HomeMy WebLinkAboutBetit, Cecile G. _Animals in the Care of the City of San Bernardino Animal Services_RedactedFrom:
To:publiccomments@sbcity.org.; Jasmine Glover-McNamara
Cc:Council; MayorsEvents; "Danielle"; "Jackie Spooner"
Subject:Animals in the Care of the City of San Bernardino Animal Services
Date:Wednesday, September 16, 2026 2:25:31 PM
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Jasmine Glover-McNamara, Director of City of San Bernardino Animal Services
Good afternoon, Jasmine Glover-McNamara,
I write once again to suggest the importance of creating a culture of care at City of San Bernardino
Animal Services Shelter. For the most part, the shelter houses social animals—it is not a
manufacturing environment or a bank. Documentation except for outcome reports is usually quite
up to date. Some of us find the language somewhat harsh in its description of the dogs in the kennel
card information. It seems any imperfection and/or aging is cause for a death sentence.
The public does not hear of great care at SBC or affection for the animals under your leadership.
Spaying a dog that has started her delivery does not show kindness or respect—it raised many
questions regarding animal care from the women who heard of it. Killing animals for behavior who
are deprived of an available playgroup with willing volunteers—seems neither fair nor wise. SBC is a
very high taxpayer expense—its mission is to protect the community and its animals. Local people
expect care, transparency and accountability for all that goes on there.
There has been limited attention in educating the San Bernardino population as to the need and
positive outcomes of spaying and neutering for the animals and their community. The dogs taking up
space at SBC are not doing so by choice. It is human failure that led to this pronounced problem in
Southern California and at SBC. Dogs were adopted out without being spayed/neutered or with
follow-up for many years. Not having a vet has increased the problem.
The letter below that I wrote a few weeks ago suggests some ways that can help animals leave SBC.
Photos, playing with volunteers who describe them, lead to increased interest for adoption and
rescue. SBC has lost many of its old networkers and rescues. It was expected when you were
promoted that you would reach out for conversations with rescues and other groups interested in
the shelter. If those have occurred, there has not been conversation of them.
Efforts have not been put in place to create the kind of infrastructure with San Bernardino or its
contracted cities needed to support working with euth lists of 25, 35, and 45 dogs sent out at 6 or 7
pm for the next day. You have set things up to create a defensive, insular environment for yourself
and staff that has no characteristic of a public service for the community. Shelter correspondence
has a do not reply. There is no really central locale for shelter information easily accessible to all the
people in the City. You are not welcoming to volunteers. Yet, it is volunteers who carry the spirit of
an endeavor to the public. Volunteers in play group have saved many lives over the years including
my dog.
Your recent communication suggests you really don’t want to hear from networkers about their
efforts to save SBC dogs as they request extensions. You don’t seem to take into account, the
networkers are doing this service to the dog and shelter, on their own time, often into their evenings
because they care about the dogs. Networking has been much harder since rescues have stopped
rescuing at SBC because of a mix of lack of hygiene as well as respect for their efforts.
Please understand, the criticisms that are offered here and in general about SBC are really about
how much people care about the animals. What they want from you and the SB City Council is a real
caring environment. Put in a culture of care and there will be high regard. Caring and competence
are a powerful combination for good and often provide effectiveness and efficiency beyond
expectations.
Many local people are at the ready to be helpful. Involve them and those working for SB Community
Development.
Encouraging care,
Cecile Betit
Cecile G. Betit PhD
Member, SBC Networker Team since 2016
Independent Researcher
From:
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 6:14 PM
To: 'Jasmine Glover-McNamara' <Glover-McNamara_Ja@sbcity.org>
Cc: 'Council@SBCity.org' <Council@SBCity.org>; 'Mayor@SBCity.org' <Mayor@SBCity.org>; 'Danielle'
'Jackie Spooner'
Subject: Animals in the Care of the City of San Bernardino Animal Services
Importance: High
Good afternoon, Jamine Glover McNamara:
Experienced managers watching the situation at SBC, recognize that leadership has painted itself in a
corner with poor decisions. The number of animals listed for killing grows. You’ve not followed
through in the commitments you made before your appointment to meet and involve groups of
interested people from San Bernardino and the contracted cities to help save animals.
When will you take the initiative and follow some of the very good advice you’ve been given to save
animals:
1. Really work to get a veterinarian; other shelters have them.
2. Really establish a goal to have the animals in your care leave SBC alive.
3. Change the criteria re killing of dogs after the 60 day-stay and for sentencing animals to death
for very minor medical things including simply being old.
4. Help staff to be more concerned about cleanliness and germs with distemper being seen
again.
5. Let volunteers be of real service at SBC.
6. Let the animals, particularly the dogs, be seen so they can be saved:
a. Let the volunteers take dogs to the play yard for video.
b. Let dogs in ISO and medical be seen videoed.
The consequences of your decision-making style are that more animals are losing their lives at SBC.
Many are simply not getting seen to get out. You’ve managed to fill ISO and medical area with your
arbitrary criteria. The shelter is full because there seems to be little incentive for staff to get them
out or to work with groups who can be helpful . There is little community support or enthusiasm
seen for the animal shelter with your leadership. Once again, those watching hold their breath, will
you do what you’ve done previously: sadly--kill animals to reduce the number rather than take
initiatives to save them.
SBC needs volunteers to video, to play with the animals, to spread the word and enthusiasm on the
wonderful animals at SBC. There are people waiting and very willing to do this. You need to let the
ISO dogs and medical dogs be seen by interested rescues with volunteer made videos. Not letting
people in does not save the animals. It certainly is not building any enthusiasm for the shelter or
enhancing your credibility in the community.
The current realities did not need to happen. They have been building through not having a vet and
not involving those who can be helping the shelter and its animals. The shelter is a service part of
City government. It will function best when it is held in high regard by its community. Put as much
effort into taking care of your animals and helping them to thrive as you do in protecting yourself on
paper. All the animals want to live. Involve the City Department for Community Development to be
a highly regarded part of the community.
With great sadness,
Cecile Betit
Cecile G. Betit PhD
Member, SBC Networker Team since 2016
Independent Researcher
Research Gate : https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cecile-Betit/research
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecile-g-betit-69b32843/
Resource : https://inquiryinstitute.com/thoughtfulcitizenhandbook