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Hayward residents urge council not to cut animal shelter per‑diem staff; council says review is citywide
Summary
Dozens of Hayward residents and animal shelter staff told the City Council Dec. 2 that planned cuts to per‑diem employees would cripple the Hayward Animal Shelter’s operations and programs such as trap‑neuter‑return (TNR). Council members said staffing is under a citywide review and no decision targeting the shelter has been made.
Dozens of residents, volunteers and animal‑services employees urged the Hayward City Council on Dec. 2 to spare the Hayward Animal Shelter from proposed cuts to per‑diem (temporary) staff, saying the positions are critical to daily operations, TNR and public‑safety responses.
At the start of a lengthy public‑comment period, Mayor Salinas told attendees there was no plan before the council that night to cut or close the shelter and asked for civil public input. Still, speakers delivered detailed firsthand accounts of how per‑diem workers keep the shelter functioning.
"We are already operating critically short staffed," said Jenny Comstock, the Animal Services administrator, testifying that 47 percent of the shelter’s workforce are per‑diem employees. She said losing those positions would force…
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