Dogs in San Diego County shelters are suffering, and they can’t wait another year for relief.

In Bonita, dogs are still being hosed down inside their kennels. Many have no bed to sleep on, no toys to calm their stress, and no real shot at adoption. Conditions like these aren’t just inhumane, they're dangerous. Fear and trauma lead to behavioral issues, and now, those behaviors are being used as justification to euthanize more dogs than ever before.

The system is overwhelmed. And these animals are the ones paying the price.

San Diego County has promised a new, state-of-the-art animal shelter in Santee, set to open in 2026. This facility could finally provide the safe, enriched, and humane environment that our shelter animals deserve. But 2026 is too far away—and without guaranteed funding, staffing, and transparency, there's no promise that it will live up to its potential.

We are calling on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to:

• Fully fund and expedite construction of the Santee shelter to open as early as possible,
• Publicly release a detailed timeline and plan for construction, staffing, and operations,
• And commit that the Santee facility will meet humane care standards from Day One, including raised beds, enrichment activities, proper cleaning protocols, and fair review processes for animals at risk of euthanasia.

The current shelter conditions are unacceptable. Animal lovers across San Diego are stepping up to foster, volunteer, and adopt, but the county must do its part.

Let’s make Santee a model of compassion and care, not another crisis waiting to happen. These animals don’t have time to wait. Let’s give them the future they deserve.

Photo: KPBS