Throngs of hopeful pet adopters lined up outside San Bernardino city animal shelter last Thursday for a chance to bring home a free companion. Some had driven hundreds of miles. By mid-afternoon, the shelter was virtually cleared out and those still waiting were turned away.
The San Bernardino Police Department, which oversees the shelter, held the event in anticipation of the shelter’s impending closure. After much deliberation, the SB City Council voted last month to close the shelter for budgetary reasons. The shelter is in dire need of repairs and upgrades that the city reportedly cannot afford. Following the event, the city plans to outsource all animal services until the shelter formally closes. As of press time, it is not clear whether recent arrivals to the shelter - who could not be processed in time for the free adoption event - will remain on site or be transferred to Riverside city shelter. SB city’s shelter’s closure date has not been announced.
After pledging to work with a coalition of animal networkers, rescuers and volunteers last November, mayor John Valdivia reversed course and joined other local lawmakers in supporting efforts to have neighboring Riverside city shelter absorb San Bernardino’s animal shelter population. The move outraged animal advocates who supported Valdivia’s mayoral campaign last year and have worked tirelessly to devise a plan to partner with the city to run SB City’s shelter.
Concerned that SB shelter animals would be euthanized if not adopted by closing day, animal advocates launched a social media blitz which drew the large crowd. Representatives from the San Bernardino PD strenuously deny the allegations of planned euthanasia. However, the seeds of concern were planted last September after the SBPD installed Lt. Frank Macomber as the shelter’s chief administrator.
Under Macomber’s tenure, collaboration with volunteers, networkers and rescuers was severely curtailed. Additionally, the shelter’s perimeter fence was lined with an opaque green material that obscured views of the shelter’s isolation and receiving kennels. The fencing addition fueled speculation among animal advocates that the SB shelter was being steered away from the “pet harbor” model rescuers favor toward the “holding facility” model of Riverside’s city shelter. Riverside’s city shelter is notorious for sky-high euthanasia rates.
Local animal advocates are still hopeful that a deal can be struck to keep the SB shelter open and make much needed renovations. SB City Council members Fred Shorett and Jim Mulvihill apparently have had a change of heart about outsourcing the shelter and will have a chance to change their vote at the next city council meeting. A full-court press is underway to get the request for proposal process to partially privatize the shelter back on the upcoming meeting’s agenda.
So, who was the brainchild of SB shelters free adoption day? Would SB shelter have hosted this event without the broad reach of animal advocates? What we do know is that 100 abused, abandoned and/or surrendered dogs and cats now have forever homes, vaccines, spay/neuter and microchip included.
They could have just as easily wound up in a whole other place none of us would like to think about.
Contacts in need of your firm, but respectful voices:
Green_Da@sbcity.org,
mcbride_er@sbcity.org,
Mayor@sbcity.org,
Mulvihill_Ji@sbcity.org, shorett_fr@sbcity.org, Richard_be@sbcity.org,
sanchez_th@sbcity.org,
council@sbcity.org,
Ledoux_te@sbcity.org
Councilmember Sanchez- 909-384-5268
Councilmember Shorett- 909-384-5178
Councilmember Richard- 909-384-5378
Councilmember Mulvihill- 909-384-5068
San Bernardino Mayor's office
909-384-5133
Mayor@sbcity.org
Social Media:
Twitter: @MayorJValdivia
Instagram: Mayor John Valdivia@