San Diego Humane Society says city's proposed funding cuts are ‘devastating'
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's recent draft budget included slashing a contract with the Humane Society by 20%, prompting the organization to warn that this could impact public safety and put both animals and humans at risk.
The draft budget was announced by the mayor's office on Tuesday, including a $13.6 million net decrease in 'external contracts and services.' Of that amount, $6.5 million would be reduced from services in the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
City of San Diego's preliminary budget proposes cuts to arts funding, library hours and more
Specifically, the San Diego Humane Society's animal services contract would be among those expected to take a hit.
'This adjustment includes the reduction of $3.5 million in non-personnel expenditures associated with the San Diego Humane Society Animal Services contract,' the proposed budget stated. 'The 20% reduction in the Animal Services contract with the San Diego Humane Society will affect services like patrols, with further impacts to be determined.'
However, on Wednesday, SDHS issued a statement, saying the trickle-down effects could be 'far more severe.'
By making cuts to the contract, the organization said they would be unable to respond to animal cruelty or neglect cases, no animal law enforcement and no park patrols to confront off-leash or aggressive animals.
It would also mean no enforcement of rabies control and other public health matters, and no investigations of animal bites, SDHS added.
'To say this would be a devastating blow to our mission and our service to the community would be a tremendous understatement,' said Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and chief executive officer of SDHS.
Additionally, the organization implied the city would need to find a new provider for animal control and sheltering services if the proposed budget cuts were to pass.
A public hearing will take place on Monday, April 21. The city council will hold more hearings from May 5 to 9.
Mayor Gloria will then release a revised proposal on May 14, and the city council is expected to vote on a final budget by June 10.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Protesters rally against ICE in Otay Mesa, Oceanside ahead of ‘No Kings' day
OTAY MESA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Contingents of protesters gathered outside the Otay Mesa Detention Center and in Oceanside on Friday, calling for an end to recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Holding signs that read 'Immigrants make America great,' and 'ICE melts under pressure,' the demonstrators at both edges of the county marched in pedestrian pathways to voice their opposition to the ratcheted up immigration enforcement seen across the nation in recent weeks. In Otay Mesa, the demonstrators made their way to the main entrance road into the facility, where they strung together trash cans to block it off. Protesters were seen allowing what appeared to be civilian cars through the makeshift barricade. Connect with us: Free Streaming TV app | Newsletters | Mobile app | Latest stories The rallies are an amuse-bouche of sorts to Saturday's highly-anticipated 'No Kings' protests, in which hundreds of thousands of people across the country are expected to gather across the country to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump's policies. More than 1,500 cities in all 50 states are scheduled to have a demonstration as part of the movement, including one in almost every city in San Diego County. Organizers say the rallies are intended to contrast a planned military parade in Washington, D.C. on the same day, ostensibly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Flag Day. Saturday is also Trump's 79th birthday. However, immigration is likely to be a focal point of the demonstrations, fueled by Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles after a series of raids targeting undocumented immigrants at their jobs and on city streets. These immigration raids, which have led to the arrest of dozens, some of whom had legal residency or other documentation, were also motivation for the dozens of demonstrators in Oceanside and Otay Mesa Friday. Similar enforcement actions were carried out in the city of Oceanside, according to police, but details about what they entailed remain few. Oceanside Police won't assist immigration enforcement due to state law For many San Diegans, the immigration enforcement actions of recent weeks have been marked by a high-profile, militarized raid at the popular Italian restaurant, Buona Forchetta, in South Park late last month. At least two of the restaurant's workers were taken into ICE custody following the action, which federal officials said was taken based on a tip that the restaurant employed 19 people — or more than half its workforce — without proper documentation. 'I've got cousins, I've got brothers, I've got people that I don't even know where they're at right now. There's people missing, there's children missing,' one protester at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility told FOX 5/KUSI Friday. 'It's important that together as a people, we stand up.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oceanside Police won't assist immigration enforcement due to state law
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Oceanside Police on Friday said there have been some immigration-related operations conducted by federal agencies in the city in recent days and that they will not be assisting with those efforts, citing state law. After protests over federal immigration enforcement raids erupted in Los Angeles and spread nationwide, Oceanside Police confirmed there have been some immigration-related operations conducted within Oceanside recently. San Diego Police Department urges peace, warns against violence in anti-ICE protests While many of the protests have remained peaceful, some have grown tense and led to clashes between law enforcement and civilians, resulting in hundreds of arrests, The Hill reports. The Oceanside Police Department on Friday said they will be following state law, including Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), and will not be participating in immigration enforcement. 'Our department has consistently followed, and will continue to follow, all applicable state laws.' Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US as more planned This comes as protests nationwide, including across San Diego County, are expected to continue into the weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
UCSD pulls out of San Diego Pride amid objections to festival headliner
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — UC San Diego and UC San Diego Health has announced it will not be participating in the San Diego Pride this year over what it views as antisemitic statements made by Kehlani, one of the festival headliners, regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The move to pull its sponsorship and opt out of the festival follows a coalition of Jewish groups and Mayor Todd Gloria, who announced earlier this month they were sitting out of this year's the celebrations in light of the Grammy-nominated singer's comments and 'safety concerns.' In a statement earlier this week, UCSD officials described Kehlani's views as 'blatantly Antisemitic' and stressed they were making the move to 'stand firm' in its commitment to supporting Jewish members of its campus community. 'Not just a party:' World Pride celebrations end with defiant politics on display The statement noted the university and its health system still intend to march in the Pride Parade. Kehlani, who identifies as non-binary, has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians amid Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza through their social media platform and music. Although the singer's stalwart advocacy has drawn accusations of promoting antisemitic rhetoric from those supportive of Israel. One such display critics point to is their music video for 'Next 2 U,' in which the message 'long live the intifada' is prominently featured. The phrase means 'shaking off' in Arabic and has been used to describe Palestinian rebellion against Israeli occupation. However, this history leads those supportive of Israel to view the phrase as a call for violence against Jewish people. The use of this phrase was cited as the rationale in the cancellation of a scheduled performance of theirs back in April at Cornell University by the school's administration. In response to Cornell's decision, the singer posted a video to Instagram pushing back on the interpretation of her view as antisemitic, saying she is not 'anti-Jew,' rather 'anti-genocide' and is opposed to the actions of the Israeli government in the course of the conflict. FOX 5/KUSI reached out to San Diego Pride for comment on UCSD's withdrawal and is awaiting a response. The nonprofit, in a previous statement, said it does not endorse the political views of performers booked for the festival, adding, 'We honor the value of artistic integrity, the importance of free expression and the role that artists play in shaping culture, challenging systems and amplifying voices while respecting each other's differences.' How to handle the ongoing conflict in Gaza has been a tension point for San Diego Pride, having also drawn backlash from those who have expressed support for Palestinians. Last year, the nonprofit came under fire for the abrupt cancellation of a workshop led by two pro-Palestinian groups, Jewish Voice for Peace and People for Palestine San Diego, at San Diego She Fest — a beloved street fair that takes place prior to the Pride Parade and Festival. Local LGBTQ+ community deals with vandalism amid Pride Month At the time, San Diego Pride cited safety concerns in canceling the workshop. In an open letter shortly after, however, She Fest organizers said the purported risk was 'non-existent,' as they had 'an extensive safety plan, security on site and no viable threats.' The move ultimately led She Fest's leadership to sever ties with the nonprofit, stating in a post on Instagram the two came to a mutual decision that it was not possible for them to move forward together 'in a way that honors [She Fest's] values and responsibility to our community.' As for the Jewish groups boycotting this year's Pride in light of Kehlani's statements, several said they similarly plan to celebrate Pride independently of the main festivities in July. 'It's really sad to me that the San Diego Pride didn't understand the needs of the community,' Lilian Faderman, a congregant at Temple Emanu-El and LGBTQ+ historian, told FOX 5/KUSI earlier this month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
