KPBS obtained a letter from a high-ranking San Diego County Department of Animal Services official who apologized for a recording of her using profane language and calling for more dogs to be euthanized.
In September, KPBS obtained the recording sent last year by Rachael Borrelli, the department’s assistant director.
“In Carlsbad, they don’t euthanize anything — even if the dog fucking bit a kid,” Borrelli said in the voice message that KPBS confirmed came from her phone. “So that’s why I was like, ‘Euthanize the dog.’ Like, I’m so sick of us keeping shit dogs that aren’t going to get adopted. That’s why we’re overcrowded.”
Borrelli went on leave just as KPBS reported on the recording. In her letter, sent on Sept. 15, Borrelli expressed remorse for her message, but also claimed the recording was made without her knowledge.
Our reporting found otherwise.
Borrelli sent the recording as a voice message to another person, who then shared it with KPBS. That person answered questions over text and asked KPBS to withhold their name due to fears of professional repercussions.
“My thoughts on the apology letter are that it just isn’t truthful. Rachael wasn’t secretly recorded … she recorded that message herself and sent it to me via text,” the source wrote. “Her claim that it was recorded without her knowledge is false, and her explanation doesn’t line up with what she actually said.”
Molly Higgins, a former Carlsbad shelter volunteer, said the voice message reflects Borrelli’s attitude toward euthanasias.
“I wasn't surprised because that's just very on-brand for the Rachael Borrelli that I knew and experienced at the shelter,” Higgins said.
Higgins listed multiple dogs she believed should not have been euthanized under Borrelli’s leadership.
“We questioned the euthanasias, the dogs that were being put to sleep, can you give them more of a chance?” Higgins said. “And, it just was met with defiance.”
Borrelli implemented a policy directing staff to euthanize dogs brought in by owners “as soon as possible,” if the dog was not immediately adoptable, according to emails obtained by KPBS.
The Department of Animal Services would not agree to an interview but emailed a statement regarding Borrelli’s recording.
“The recording previously reported does not reflect the values or mission of the County of San Diego, and it is not representative of the caring and dedicated work of the Department of Animal Services staff,” wrote county representative Tammy Glenn. “Any allegations of inappropriate behavior are taken very seriously and are thoroughly investigated.”
The revelations regarding Borrelli follow recent KPBS investigations that examined issues at county-run animal shelters. KPBS reporting uncovered a skyrocketing dog euthanasia rate and poor kennel conditions at the Bonita location.
In addition to her claim about being covertly recorded, Borrelli wrote in the letter that she was reacting to “a case where a dog had bitten a child and was not euthanized.”
The source who provided the recording of Borrelli also contests that claim.
“We were not discussing a dog that had bitten a child that was up for euthanasia. she only mentioned that as a hypothetical before making her comment about the ‘shit dogs’ taking up space in the shelter,” the source said. “And honestly, that recording was just one small example of the overall disdain for animals that staff saw from her on a regular basis.”
The county has acknowledged the need for improvements at the department, and KPBS recently revealed that the department is being audited.
