San Jose is required to formally respond to the civil grand jury\u2019s findings and recommendations, but no deadline was given.<\/p>\n \u201cWe appreciate the civil grand jury\u2019s review and its recognition of the progress made at the shelter,\u201d Animal Care and Services Deputy Director Monica Wylie told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe remain committed to continuous improvement and providing the highest level of service for animals and the community.\u201d<\/p>\n The 31-page report<\/a> follows years of criticism from animal advocates, volunteers and rescue organizations, as well as a\u00a02024 city audit<\/a>\u00a0that identified capacity constraints, data management issues and strained relationships with rescue partners.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a gap between how (shelter) leaders characterize progress at the shelter and how some rescue organizations, volunteers, and animal advocates perceive current conditions,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n Kit O\u2019Doherty, an animal advocate with Partners in Animal Care and Compassion, said the report validates concerns advocates have raised for years, mirroring many of the findings from the city\u2019s 2024 audit.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very validating for the animal advocates that multiple independent voices are validating what we\u2019ve been saying for three and a half, coming up on four years,\u201d she told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n Adoptions up, but so are deaths<\/p>\n Jurors found adoptions have increased and overcrowding has declined in recent years. But the report also found transfers to rescue organizations have dropped significantly, animals are staying in the shelter longer and animal deaths have increased.<\/p>\n The civil grand jury found changes in data categories and reporting methodologies were not consistently explained to residents. They recommended stronger public reporting standards, including publishing shelter capacity and the number of animals turned away because of capacity limitations.<\/p>\n Rebekah Davis-Matthews, a former shelter volunteer, said she was pleased to see the civil grand jury address concerns about shelter data.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it really reiterates a lot of stuff that we already knew,\u201d Davis-Matthews told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cParticularly that they\u2019ve been changing the data from past years, and I was glad to see that the grand jury called them out on that.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the report\u2019s most urgent findings involves the shelter\u2019s quarantine area. During a March tour, jurors observed what appeared to be air flowing from a quarantine ward into a hallway rather than being contained within the isolation area. The report recommends the city inspect and adjust ventilation systems by Oct. 31.<\/p>\n Wylie said the shelter has already taken steps to improve transparency and community engagement, including expanding access to shelter data through its\u00a0online reporting dashboard<\/a>, increasing trap-neuter-return services and holding community forums.<\/p>\n Davis-Matthews said the civil grand jury\u2019s focus on spay and neuter services was another critical point to reducing shelter intake. Advocates argued for this to be addressed.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the shelter had been doing what they\u2019re supposed to be doing as far as spay and neuter services for the public, we wouldn\u2019t be having so many kittens and puppies coming in,\u201d Davis-Matthews told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n Increasing placement options<\/p>\n According to the civil grand jury, transfers to rescue organizations dropped from 4,776 in fiscal year 2020-21 to 1,159 in fiscal year 2024-25. Wylie said the shelter\u2019s number of rescue partnerships is now matching a five-year high and noted canine transfers have increased year over year since 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to actively network our pets with our rescue partners, maintain regular communication and work to identify new partnership opportunities to help increase placement options whenever possible,\u201d Wylie said.<\/p>\n The city also pointed to growing participation in foster care programs. Since Jan. 1, the shelter has placed 1,415 animals into foster homes, including 1,021 kittens, nearly double the number during the same period last year, according to city officials.<\/p>\n The report repeatedly emphasizes that rebuilding trust will require more than operational changes. Jurors said the shelter must improve communication with rescue groups, volunteers, foster organizations and even its most vocal critics.<\/p>\n \u201cThe shelter must treat all community members, including its most vocal critics, as essential partners in improving care for animals and the shelter\u2019s key outcomes,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at\u00a0maryanne@sanjosespotlight.com\u00a0or @CasasPerezRed on X.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780884551_273_LNM-20250616-SJSPOTLIGHTLOGO-01.jpg\")
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<\/a>The cover of the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury\u2019s report<\/a> on the San Jose Animal Care Center. (Santa Clara County Superior Court)<\/p>\n