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San Bernardino updates animal-shelter operations; public presses city on euthanasia, staffing and spay/neuter access
Summary
City animal-services staff presented 2024 intake and outcome figures and a plan for expanded clinic and customer-service space. Residents pressed the council for transparency on euthanasia counts, veterinary staffing and access to low-cost spay/neuter services.
Chris Watson, an Animal Services representative, gave San Bernardino City Council a detailed update on the shelterdepartment's 2024 operations and plans to expand facilities and services.
Watson reported the shelter recorded 9,698 live intakes in 2024, including 6,720 dogs and 2,978 cats, an increase of about 33 percent over 2023. He said 3,520 animals were adopted, 846 were returned to owners, 2,051 were transferred to rescue partners, 1,170 dogs and 1,533 cats were euthanized, and some animals died while in care. "La tasa de salvamento de perros fue un ochenta y dos por ciento. La tasa de salvamento de gatitos fue un cincuenta y tres por ciento," Watson told the council and the public.
Watson outlined several near-term changes the city has funded: increasing registered veterinary technicians on staff (from one in 2023 to four); opening a new customer-service building with five service windows to centralize adoption and rescue coordination; and developing a satellite clinic and expanded kennels that the department says will provide space for roughly 400 dogs across two sites. He said the new clinic and a dedicated kitten room will reduce reliance on a smaller mobile unit for surgery and care. Watson also described partnerships and grant support, including an identified $1.5 million foundation grant referenced for facility improvements.
Why it matters: residents and rescue volunteers said shelter outcomes and operational choices directly affect animals and neighborhoods. Multiple public speakers and council members pressed the city for clearer breakdowns of euthanasia and death figures, staffing levels, and faster access to low-cost spay/neuter services.
Public commenters described individual cases and broader concerns. A resident identified as Selina said, "Este albergue es un albergue que asesina," and urged the council to hire veterinarians and expand medical capacity. Another speaker, who introduced themself as Dima, questioned where deceased animals go after euthanasia and called for records and transparency. A commenter named Telima de Valeria urged higher pay for veterinarians so the city can recruit and retain medical staff.
Councilmembers asked staff for clarifications. Councilmember Ibarra asked about the shelter's voucher program and timelines for available appointments; Watson replied that vouchers and appointments are expanding and that some reimbursements for post-adoption surgery could be in the $300to$400 range depending on case specifics. Councilmember Ortiz asked for records on the disposition of animals and the entities that handle deceased animals; staff said bodies are handled by a contracted rendering company commonly used by shelters in Southern California and that cremation is possible but costly.
Watson also summarized field operations: the shelter said it provided nearly 9,990 field actions during recent fires and runs outreach clinics with partners; volunteers logged more than 5,297 volunteer hours in 2024 and the outreach program placed about 1,030 animals into foster homes. The department reported plans for expanded microchip scanning at fire stations and strengthened transfer agreements with neighboring cities and rescue partners to reduce local length of stay and improve placement.
The shelter will close to the public for a short move described by staff and reopen the following Tuesday (announced as "reaperturar el martes veintisseis" in the presentation) to complete relocation into the new customer service building. Watson said the move will create five public service windows and reorganize intake, adoption and veterinary functions under one roof.
Ending: Councilmembers and staff agreed to provide follow-up information requested during public comment, including a more detailed breakdown of euthanasia and death figures, documentation on where deceased animals are sent, and an implementation timeline for the expanded spay/neuter appointment capacity and the voucher program. Watson said he was available for additional questions after the meeting.
