Shelter Workers Demand New Leadership at San José Animal Shelter
Frontline animal shelter workers have spoken with a clear and united voice: San José’s Animal Care and Services Center needs new leadership.
In a staff survey conducted this summer, the overwhelming majority of shelter employees called for the City to bring in a director from outside its current ranks. Their message is simple: it’s time for a fresh start. Workers want a leader who can rebuild trust, restore accountability, and set a new direction for a shelter that has been plagued for years by dysfunction, poor conditions, and low morale.
The results of that survey were recently featured in the Mercury News, where workers’ voices took center stage. The article highlights what staff have been saying for years: the culture inside the shelter cannot change if the same people who presided over past failures remain in charge. You can read the full Mercury News article here.
The stakes are high. A city audit last year exposed overcrowding, disease risks, and broken relationships with rescue partners. Since then, a series of troubling incidents — from the tragic case of a small dog who died after being found entangled in medical equipment, to the controversial euthanasia of a dog named Barry Allen despite progress in his rehabilitation — have only reinforced what workers and advocates have long known: the shelter’s problems are systemic, and they start at the top.
Shelter employees have endured retaliation, favoritism, and a lack of accountability under past leadership. They are demanding something different this time. Their survey results are clear and unambiguous: the next director must come from outside, someone capable of resetting the culture and restoring integrity to an institution the community depends on.
The City has confirmed that a nationwide search for the new director closed on August 1, with dozens of applicants under review. First-round interviews are expected in the coming weeks.
For the animals, for the workers who care for them, and for the community that loves them, this hire is one of the most important decisions San José will make this year.
