San Diego County’s Department of Animal Services released a report this week from an outside animal welfare consulting firm that details how county shelters handle staffing, medical care, population management, euthanasia and kennel cleaning, among other topics.
Team Shelter USA’s assessment recognized several accomplishments at the department — including improved leadership, dedicated staff and a high live release rate for animals. The report also points out problems — including overburdened staff and unclear guidelines around certain shelter policies.
A number of the issues described in the report have been known for years. Department of Animal Services Director Dr. Brie Sarvis, who was appointed in April, said the department is committed to making changes this time around. She requested the review in October of last year while serving as the county’s chief veterinarian.
“We requested the assessment because we wanted to get an accurate picture of where the shelter is currently (and) what the highest priority needs are in order to best focus our efforts to improve everything,” Sarvis said in an interview with KPBS.
Sarvis said the county shelters’ problems are compounded during the summer.
“June through August are usually the busiest time of year, and a lot of times our staff's efforts are really just focusing on making it through each day,” Sarvis said. “I hope to get at least some of the recommendations that we haven't already started on going in the next several weeks.”
The report included a series of recommendations, including establishing consistent guidelines for assessing dog behaviors and possible aggression. It also described how the department can fill staffing roles and improve kennel sanitation at the Bonita shelter.
These and other issues have been previously detailed in KPBS’ investigative reporting over the last year. Some of the problems were also discussed in an outside audit of the county’s shelters that the department buried several years ago.
Sarvis said her department is already working on solutions. For example, the shelters are continuing to improve their workflow around documenting dog behaviors and making euthanasia decisions.
“It’s very important that we get very thorough notes about what’s going on with the animal, so we’re working to ensure that both our staff and our volunteers are giving us a lot of input about an animal’s behavior,” Sarvis said.
The effort appears to be yielding results. The dog euthanasia rate continues to drop, according to recent county data.
On the staffing front, the department has brought on a new volunteer coordinator and plans to hire at least two additional animal care staff members for each shelter.
“My goal is to increase support for our staff and increase volunteer support so that we can actually get those dogs completely out of the kennel,” Sarvis said.
But she noted that staffing problems and the outdated Bonita shelter have made it difficult to implement certain changes. For example, the Bonita kennels are still being hosed down with dogs inside — a clear violation of shelter industry standards. Sarvis said efforts to implement a different cleaning method haven’t worked.
As the shelter hunts for solutions to years-old problems, Sarvis emphasized the need for community trust.
“It’s really important for us to be transparent and open about where are our weaknesses and to have a discussion — not only with our leadership — but with the public about the best ways to handle those things,” Sarvis said.
The county is building a new shelter in Santee to replace the Bonita facility. The department believes the facility will provide an opportunity to address ongoing problems.
Completion of the Santee shelter has already been delayed several times. A county spokesperson said the shelter is expected to open this October, and the Bonita shelter will close after staff and animals have made the move.
The department is also currently undergoing another internal audit from the County. The spokesperson said he did not know when it would be completed.
