Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...Dozens of animal rights supporters protested outside the San Jose animal shelter Wednesday, opposing a new policy banning volunteers from taking photos and videos that advocates say help save animals, while the city says the rule is about staff privacy in nonpublic areas.
The latest clash comes after a recent Santa Clara County civil grand jury report found the facility continues to suffer from “a significant erosion of public trust” and noted that while some progress has been made on the audit, critical challenges regarding data integrity, falling rescue transfers and rising animal deaths remain unresolved.
Organized by a group identifying as “Save Our Shelter,” the demonstration at the San Jose Animal Care Center on Monterey Road called for the reinstatement of volunteers Chris Chiappari and Amie Jan. According to the group, the two were recently terminated under a new volunteer handbook, which was introduced in April. The updated rules ban photography and video recording in all nonpublic areas without prior permission, rendering most areas off-limits to cameras except for the front lobby.
Shelter officials have declined to comment on the termination, stating the department does not discuss internal personnel matters.
Division Manager Kiska Icard said that capturing photos and videos in nonpublic areas now requires prior permission and cited operational and personnel privacy concerns without offering specifics.
The dispute has opened a new front in a years-long fight over transparency at the shelter, which has faced multiple investigations into overcrowding, animal deaths and a sharp decline in transfers to rescue groups.
The opposition to the media restrictions and volunteer terminations was first made public earlier this month through an open letter signed by 121 current and former shelter volunteers. The letter stated that the removal of the volunteer leads “has left a significant void in our community and directly impacts the care of shelter animals.”
“Both of these dedicated leaders were terminated within a day of each other for doing what they have done constructively for years: recording video to document the behavior and handling of dogs listed for euthanasia,” the letter read. “In Chris’s case, this was done to assist shelter management, and in Amie’s case, it was to secure urgent rescue and foster care placement.”
Farah Ravon, board president of One Planet Rescue in San Jose, told this news organization at the protest that photos and videos are how her organization is able to save dogs from euthanasia.
“Many dogs we’ve rescued were given a second chance because dedicated volunteers spent time with them, took photos, videos, and helped the community see who they really are,” Ravon said. “To me, removing and discouraging these voices really concerns me.”
On the sidewalk, protesters held signs reading “dogs are dying while we wait,” and “SJACS is silencing the only voice these dogs have.” Just steps away inside, Animal Services Director Monica Wylie and shelter officials held an open house intended to update the public on internal efforts to improve conditions, where they were met with intense questioning from the animal welfare community.
Wylie acknowledged the ongoing community outcry over the media restrictions and stated that leadership would take the feedback into consideration, though she made no promises to alter the policy or give any timeline.
Danielle Torralba, a city spokesperson, told this news organization the photo policy was intended to support consistency, accountability and a safe, sustainable environment for the animals in our care, as well as for volunteers, staff and community partners.
“We will continue working to ensure volunteers understand the policies and have opportunities to engage constructively with them.”
Maddy Onumbu, a human resources professional from Campbell who has volunteered at the shelter since 2022, said volunteers have struggled to get clear answers from management about the media ban, shelter policies and data.
“Even when we’ve asked for clarification, they can’t give us a solid answer,” Onumbu said. “They’re refusing to put things in writing. And it’s all to restrict, which is very concerning because it’s then, what are you hiding?”
The grand jury report released in May found that while the shelter made strides in addressing overcrowding and increasing adoptions following the 2024 audit, other metrics have actively worsened. According to the report, animals are staying in the facility longer, animal deaths have increased and vital transfers to outside rescue organizations have plummeted sharply from over 4,700 down to just 1,159.
Shelter officials said the agency “remains committed to continuous improvement and providing the highest level of service for animals and the community. Many of the areas identified in the report have been the focus of substantial improvements.”
Since 2022, the facility has been the subject of two independent reviews — including a comprehensive 2024 city audit that issued 39 separate recommendations for improvement. Those initial reviews heavily criticized the facility for keeping animals in inadequate and severely overcrowded conditions, relying on outdated medical protocols and suffering from severe veterinary staffing shortages.
During the last fiscal year, the shelter took in 11,189 animals, including 3,532 dogs, 7,176 cats and 481 other animals. To help address the outstanding audit recommendations, the facility’s budget was nearly doubled for 2025, increasing from $9 million to $17.5 million.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed against the city and the shelter by prominent animal welfare advocate Kit O’Doherty and the nonprofit organization Partners in Animal Care & Compassion is set for a hearing this August. City officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The petition alleges severe animal neglect, unlawful euthanasia practices and the routine denial of rescue partners, which they contend violates state law. The lawsuit further accuses the shelter of implementing a “managed intake” policy that illegally turns away stray animals, alongside claims that management engaged in unlawful retaliation against whistleblowers and volunteer partners who attempted to speak out about shelter conditions.
Animal advocate Mike Wagner, a former board member of the nonprofit Kitten’s First and an approved rescue partner who pulls at-risk animals from the shelter, criticized the department over its prolonged issues.
“The city continues to break public trust, deflecting and discounting our concerns, and even retaliating against the community that it is supposed to be serving,” Wagner said. “The termination of these two highly respected dog volunteers is unacceptable. It’s just more ‘us vs them’ from the shelter management team.”