12
From Rebecca Tannous < >
Date Wed 12/11/2024 10:10 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Council members,
My name is Rebecca Tannous and I have been a dog volunteer at the San Jose Animal Care Center for 1.5 years. I am appreciative of the efforts by the city to complete an audit of SJACC and see many of our complaints validated in writing. However, I wanted to highlight some missed aspects the audit doesn’t fully highlight.
— The audit highlights symptoms but the diagnosis is poor leadership and poor management. The issues in the audit and more (high turnover, inefficient use of staff, mismanagement of funds/lack of paying invoices on time) have been brought up to management for several years and been ignored by management. Committees have even been created and fallen to the wayside and promises of improvement and change left unfulfilled. We need a change in leadership made now to ensure the goals of the audit are fulfilled. Establish an Emergency Contract to bring in leadership support with the skill set needed to address the audit. — With the audit, came the pressure for the shelter to get under capacity for care. While the audit recommended a multi-pronged approach, the shelter has only moved forward with one approach - to increase euthanasia. Instead of hiring back their rescue coordinator, Dawn Piazza, they have placed 4-5 dogs on the euthanasia list nearly every week since the beginning of September. The only reason euthanasia rates haven’t drastically climbed is that she and San Jose Animal Advocates work tirelessly in a volunteer capacity to network these euth listed dogs to rescue.
— To correct Acting Deputy Director Kiska Icard’s comments in the NSE meeting, treatable animals are indeed being euthanized. Bella Trix was on the euthanasia list because she would squabble with her kennel neighbors and instead of lowering a barrier to prevent such interaction (which volunteers do but staff do not), she was placed on the euthanasia list. Jazzy was placed on the euthanasia list simple for being fearful in the shelter. The shelter is loud and terrifying for many animals. Enrique was placed on the euthanasia list for an incident that occurred 5 months prior and had been available for adoption during that time.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. — Without management properly managing the flow of animals, some dogs are placed on evaluation status and left to sit in their kennel without walks - some for 90+ days (Striker and Mambo for example). This is inhumane.
— The shelter states they are fear free yet staff refuse to use treats when interacting with dogs! This is downright unacceptable. Every staff member should carry a treat pouch with treats.
Volunteers do and have significantly better interactions with the dogs than staff. — The shelter wants to improve rescue relationships but refuses to alter dogs for rescue which is a large financial burden on rescues that rely on donations to operate. The shelter would rather euthanize a dog than alter it for rescue.
— In a recent development, the Shelter Dog Day Out Program run by Silicon Valley Pet Project is being discontinued due to the city and shelter not working out details on liability insurance. The loss to the large dog population is going to be drastic. I myself was both a shelter volunteer and dog day out walker and am incredibly upset by this turn of events. The feedback obtained from dog day outs was invaluable in getting dogs adopted. The shelter lacks the administrative and organization skills as well as the volunteers to run this program. I would hope everything in your power will be done to reinstitute this program immediately. On a related note, the Public Information Manager’s refusal to post content from these dog day outs on the shelter’s social media has been an example of a lack of working with valuable rescue partners. Per the Maddie’s report, third party feedback has been proven more effective at getting shelter dogs adopted and in fact many dogs were adopted after their first dog day out reports were placed on their kennels for the public to read. Again the loss of this program is devastating and needs to be rectified immediately.
I reiterate again that the shelter needs to establish an Emergency Contract to bring in leadership support with the skill set needed to address the audit as well as the issues highlighted above.
Thank you for your time.
Rebecca Tannous
R. Consiglio
Almaden Valley
San Jose, CA
Representatives
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
City of San Jose, CA
Re: SJACS AUDIT Comments
December 11, 2024
Your Honors,
My name is Rosario Consiglio, I had been a long serving volunteer at SJACS for about 14 years.
Professionally I have had various engineering management positions in the semiconductor industry, including running my own semiconductor business for 28 years. As a former naval officer, I have also served for about two years as a superintendent in a large public works department with a detachment of Seabees. As a long serving volunteer at SJACS I have seen several changes in management and socialized animals ranging from gerbils, chickens, bunnies, pigs of all types, rats, cats and dogs. The last four years have been just terrible, and frustrating to see a parade of poor hires, repeated serious municipal code violations as to the condition of the animals, cleanliness and overall lack of professional, managerial and administrative acumen up and down the organization of civil service leadership in their vain attempt to improve shelter operations. The recent Audit Report only scratches the surface, and does not address the major personnel, and organizational restructuring that must take place for SJACS to be successful.
First, we MUST have a new director with strong personnel management experience, a background in logistics, extensive operational experience, administrative acumen, and a demonstrated background in public service. In my career I have found it useful to hire directly from the Armed Services – hire a Veteran! The best individual for the shelter would be a O3 or O4 recently separated supply officer. After successfully managing the logistics and for a battalion of soldiers of on a ship with 5000 sailors, running SJACS would be mere child’s play. These individuals usually have advanced degrees and are very capable of quickly adapting to new organizations. Supply officers are used to dealing with civilians, contractors and civil servants.
One cannot say the same for individuals who have just shelter management experience, just look at what happened to the Los Angeles shelters, they hired as director our old manager who recently resigned in disgrace.
Second, the organizational structure of SJACS must change. Aren’t you all sick and tired of citizens telling horrendous stories and posting gut wrenching pictures of shelter conditions, local new running negative news stories about San Jose? Its so embarrassing!! The problem here is civil service leadership has failed to create any formal check or balance for SJACS, instead a conflict of interest is in play. The animal control officers (AOCs) who are charged with enforcing the
municipal codes regarding animal’s report to the person responsible for most the serious code violations! If SJACS was a private shelter it would have been shut down years ago. AOC’s carry a badge, weapon, and have powers of arrest. Does it not make more sense that they report to a police department commander, or at least the Parks and Recreation Director who has Park Rangers instead? AOCs should be making unbiased weekly reports as to the general conditions of all animals at the shelter to some audit authority in our city government, to include our city’s solicitor who has been asleep at the job instead of doing something about all these code violations. Our civil service leadership must stop relying on individual citizen complaints for SJACS quality control!
Third, the civil service leadership, especially the office of communications must have must stop interfering and playing politics with the marketing communications efforts of SJACS. Have you ever seen public service announcements (PSAs) by our city on the local news networks? I have not. However, I have seen PSAs from The Dancing Cat, a small rescue on a shoestring budget.
SJACS must have the autonomy to market animals with whatever resources they can find without the office of communications micro managing each post and announcement. If more animals are to be adopted, a greater effort must be made in advertising and marketing without the office of communications slowing them down.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Rosario Consiglio
Almaden Valley
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Re: NSE Committee Meeting - SJACS Public Submission (Agenda Item #4) From M Wagner < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 6:08 AM
To City Clerk <[email protected]>; Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]> Cc District1 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]>; Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Rios, Angel <[email protected]>; Loesch, Matthew <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]> Dear City Council,
At this very same meeting last year, ACS Deputy Director Terrado admitted that he and his staff had "neglected" rescue partners after a dismal 2023 in which only 6.85% of cats went to rescue. This was a year in which a record 538 cats had died in the "care" of the shelter.
A year ago, Mr. Terrado pledged to "re-engage" with rescue partners in 2024.
In 2024, Cat Rescue as a percentage of cat intake was still stuck in single digits.
Only 8.3%
This is a number that was as high as 37.8% just four years ago.
Mr. Terrado has once again failed to deliver on his pledge.
Why has he failed again?
Why did he not "re-engage" with rescue partners as promised? Sincerely,
Mike Wagner
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RE: NSE Committee Meeting - SJACS Public Submission (Agenda Item #4) From M Wagner < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 6:19 AM
To City Clerk <[email protected]>; Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]> Cc District1 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]>; Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Rios, Angel <[email protected]>; Loesch, Matthew <[email protected]> Dear City Council,
In March of this year, Director Kiska Icard gave an "update" to the NSE Committee on shelter operations and goals that she and her staff had set.
Miss Icard announced that low-cost public spay neuter for "owned" animals would commence in November.
She stated that it would be available from November - March to the public.
This has not happened.
Moreover, according to recent testimony from Mr. Loesch and others it appears that this much needed public program may not even happen anytime soon. Apparently, another "update" will be offered in May of 2025.
Why was Director Icard not able to deliver on her pledge to the Community? Why are the "goal posts" being moved once again for this much needed spay/neuter service? The budget for SJACS has increased from $8.7 million to $15.4 million in just four years.
Why are Directors Icard and Terrado repeatedly unable to make good on their pledges to the Community?
Sincerely,
Mike Wagner
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Re: NSE Committee Meeting - SJACS Public Submission (Agenda Item #4) From M Wagner < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 6:27 AM
To City Clerk <[email protected]>; Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]> Cc District1 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]>; Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Rios, Angel <[email protected]>; Loesch, Matthew <[email protected]> Dear City Council,
The average length of stay metric is the single most important metric for an animal shelter.
This metric not only provides information on how quickly animals are getting out of the shelter (velocity) but also helps facilitate a daily cost of care calculation. It goes without saying that without accurate intake dates and record keeping, a shelter management team is unable to track their performance with this key metric.
I have noticed that the average length of stay metric is noticeably absent from the FY 2023- 2024 Annual Report, yet this data was provided by the City Auditor in the audit that he and his team released last month.
Why was this most important metric absent from this Annual Report? Sincerely,
Mike Wagner
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Re: NSE Committee Meeting - SJACS Public Submission (Agenda Item #4) From M Wagner < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 6:57 AM
To City Clerk <[email protected]>; Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]> Cc District1 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]>; Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Rios, Angel <[email protected]>; Loesch, Matthew <[email protected]> Dear City Council,
Another Flawed Narrative
On Page #4 of the FY 2023-2024 Annual Report, the "Unhealthy/Untreatable" metric shows an increase in the percent of intake from 16% to 29%.
This metric is based on the weCARE Pet Evaluation Matrix.
The matrix requires a health professional such as a veterinarian to make a diagnosis using the matrix.
The annual report indicates that this health evaluation "matrix" is applied at intake.
Yet, there are no shelter veterinarians at intake at SJACS applying this "matrix" This is a false narrative.
Thus, this metric is terribly flawed and based on a false premise.
It is highly suspect.
If in fact a shelter veterinarian does apply this matrix at some point during an animal's stay at the shelter, at what point is it applied?
Is it applied 2 days after intake?
Is it applied 2 weeks after intake?
Is it applied 2 months after intake?
This is a key question given the fact that animals have a strong tendency to get sicker and unhealthy while being held in kennels in close proximity to each other.
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In essence, while inside the shelter animals can become infected with a variety of viruses from upper respiratory track viruses to calicivirus, to ringworm, and the often fatal panleukopenia and parvo virus that crippled the operations of this shelter in 2023.
Given that there is no shelter veterinarian at intake applying this matrix or "known" date when a veterinarian applies this matrix during an animals stay at the shelter, this number is terribly inaccurate and erroneous.
Sadly, this metric is one (of many) that the SJACS Management Team (and City Administrators) have used to promote false narratives to the Public about why so many cats have died in the "care" of the animal shelter.
Quite frankly, this "29%" "Unhealthy/Untreatable" number isn't worth the paper that it's been printed on.
Perhaps a City Council member can ask the SJACS Directors when in fact, this "matrix" is applied by a veterinarian. - - - It has been my experience that they don't even know.
Sincerely,
Mike Wagner
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12/12/24 NSE Meeting Agenda Item #4
From Amie Jan < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 7:31 AM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Mayor Mahan and City Council Members,
My name is Amie Jan, and I’ve been a volunteer at the San Jose Animal Care Center (SJACC) for three years. I dedicate over 15 hours each week to walking dogs, running playgroups, and creating videos to help network dogs for adoption and rescue.
The current SJACC management team has lost the trust of volunteers, rescue partners, and the community. What we need are leaders who can independently drive meaningful change—not those who act only after media scrutiny. The community and City Council should not have to micromanage their decisions. If they’re earning six-figure salaries, they should be capable of fulfilling their responsibilities without constant oversight.
A recent glaring example of poor decision-making is their failure to rehire Dawn Piazza as Rescue Coordinator. Dawn had a proven track record of success during her short tenure, saving countless dogs by building strong relationships with rescue partners. Instead of actively recruiting her and offering her the role, management left the position unfilled for three months and then gave it to someone else, further damaging relationships with their existing rescue network.
Especially now that the shelter is under public scrutiny, management appears more focused on PR than meaningful improvement. Staging publicity stunts, like bringing Pumpernickel to a council meeting or hosting the Pawp-Up event, diverts resources to a small number of animals while the majority are neglected. Meanwhile, volunteer-driven successes like playgroups and enrichment go unsupported, and new volunteers often hear nothing after applying.
Many of the so-called "accomplishments" highlighted in the Animal Care and Services Division’s annual report for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 are questionable at best. However, I don’t have the time or energy to delve into them—we’re too busy focusing on what truly matters: the animals.
I urge the Council to establish an Emergency Contract to bring in skilled, compassionate leaders who can address these systemic failures. We need leaders who focus on doing the job right, not wasting time trying to convince the public that things are better than they are. The animals and the community This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. deserve better.
Thank you,
Amie Jan
Resident of San Jose, District 6
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RE: NSE Committee Meeting - SJACS Public Submission (Agenda Item #4) From M Wagner < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 7:32 AM
To City Clerk <[email protected]>; Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]> Cc District1 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]>; Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Rios, Angel <[email protected]>; Loesch, Matthew <[email protected]> 3 attachments (1 MB)
A1325985_AnimalRecordByID_Redacted.pdf; A1325985_MedicalHistory_Redacted.pdf; A1325985_Necropsy_Report.pdf; Dear City Council,
RUFUS
Last week, a gorgeous young Pit Bull that had been in the care of your crowded animal shelter for 11 months was found dead in its kennel after having undergone neuter surgery performed by your Medical Director.
His name was Rufus.
He was left unmonitored in his kennel after his neuter surgery while still under the effects of anesthesia.
He was totally healthy prior to his neuter surgery.
A necropsy was performed by shelter veterinarian, Dr. Maryssa McKinley.
Dr. McKinley concluded that the cause of death was Undetermined.
Given that the San Jose Animal Care Center has been found by a City Auditor to be operated in a manner which has repeatedly broken the public trust, I am strongly requesting that an outside veterinarian with a forensic background investigate the death of Rufus.
Attached you will find his medical records and necropsy report.
In this public comment, I have also included an email sent to Deputy City Manager Angel Rios on December 11th, 2024 in which I ask him in his capacity as a City Administrator to reach out to former SJACS veterinarian Dr. Sharon Ostermann, in order to conduct an "inquiry" into the death of Rufus, given her forensic background.
Good morning Mr. Rios,
Attached you will find the medical records and necropsy report for a dog in the City's care named Rufus. #A1325985
Sadly, this dog appears to have died post-op after a neuter surgery because there was no one monitoring him while under anesthesia. In my opinion, this is negligence.
He was "found non-responsive in kennel by ACA staff".
For context, an animal's breathing tube is not to be removed until the patient has come out of anesthesia and is able to demonstrate that they can swallow air a few times. An animal should always be monitored by someone whenever it is under anesthesia. This is just common sense. Speculation is that Rufus' breathing tube may have been removed while he was still under the influence of anesthesia and he died due to positional asphyxia.
The noted congestion of the dog's lungs by Dr. Maryssa McKinley on Page #2 of her necropsy report can be caused by inadequate ventilation. If positional asphyxia is true in this case, this is clearly not best practices medical care and certainly needs to be investigated. - - - But again, the fact that no one was monitoring Rufus while under anesthesia is unconscionable.
And make no mistake, his medical records indicate that he was a healthy dog before he entered his surgery. There were no "unexpected complications" with Rufus.
Since you have been made well aware of (repeated) cases of medical neglect by your medical staff at the San Jose Animal Care Center in March and July of 2023 by medical professionals such as Dr. Monica Rudiger and former SJACS registered vet-tech Rachel Forrest, respectively - - - I am curious to learn how much negligence you need to see "performed" by your medical staff before you and the City Manager replace current personnel with the proper skill-set.
As you are well aware, the recently released Audit by Joe Rois found the SJACS DEA registrant to not be in compliance with DEA laws and protocols when it comes to managing controlled substances.
The conclusion by staff veterinarian Dr. Maryssa McKinley that Rufus' death was "undetermined" clearly does not restore the public trust. More needs to be done in this regard.
In your capacity as a Deputy City Manager for the City of San Jose with the interest to uphold and restore the public trust, I would strongly recommend reaching out to former SJACS Veterinarian and noted forensic specialist Dr. Sharon Ostermann to investigate the cause of Rufus' death.
I would suggest making this announcement to the public at tomorrow's NSE Committee Meeting.
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The City is in desperate need of leadership given the repeated issues at SJACS.
Respectfully,
Mike Wagner
December 12, 2024
Re: ACS Annual Report FY 2023/24
I am writing on behalf of the companion & community animal project (“CCAP”) concerning the ACS Annual Report FY2023/24 (the “Annual Report”). The companion & community animal project ● raises awareness of issues affecting animal care,and facilitates communication between the community and its leaders about such issues,
● helps justify the resources needed by animal care organizations to meet the Five Freedoms standard of care,
● and assists in strengthening relationships among animal shelters, trap, neuter, return volunteers and rescue organizations.
We have reviewed the Annual Report and would like to see a more in depth analysis of ACS’s performance. The annual report continues to offer only primary data without meaningful analysis, even as the community repeatedly requests deeper insights. An in-depth evaluation is needed to assess whether ACS is meeting community needs, identify preventative measures to reduce intake, and evaluate the effectiveness of shelter operations.
Analysis Limitations and Gaps
● Current Capacity and Demand DataACS has not provided a detailed assessment of its current capacity or immediate limitations, despite this being essential for resource allocation and budget requests. Intake data references an increase over the prior year but fails to contextualize against higher intake levels in prior years, and does not take into account any self imposed intake restrictions.
● Unmet Service Needs: ACS does not adequately track or report on essential data points such as:
○ Animals turned away.
○ Unanswered calls.
○ Requests for help that remain unresolved
Without these metrics, ACS cannot accurately assess unmet demand or design strategies to address gaps in service.
● Root Cause Analysis of Intake: While the report mentions veterinary care costs and landlord pet fees, it overlooks critical factors such as:
○ Stray kittens from unfixed cats, the largest intake category ■ this includes determining whether underage kittens are a significant contributor to the 103% increase in unhealthy/unrehabilitable animals ○ Animals from encampments or unhoused populations, expected to increase with upcoming creek cleanups and housing restrictions.
○ Lack of pet-friendly housing and the role of pets in housing solution discussions at the city level.
Without a root cause analysis of intake, ACS cannot develop plans to proactively reduce intake, aside from reliance on external spay/neuter vendors.
Transparency & Benchmarking
● Data such as kitten mortality rates and the breakdown of U/U euthanasia categories remain unreported.
○ ACS’s lack of participation in Shelter Animals Count and similar benchmarking initiatives prevents meaningful comparisons with industry standards. 2 ACS Continuous Improvement Strategies
Medical Care
● At-Risk Kittens: Transitional kittens are especially vulnerable. The report does not address points of failure in monitoring and providing timely and appropriate intervention.
Rebuilding Relationships with Rescues
● Rescue Capacity Limitations: In the report ACS states they intend to rebuild rescue partnerships but fails to acknowledge that rescues are already overwhelmed with animals diverted from ACS.
Community Feedback
● Lack of Collaborative Forums: Engagement is limited to NSE and Council meetings, leaving social media as the primary venue for community input and discussion of concern, which fosters division and has created an echo chamber.
● Community Action Committee :
○ ACS’ audit response proposal of a Community Action Committee (“CAC”) will not solve this problem because the CAC has a limited scope, no defined structure, and lacks authority.
○ It is unclear whether ACS staff or city leadership will actively participate or if responsibility is being shifted entirely to the community to identify solutions.
Performance Metrics
● No Evaluation Framework: The report provides no metrics for assessing the success of TNR, spay/neuter services, or community education initiatives. Without this, it is impossible to gauge program effectiveness or progress.
3 Staff Morale & Resource Allocation
● Impact of Public Scrutiny: Social media criticism and public scrutiny have negatively affected staff morale, retention and the candidate pool for open positions, yet no strategies are outlined to address these challenges.
● Resource Allocation: Roles like the Rescue & Foster Coordinator are overburdened, reducing effectiveness. This should be split into at least two positions. A dedicated Community Cat Coordinator role could improve effectiveness of a Trap, Neuter, Return program and public engagement, as well as positive outcomes and decreased need for ACS services in the future.
Facilities
● Aging Infrastructure: The shelter requires long-term upgrades, but immediate improvements such as better visitor wayfinding for adoptable animals, particularly the cats in the outside islands, and sound walls for noise reduction, should be prioritized to improve the experience for the public, minimize stress for the animals, and reduce potential hearing loss for staff.
Timeline for Immediate Action
● No Interim Steps: The reliance on long-term plans tied to the FY26/27 budget cycle delays critical actions. Immediate interventions are needed to address pressing gaps.
Conclusion
The ACS Annual Report should provide in-depth analysis of performance and the primary drivers of demand for ACS services, whether those demands are being met, and what preventative measures can be taken to influence such demand, enabling ACS to become more proactive. ACS’s conclusions and supporting data should be included for transparency in their annual report. An in-depth evaluation is needed to assess whether ACS is meeting community needs, identify preventative measures to reduce intake, and evaluate the effectiveness of shelter operations.
Sincerely,
Catherine Valentine
companion & community animal project
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Comments for today's NSE meeting
From Sustain Our Shelters < >
Date Thu 12/12/2024 8:41 AM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
Councilmembers and Mayor,
As you aware, there are many of us out here who are concerned about the future of the San Jose Animal Care Center and the animals who stay there.
We are hearing more and more stories like that of Rufus, who died after a routine neuter surgery on the very day of the Council meeting where the audit was presented to the full Council. This sort of thing should not be happening in a modern animal shelter, and yet we in the animal rescue/advocacy community have been hearing many stories like this one, including stories from cat volunteers who have put in medical cards for cats only to have the cats deteriorate days later and be euthanized, never having seen medical staff for evaluation. These cats are being failed by San Jose Animal Care and Services.
There are still dogs who have been left in their kennels for months at a time without socialization pending medical and behavioral evaluation, only to deteriorate to the point that they are listed as being in danger of euthanasia. These dogs are being failed by San Jose Animal Care and Services.
Sustain Our Shelters believes strongly that the state of the shelter, while currently very, very concerning, can be improved. It will take a concerted effort on the part of shelter management to actually change things, and not just make promises, and it will take the public doing their part to not breed animals and to get their pets spayed or neutered. In order for this to happen, the shelter needs to reopen the low cost spay and neuter clinic as soon as possible, and expand TNR services immediately. Spay and neuter services from private vets can vary from just out of reach to ridiculously expensive. The public needs access to these services from SJACS now.
We have already submitted a list to Council of people in our community who would like to help by serving on the action committee, commission, or advisory board -- however you want to refer to it -- that was suggested by the City Auditor, but we suggest that this group be expanded to serve on an ongoing basis to advise on other Auditor items and future issues that may arise.
Thank you for your service to the communities in San Jose.
Rebekah Davis-Matthews
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Sustain Our Shelters
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Re: Public Record Subission-SJACS
From Agendadesk <[email protected]>
Date Thu 12/12/2024 10:01 AM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
From: Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2024 9:57 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>; Agendadesk <[email protected]> Subject: FW: Public Record Subission-SJACS
Mackenzie Mossing
Chief Policy Officer
200 E. Santa Clara Street, 17th Floor, San Jose, California 95113 p: (408) 535-4863 | e: [email protected]
Connect with us: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Website
Proudly serving San José: America’s 10th Largest City & the Capital of Silicon Valley From: Nineveh Parker
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 6:36 PM
To: The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Mossing, Mackenzie <[email protected]> Subject: Public Record Subission-SJACS
You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important Dear City Council,
I hope this message finds you well.
I submitted this comment last week prior to the meeting on Dec 3rd 2024.
I am adding a few notes and resubmitting for tomorrow, Dec 12th 2024 meeting.
In January 2024, following last year's NSE Committee Meeting, I met with ACS and the Public Works Director to discuss how Palo Alto Humane could offer veterinary funding assistance for our rescue partners who transfer animals out of the shelter.
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Our Partnership with San Jose Animal Care Services aimed to provide residual grant funding for any veterinary needs that these animals might require after receiving basic care from the medical staff and/or funding through the Guardian Angel Fund (GAP). As a reminder, GAP covers the medical expenses for the animals in the shelter, as well as for our partner rescue organizations and foster parents.
Over the past year, Palo Alto Humane has contributed over $20,000 in grants to facilitate medical costs for rescues taking animals from SJACS. However, I’ve observed several key issues that need to be addressed:
GAP funding appears to be primarily utilized for basic medical protocols, such as fecal testing, blood work, vaccinations, and spay/neuter procedures. Unfortunately, many rescues are seeking funding for basic medical needs that should ideally be managed by the medical team.
It’s my understanding that the Veterinary Staff is currently overwhelmed, resulting in insufficient manpower to deliver adequate care for all animals in shelter.
Despite the time that has passed since our last discussions, the same challenges persist. Animals are still not receiving the proper medical care they require.
I urge you to closely examine the reasons behind the ongoing struggles faced by our Medical Staff. An animal shelter of this size should be managed in the same manner as a vet hospital, with a focused effort on developing a dedicated veterinary team capable of handling the anticipated volumes of animals arriving at ACS.
Instead of concentrating on building an effective medical team and establishing necessary treatment protocols, it seems that considerable efforts are being made to outsource care. This approach is not serving our animals’ best interests, and I believe it’s crucial to reassess our strategy to ensure every animal is accounted for and receives basic treatment in a timely manner.
After the meeting last week, I have come to the conclusion that the solution to this problem is a hiring issue. I would hope in 2025 that the necessary actions are taken to focus efforts on hiring more veterinarian staff as well as ensure that new management staff have the required experience working in a municipal shelter. I recommend looking into hiring consultants, or necessary actions to ensure this is a priority.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Nineveh Parker
Director of Community Engagement
Palo Alto Humane
paloaltohumane.org
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NSE Meeting, December 12 2024 ( Updated)
From Elena Gaffney
Date Thu 12/12/2024 10:23 AM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> 1 attachment (108 KB)
Animal Behaviorist (1).pdf;
Hello Katerina, please could you replace my past email with this updated one. My apologies, I have missed a couple of points in my first email. Thank you so much! Elena Dear Mayor, Council Members, San Jose/Shelter Management and City Auditor, Please PROVIDE CLARITY ON : FORMATION AND COMPOSITION of Community Action Committee.
We all recognize the economic and social changes—but has the shelter adapted sufficiently? In our view, it has not! What’s needed is a substantial reinforcement of the workforce:
More veterinarians, Animal behaviorists, Sanitation staff, and Enrichment providers are needed ASAP. We believe ASC needs serious budget increase, in a responsible and transparent way. Allocating Adequate Dedicated resources to Key Shelter Roles, considering shelter population is Critically necessary.
San Jose is uniquely positioned to meet these needs. We are one of the most populous cities in the country, with a city budget that surpasses many other areas. We should not lower our standards by comparing ourselves to less developed regions. Relying on volunteers ONlY for essential tasks like animal walks, enrichment, and de-stressing activities is unsustainable, detrimental to Animals physical, mental wellbeing.
AUDIT :
The audit affirms the longstanding concerns raised by the community with the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee (NSE). It highlights that:
Animal Care and Services (ACS) lacks adequate resources capable of handling a variety of animal categories: Big Animals ( surgery, vaccination, enrichment) ; Small animals often suffer Management practices have significant shortcomings.
External resources are not being leveraged efficiently - impossible for available, qualified persons to get hired The quality of animal care has suffered as a result.
While the audit is a good first step, it misses critical issues. Many of ACS's responses involve creating plans with target dates as late as December 2025. Even if approved in the FY26/27 budget, implementation wouldn’t begin until July 2026—19 months from now.
The shelter’s crisis cannot wait. Animal care is suffering, community needs are unmet, and the animal population continues to grow. ACS must prioritize responses for inclusion in the FY25/26 budget cycle to address these urgent problems.
The issues at ACS are not uncommon and should be tackled collaboratively, NOT IN ISOLATION. We request the City Mayor, Council and Management- to prioritize swift action by actively engaging the community in crafting solutions and allocating sufficient funding in the upcoming budget cycle.
The ACS shelter capacity crisis demands a solution rooted in community collaboration. Unfortunately, the proposed Community Action Committee has a narrow focus, limiting public input to Recommendations #9, #22, #24, and #36b—far too restrictive to address the broader issues.
We request your leadership for a more impactful approach: A committee, allowing stakeholders to actively participate in shaping and implementing ACS's audit responses. This should encompass critical areas like spay/neuter services, rescue partnerships, and affordable service programs.
To ensure TIMELY progress, we suggest implementing robust oversight, with the help of community partnership. Furthermore, we request the City Council take the lead in selecting members for the proposed Community Action Committee, ensuring transparency and diverse input: Rescue Groups, Volunteers, Animal Advocates with relevant expertise in our community rescue needs, shelter capacity, community struggles and constraints.
SOME Comparable Examples, examples of improvements needed :
Contra Costa Animal Services : Handles half less Animal intakes than ASC, but has requested 18 Million Budget for the upcoming year. They also provided 250 K in funding to a private Veterinary Clinic for public Spay neuter, spay-neuter animals for Rescues ( $200), providing good notes to Rescues in regard with animal evaluations and behavior, recently scheduled 400 appointments for public owned animals spay-neuter, utilise Vendor agreement to hire extra on site help ( animal behaviorist and other vital roles) Santa Clara Animal Services utilizes Vendor DVM ( Dr. Alvarado) to perform 50-60 small animals, 20-30 big animals once a week. Dr. Alvarado would be willing to perform spay-neuter at ASC once a week. Vendor DVM is common practice for Multiple Humane Societies.
ASC: Persistent roadblocks to hiring veterinarians and clinics as spay/neuter vendors. High-volume spay/neuter vets can perform 20-30 big animals, or 50-60 small animals surgeries in a single day. Hundreds of shelter animals need these procedures ASC repeatedly declined high volume spay-neuter help suggestions. There is no flexibility in getting capable help, leaving animals with disadvantageous health and mental deterioration that lasts for months.THIS IS CRITICAL to be addressed sooner than March of 2025.
Timeline Quoted by M.Loesh indicates lack of priority for these vital measures:
1. Burbank Pet Hospital had suggested ( during Covid period) either on site or off site help - Were DECLINED.
2. Contract with Carrington College, which trains RVTs, where they would pull dogs for a couple of days, do medical check on them, fix them, and bring them back, as practice for the RVTs (under vet supervision because of the spay/neuter). The contract expired ASC was asked about it numerous times over the past couple of years. They claim that the new contract is in the hands of the City Attorney (for two years?).
3. ASC was offered help with soliciting local vet clinics to be able to take vouchers from the shelter to fix dogs/cats for members of the public, ASC declined this help.
4. Multiple Local Vet Clinics would be happy to handle subsidised spay-neuter. Ex.; Burbank Pet Hospital can accommodate 5 ( may be more animals per week). There used to be a wide range of partners posted on SJAS website ( currently is Terminated): https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:01a1fe19-eacd-4948-91c4- 1b4f1f3a2758
5. Shelter Visitors have no information on what Animals they see. Adopters regularly complain, they spent a long time at shelter, trying to understand basic characteristics of animals on display, there is NO Posted information on the Animals.
6. The Rescue Coordination position was filled without input from local dog rescue groups, leaving the community’s voice unheard. Despite strong recommendations from multiple rescues, volunteers, and the public, longtime Rescue Coordinator Dawn Piazza—widely respected for her dedication and expertise—was not selected.
Dedicated resource For Rescue coordination for dogs is an urgent priority. We call for the immediate addition of a dedicated Dog Rescue Coordinator with a proven track record and the trust of the community. This role is critical to ensuring effective collaboration, saving lives, and addressing the needs of at-risk dogs.
7. Foster program poorly coordinated. Social media is filled with confused fosters, who do not know what to do, as they have not heard for months from the ASC in regard to the host animal. Animals often are not spayed, they run away, fosters are not properly screened or supported.
8. Heavy reliance on Volunteers to provide core functions is not sustainable: walks, outside and enrichment time to hundreds of animals, Off -site ( driving animals to Snip bus, to off-site events planned by ASC). These tasks should be handled by allocated resources within ASC, using volunteers as supplemental help only. Currently about 100 dogs get a short walk ( by Volunteers), many dogs do not get even this small time outside at all.
9. Overflow animals boarding. There are providers, who can accommodate friendly, social animals. For example: Klub K9 Play Center can potentially hold dogs, who are properly vaccinated and neutered , to relieve shelter capacity.
10. Doggie Day Out Cancellation in 2025: This program is Vital, providing enrichment to over a 1000 shelter animals ( over it’s duration). This will hurt already stressed animals, who are confined for months within small spaces. There is no clarity on why the decision has been made, while Shelter covers All Fosters by existing Liability Insurance, it seems like lack of insurance has been used as basis to Decline this Highly Needed program.
11. Not Adequate Behavior evaluation: here is Mellie, a dog who was locked in a kennel for 114 days never received any socialization and then put on a euthanasia list. The shelter assessment process is vague, lacks behaviorist inputs. Big Animals do not receive basic consideration, that they need to step out of locked space. Video of Mellie right after shelter She knows commands, is house trained, obedient and happy dog, who was not evaluated accordingly and suffered being locked up as a consequence. Shelter hosts an increased number of big dogs - there is a high need for qualified evaluation, enrichment and human interaction. Shelter had posted a ‘Behaviorist’ position on their web site - but has NOT hired this critical resource. ( attached: ‘TITLE: Animal Behaviorist (3259)
10. There are too many Detrimental to Animal Well Being Changes - That need to be Addressed in a systematic Fashion.
SOME Examples of the MOST Critical ISSUES:
Problem Contributing Reason Owner Status
INCREASED Animals
Length of Stay at Shelter
Volunteers PROHIBITED to
take animals Photos & post to
social Media, unless ask
shelter Permission PER EACH
ANIMAL
ASC Issued Updated Volunteer
Contract in 2024
Blocked
Volunteers CAN NO Longer
upload pleasing Animal Photos
That can be used for Kennel
Card Display for shelter
Visitors ( via chameleon)
ASC Revoked Volunteers Access.
Role based access can be
provided ( only allowing certain
access level to enter animals Bio,
add decent photo)
Blocked
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Poor, impersonal Animal
Display At shelter
ASC Cancel existing in the past
practice of Posting Bio
Blocked
Lack in Medical transparency ASC Cancel medical record
display, complicates information
flow, affecting volunteer and
animal safety, slows down
adoptability communication
channels between rescuesvolunteers-public
Blocked
Lack Of Timely SpayNeuter within ASC: from
10000 surgeries in 2018-
19 to 6200 in 2023-24
Lack of clarity on reasoning
behind, lack of collaboration
with outside Vendors
ASC, Public Works RFP
challenged Vendor approval
through the City
Blocked
Cats, Dogs: Lack of basic
human interaction -
ANIMALS DETERIORATE
Lack of resources to perform
basic tasks on site
ASC Blocked
Dogs: Lack basic
Evaluation, behavioral
Categorisation,
enrichment, outside time
ASC has no Behaviorist,
enrichment, outside time
provided by Volunteers Only.
Lack of resources
ASC Blocked
Poor Foster Program
Coordination
Lack of resources ASC Blocked
Doggy Day Out Program Cancellation (not completely
clear)
ASC, ( Public Works, Insurance
coverage?)
Blocked
Slow Volunteer
applications processing ,
training
Lack of resources ASC Blocked
Lack of Vendor Support
for Core Work ( DVM’s)
Lack of resources (?) Lengthy RFP Not Started
Thank you for your Leadership in addressing these long standing issues.
Thank you,
Elena Gaffney
Angel's Furry Friends Rescue ( shelter volunteer in the past: 2004-2007) [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more] Outlook
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee Meeting December 12th, 2024, Item 4 Animal Shelter
From K K
Date Thu 12/12/2024 12:06 PM
To Tubera, Katerina <[email protected]>
Dear Members of the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee, After the full council meeting on December 3rd, 2024, there was hope that better decisions and progress would be made for the benefit of the shelter animals and our community. However, in the mere week that followed, a series of extremely unfortunate events became incessant, these include conflict of interest and poor hiring decisions, continued troubling issues with the medical team, including the death of a beloved dog following a routine surgery, the cancellation of a much needed program, Doggie Day Out, which is the only structured and vetted program allowing dogs to get out.
While my previous emails were more understanding and empathetic, it is impossible to sugarcoat the concerns that have emerged in just one week.
Building & Breaking Trust, Overlooking A Qualified Candidate:
Recently, it was announced that a new rescue coordinator had been selected for a full-time position, and many were relieved. It was high time. Many expect this individual to be highly qualified, experienced, and with a proven track record of delivering results—that would be the logical choice. However, the person chosen is relatively new to the environment, may lack significant dog experience, and appears to have minimal established connections in the rescue world or community. Meanwhile, a highly qualified candidate was overlooked. Why?
This individual has nearly a decade of experience working with this specific shelter, years of personal involvement in the rescue world through her own organizations, and most importantly strong, trusted and established relationships with the community, volunteers from various shelters, advocates, transporters, and rescues across California and beyond. She even founded a nonprofit dedicated to assisting the San Jose shelter with their at-risk animals and was tirelessly saving lives. This candidate also already served as a part-time rescue coordinator for the city for a few months in 2024, demonstrating exceptional success with live outcomes for numerous animals: cats, dogs, and others. The impact she had in just a few months as staff was exponential compared to what she was able to accomplish on her own.
As someone who has worked to save animals from euthanasia, I can attest that it is a draining, selfless, and thankless endeavor. If the motivations were anything but pure and for the animals, it would be evident. Many can also vouch for her reliability and professionalism. When many of us become fatigued or discouraged, she persists and is tenacious. Losing such an ally to the shelter would be a colossal mistake. Organizations that cannot spot talent are doomed for failure.
It is crucial to ask the shelter and the public works why this highly qualified individual was overlooked.
The community is focused on results, and the animals deserve results. When basic operations are already in such a dire state, why would it make sense to place a newcomer in charge of addressing and grasping the myriads of needs: rescue, foster, and care for all species? Did anyone consider the learning curve that would need to be overcome, the time it would take to build up relationships, and, more importantly, the time required to first repair them? Does the selected candidate have the necessary experience and proficiency to work with and advocate for euthanasia-listed dogs? Are we once again setting up this new hire for massive failure? ...It seems so. And guess who loses when this fails? The animals.
By making this decision, you have single-handedly damaged the morale of the community, rescue groups, and, most importantly, you have undermined trust.
Please review the emails submitted to previous meetings. 24-2269 - Letters from the Public and 24-2269 - Letter Received Post Meeting Concerns about poor hires and a lack of common-sense decision-making have been raised repeatedly. Is this what we can now expect from the shelter and public works: a continued lack of wisdom? When you're still figuring out how to spread peanut butter on toast, why would you gut the entire kitchen?
Another concerning issue that warrants investigation is the presence of a person on the interview panel who is connected to the new hire through their work together at a cat rescue. This creates a significant conflict of interest and establishes an unfair hiring process. Who decided on the candidates for the interview panel? How many dog rescue organizations were represented on the panel for the rescue coordinator position? What were the requirements the shelter was looking for in this new coordinator? Solutions:
Hire the proven candidate, Dawn Piazza
Investigate conflict of interest
Perhaps two people or more should be hired for rescue and foster coordinator, which a huge role for one person anyway. Play to their strengths. One can do cats and the other dogs.
If there are two PR positions with one vacant, then perhaps that position can be converted to another rescue coordinator position.
Extreme Medical Concern, Rufus:
The evening of the December 3rd meeting, it was revealed that a sweet dog, who had not been altered for over close to 10 months, tragically died in his kennel. His name was Rufus. The surgery in question was a routine neuter procedure. The fact that he died alone, without being monitored or properly tended to, is deeply upsetting and actually outrageous.
Issues with the medical team are not new. While there are certainly some dedicated and skilled individuals working across the shelter, there are also evident concerns with ineffective and problematic staff. This not only causes significant challenges for the competent staff but also leads to the tragic deaths of animals.
Why did Rufus die? It is shameful that something as basic as a neuter surgery cannot be entrusted to the shelter staff. Perhaps, it is time to reconsider performing spay and neuter surgeries in-house altogether if they run the risk of such unnecessary but preventable deaths. Why are animals struggling medically at this shelter? Why is there such a loss of faith with the current medical team? Are we ignoring the elephant in the room? It's not always about physical space or staff numbers. It might have to do with personnel/personality issues with queries regarding competence. 50% of the dogs are unaltered. How many times has vet staff been too afraid to provide basic vaccination? How many animals have lost their lives due to issues with the medical staff? If vet staff cannot handle big dogs, then they should not be working at a shelter. It's just that simple.
Solutions:
Thoroughly investigate Rufus's death and ask the pertinent questions. Do not take euphemisms or vague excuses as answers.
Edit the staff for competence and ability. If people have medical complaints lodged against them, that should be highly concerning enough. One should consider that a liability.
Increase the veterinarian salary to attract competent and successful veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
Doggie Day Out:
Another successful program, Doggie Day Out, was abruptly ended; what possible reason could there be for this decision? Doggie Day Out worked effectively because its volunteers were thoroughly vetted by Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) nonprofit, and the dogs were carefully matched with each volunteer.
This program provided vital outings for the dogs, allowing everyone to gather insights into their behaviors and needs, while also promoting the dogs for adoption or rescue through pictures, videos, and testimonies of the outings. Countless dogs have been saved through this program alone.
While the Santa Clara County shelter has a similar "field trip foster" program, it lacks the same level of vetting and structure. From the County of Santa Clara Animal Services website: "If you just need some doggo time in your life, foster field trips are a great way to brighten a shelter dog's day (or night). This is also a great idea if you are considering adopting but aren't quite sure how a canine companion might fit into your current routine. Simply come on down, pick a pooch and head out on an adventure with your new friend. Take a hike, go to the beach, stroll downtown or invite a shelter dog overnight for a sleepover in your home. You will have a great time while giving a dog a break from shelter life. Tag us on social media and we can show potential adoptive families just how great shelter pups are!" The San Jose shelter, on the other hand, has no "field trip" fostering available for its dogs. There are time restrictions at San Jose: "You can opt to foster for as few as three weeks or as long as three months." When dogs are languishing in the shelter for hundreds of days without being let out of their kennels once, one would expect every opportunity to get them out and seen would be embraced. Given the many challenges the shelter currently faces, it would be a wise decision to allow SVPP to continue the program with the necessary support from the shelter. Liability insurance and coverage can be structured in a way similar to other shelters that have successfully implemented these types of programs.
Here is an article of the benefits of Doggie Day Out programs and also other municipal shelters who have adopted such programs successfully:
Doggy Day Outs, Field Trips & Short-Term Fosters: Reducing Stress in Shelter Dogs While Increasing Volunteers and Adoptions | ASPCApro
Solutions:
Reinstitute the Doggie Day Out program under the SVPP
Consider adding a vetted and robust "field trip" fostering through the shelter directly but only when other bare basics of the audit have been addressed Transparency, Committee:
Everyone is eager to understand how the proposed committee will be formed, with hopes that the process will be transparent and inclusive. This concern is even greater now, given the recent trends in decision-making. When the basics are struggling and unresolved, what logic is there in dismantling successful programs and damaging relationships only to start from scratch? The lack of common-sense This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. decisions and oversight thus far are exactly how the shelter piled on problem after problem. How can we bring common sense back into the decision-making process? Solutions:
Expand the committee to include a wide array of people. Restricting numbers reduces quick solutions and also quick delivery of solutions. This is not the time for the shelter or city to be picky about who and where they get their help.
Expand the scope of the committee as there are many areas the shelter needs to address. Time is not on anyone's side. Things have already been underpromised and underdelivered. The animals don't have the luxury of time.
Emphasis: Your home is flooded; this is not the time to plan an event. Getting back to the basics is essential. Support and nurture the programs that are working instead of dismantling them to save yourselves.
Thanks,
Krishna