Rachael Borrelli, the former Department of Animal Services assistant director, has filed a claim against San Diego County alleging her termination earlier this year was an act of retaliation.
Borrelli oversaw operations at the county’s two animal shelters. The county placed her on leave in September after KPBS revealed she sent a profanity-laced voice memo that disparaged shelter dogs and complained of too few euthanasias.
Borrelli’s claim, filed in January, alleges a colleague defamed her in 2024 and she complained about the matter to human resources. It does not provide details on the nature of the alleged remarks that Borrelli considers defamatory.
The claim asserts supervisors and human resources told Borrelli to ignore the colleague’s conduct, but that it continued for over a year. The claim characterizes Borrelli’s termination as “retaliation for complaining” about the alleged defamation.
Borrelli is seeking $8.5 million for general damages, loss of reputation and loss of earnings.
Sam Donabedian, Borrelli’s attorney, declined to comment on the substance of the claim. In an email, he discouraged KPBS from publishing details about the claim and his correspondence with the county, asserting such a disclosure would violate the law.
“It is apparent that somebody from either the county attorney’s office or the board of county supervisors is leaking information to you in (a) vain attempt to intimidate my client’s claims,” Donabedian wrote in an email.
Borrelli’s claim is a public record under California law and KPBS obtained it and related correspondences through a public records request.
The county declined to comment through spokesperson Tammy Glenn.
The county rejected parts of Borrelli’s claim in a letter to her, stating that too much time had passed. Donabedian pushed back, arguing in his written response that the county should consider Borrelli’s claim in full.
The revelations about Borrelli followed a KPBS investigation last year that uncovered a skyrocketing dog euthanasia rate at county animal shelters. KPBS also found the department buried an audit several years ago that flagged serious issues. The county is currently conducting another audit of the department.
Former director Vaughn Maurice stepped down from the department shortly after Borrelli’s departure. Earlier this month, the county announced the hiring of a new director and deputy director.
