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Maya Trabulsi: Animal rescue organizations across San Diego County are over capacity, but you and I can help.

Thanks for joining us for this special evening edition, I'm Maya Trabulsi.

So the problem of overcrowded shelters is something that we have been hearing about and reporting on for some time, and that is why we're here at the San Diego Humane Society's Gaines Street campus.

KPBS wanted to get a closer look at the problem, why it's happening, what's being done about it, and what you can do to help alleviate the problem and make life better for so many abandoned animals, just like Comet who just fell asleep.

The Humane Society is the county's largest animal services provider, caring for more than 40,000 animals each year.

Leading the organization is Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, and he joins us today to give us an inside look at the multi-pronged approach to solutions.

Maya: Dr. Weitzman, thank you so much for joining us.

Dr. Gary Weitzman: Well, thanks for having me here to talk about my favorite subject.

Maya: Yeah, and who is this?

Dr. Weitzman: This is Ocean.

Ocean's one of the strays we got in.

We have a lot of puppies these days, and this is one of them.

You've got another one, they're pretty much everywhere.

Maya: And this one's falling asleep.

Obviously we're here for a reason, Dr. Weitzman, can you give us a general idea of the root of the problem?

We're dealing with record numbers of overcrowding in our shelters currently, why is that?

Dr. Weitzman: Yeah, we're dealing with more dogs than we've ever conceived of having before.

It's taken a number of years to get to this place, starting with the pandemic back in 2020.

Most organizations across the country decreased the number of spay-neuters that they were doing.

We were actually asked to do that to preserve personal protective equipment at the beginning of the pandemic, so all those programs slowed down, and then what we're seeing now, and we have been for the last year, is really an overflow of puppies and kittens, and we love them, but we really want them to be in homes and not in a shelter.

Cost of care is a lot.

Cost of medical care, cost of rents, all of that has compounded the issue for all of us, and that's why we think we have so many dogs.

Maya: So how does the San Diego Humane Society deal with the volume of animals when the facilities have reached capacity?

Dr. Weitzman: Yeah, they certainly have.

As a matter of fact, for most of the last year we've been at about 185% to 200% capacity for dogs alone.

Our cat situation is better, but the dog situation has really been untenable.

What we do here, taking care of nearly 40,000 animals a year, is make sure, first of all, we always adhere to our precept of zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable animals in a shelter anywhere in San Diego County.

So, time and space is not an issue, but that doesn't mean it's not a challenge for us.

We've had literally, animals, especially dogs, in so many of our buildings.

We built overflow buildings to house them.

We've done programs that try to get them out faster and help people hold on to them.

We've literally tried to do every single thing, pull every tool we can.

Maya: For most people, it can feel like the worst moment in time when a beloved pet is lost, but a local animal recovery specialist wants people to know that while their pet is lost, hope is not.

When a dog goes missing or needs to be rescued, you call Babs.

[phone ringing] Babs Fry: Hi, you've reached Babs Fry with A Way Home For Dogs, sorry I missed your call.

I am on the other line or in the field assisting another pet.

Babs: I'm best known for call Babs.

You know, when somebody says I've lost a pet, everybody says, call Babs.

Maya: She is Babs Fry, pet recovery specialist.

Babs: A lot of people like to call me pet detective, but that's Ace Ventura and that is not me.

Maya: While a pet detective she is not, to many she is an unsung hero.

Babs: Ultimately what I do is I help people recover their lost pets, and as a byproduct of that also support the community and animal control agencies in capturing dogs at large that nobody can recover.

Maya: And she says to catch a dog at large is nothing like the old cartoons of chasing it down with a net.

Babs: You know, you've got to collaborate sightings, you've got to track common behaviors, patterns.

You know, I have cellular cameras I put in the field.

I solicit the support of private parties to let me put traps on their property.

Maya: Recovering dogs for more than 10 years, she facilitates multiple reunions per week.

female: Thank you so much for all your help.

Maya: And like a recipe, she says the ingredients, AKA her instructions, are specifically selected for each individual situation.

Babs: I mean, my phone rings 24/7 and they're not short phone calls, so I won't keep answering.

This is Babs.

Maya: Like this call she got during our interview.

female: We've been driving around for over three hours looking for her.

Babs: I need to let you know that the very first thing I'm going to do is tell you what you don't want to hear, but you need to stop looking for that dog, and that's very, very, very important.

Maya: She cuts through the emotion with the sole purpose of setting up a successful recovery plan.

Babs: Okay, so in the meantime, take one of your dirty socks, turn it inside out, and get it in a tree in front of your house, okay.

Maya: It's all about identifying odors.

The higher the personal item is placed, the more the wind will carry the scent, like an isolated GPS marker.

Babs: You can take poop from one of the dogs that she gets most excited to see and smear that on a tree.

Maya: And while she does her best to reassure desperate callers-- Babs: That dog will not starve.

The minute she left your care, she went to raw, instinctual responses.

Babs: 18 days in the canyons of Del Mar.

They make it, guys, they survive.

Maya: She says she's not known for her people skills.

Babs: You either love or you hate me.

I'm not here to make you feel better.

And I'm not emotionless, I cry a lot about these dogs.

Maya: She strives instead to be effective by educating people about their mistakes.

Babs: I really would be okay to not have to interact with people, I do this for the dogs.

Maya: And dogs are her world.

While catching them is what she is known for, she also runs a rescue that is almost three times beyond its capacity.

Babs: And Rescue's shelters here are--beyond capacity doesn't begin to describe it, and I think that's a direct result of a lot of things.

I think COVID started it.

It provided people an opportunity to get dogs when they wouldn't have otherwise.

Maya: She says she's catching more dogs now that know commands like sit and stay.

Babs: I have a lot of dogs in my rescue that I thoroughly believe had owners who truly cared for and loved them, but didn't know what to do and thought they were just going to find a new home for cutting them loose.

Maya: Her home in Jamul has been transformed into a crate-based kennel.

Babs: The never ending laundry.

Maya: The would-be living room is lined with crates where the dogs thrive on consistency and routine.

These dogs are the lucky ones.

They have the option to live out their days here, but she says not all dogs can or should be saved.

Babs: Sometimes euthanasia is okay.

I'll be straight up.

Maya: She says euthanasia is a topic that needs to be revisited, not for space-saving reasons, but as a humane alternative for unmanageable situations.

Babs: You know, in the trapping world with me and strays, do you know how many times I've had to drink my own poison as I say it, but sometimes dying, humane euthanasia, is a better alternative than getting hit by a car and sitting on the side of the road, suffering of a broken back in a bush, until you die.

Maya: While her first priority is the dogs in her care, catching dogs will always be her gift.

Maya: So down at the bottom of the hill, this is where Babs keeps her traps.

They come in various sizes and they are humane traps.

She sets them with some food, a couple of cameras, and then the waiting game begins.

Maya: Her kennel is funded through donations, and she provides her dog recovery service completely free of charge.

Still, she wishes those that use her experience would donate more often than they do.

Babs: Of the six dogs in the last two weeks that I have been directly involved in helping reunite, one has made a donation.

Maya: At least, she says a donation toward the rotisserie chicken she uses in her traps and the cost of gas would make a difference, as she offers her priceless expertise in what she calls a dance.

Babs: And I'm the dance instructor, and until the dog starts dancing, we don't know which way we're going and there are a lot of dogs out there that are going to go from the waltz to the tango.

Maya: Whichever dance the dog chooses, Babs never promises it will be caught, but by managing people to not get in their own way, she can set her sights and traps on the hope of a successful outcome.

Babs: You don't quit, you don't give up.

Trust the process.

Maya: So Dr. Weitzman, in the last story we just saw, Babs suspects that a lot of the animals that she's been catching, especially post-pandemic, have come from loving homes, and that kind of makes us deduce that perhaps they were released because people can no longer care for them.

Is that what you're seeing also?

Dr. Weitzman: You know, it's an interesting question because I'm not sure that that's the cause, that that's why we're seeing those animals, but it's consistent with our lower reclaim rates that we've been seeing for the last year, year and a half.

About 30% of the dogs that we get in are reclaimed by their owners.

That's inconceivable to me.

If I lost my dog, I'd be sleeping at the shelter waiting to get that shelter--waiting to get in there and get my dogs back, but it certainly is something that's piqued all of our interest.

Why are so few people coming to get their lost animals?

Maya: It's a very difficult decision when people are considering whether they should surrender their pet.

What are alternatives that owners can explore in order to keep their pets?

Dr. Weitzman: You know, we always assume here that the worst day of anyone's life is if they have to come in to surrender a pet.

It is utterly heartbreaking.

We want to make sure that we're always with them along that path if they need to do it, and sympathizing with them because they've been forced into that situation.

What we also really want to do is adhere to two of our main cornerstones.

One is protecting animals, and the second one is protecting the family bond and making sure that those animals stay in the family as long as possible.

We have a number of programs that actually help people to do that.

We have a behavior hotline, we have behavior support, if someone is having an issue with behavior.

We have medical care through our community veterinary hospital that just opened, really, with force last year, so that we can accommodate people that have financial challenges getting to a private practice vet.

We have a pet pantry that--we can give you supplies and food, no questions asked, and we also want to make sure that if you do have to relinquish or surrender your pet, maybe you can do it yourself with our help through a number of online platforms that help do that.

But frankly, we will turn over backwards, we will change heaven and earth if there's a way to help you keep your pet, because that's a win for everyone.

Maya: We are at the Body Center for Shelter Medicine here at the San Diego Humane Society, and as you can see behind me, a very impressive medical team getting the job done.

Vet costs are one of the major expenses for pet owners.

Even a small animal could mean an overwhelming financial burden for some families, and that's why KPBS reporter John Carroll looked into the costs and how you can lower your bill.

John Carroll: Like pet hospitals everywhere, animals are diagnosed and receive treatment every day at the San Diego Humane Society, but early this year, the society shepherded a bill through the legislature that makes care for pets much more accessible, vet telehealth.

Dr. Weitzman: Telehealth is one way to provide that care when there aren't enough veterinarians necessarily to do office visits for people, and people also can't get into the clinics to get care for their pets.

John: And there are other benefits, says the Humane Society's chief medical officer, Dr. Zarah Hedge.

Dr. Zarah Hedge: But there are still locations within San Diego County where there's not a vet clinic within walking distance, for example.

We know that transportation can be a barrier, and a lot of vet clinics are booked out for many weeks.

John: Walking distance is one thing, but this is a big county.

Some people live an hour or more away from the nearest veterinary clinic, the availability of a telehealth visit can be critically important for them.

Dr.

Hedge: Can potentially see a veterinarian sooner and determine if whatever is going on with their pet is something that they do need to go in person for or if it's something that could be managed through telemedicine.

John: Telehealth can be done with just a simple phone call.

Dr.

Hedge: Hi, this is Dr.

Hedge.

I'm calling from San Diego Humane Society.

John: Or with a video link.

At the San Diego Humane Society, telehealth visits are a huge help for folks who foster animals.

Dr.

Hedge: It's not uncommon for the foster parent to reach out through email or call and say this is going on.

Sometimes we'll say, can you send us a picture or a video and that'll help us decide if they need to bring that animal in.

John: And there's yet another benefit of telehealth, affordability.

Dr.

Hedge: Because they may not want to walk into a vet hospital because they know they can't afford the cost, but maybe a telehealth appointment is something that's more affordable.

John: If you are interested in checking out vet telehealth, Dr.

Hedge says a simple Google search will turn up plenty of options, options that can lower costs and bridge distances to bring needed care to the animals in our lives, the ones that bring us humans that very special kind of joy.

John Carroll, KPBS News.

Maya: So, San Diego leads the way in many industries, including with veterinary care, but we are seeing a shortage of veterinarians across the state, and of course the first line of defense in overcrowded shelters is spay and neuter.

So how is the San Diego Humane Society helping alleviate that?

Dr. Weitzman: Right, you know, we have a number of hospitals in our system.

We have five separate hospitals and a kitten nursery and other specialty clinics of sort, including wildlife.

We have a lot of vets here.

We have vets that have been here their whole careers, and I hope that they'll stay here for the entirety of their career, but we know that once animals get to the shelter, we can provide the care for them, everything from basics and wellness, to full orthopedic surgeries, but it's getting to the shelter that's the issue.

We really want to make an impact on spay-neuter, so we're about to launch a campaign to open up a high-volume, high-quality, spay-neuter center.

It'll be right here on Gaines Street, right across the street, and we're hoping to do about 60 to 80,000 spay-neuters a year, and they'll be low cost, very affordable, even free in a number of cases, but we know that is a tool that is absolutely critical to lowering the number of animals coming into all shelters throughout San Diego.

Maya: Looks like we are in one of the most popular rooms right now in the facility with these puppies, but these--this is an example of the kinds of litters that you receive here at the San Diego Humane Society.

Can you give us a little idea about what we're seeing here?

Dr. Weitzman: Yeah, it really is.

I mean, right here is a visual that explains everything that's happening.

Maya: When an animal enters the system, the shelter system, they can deteriorate quite rapidly, even if they are adoptable and puppies.

So that's why fostering is important, tell us about that.

Dr. Weitzman: Yeah, absolutely, no matter the shelter, San Diego Humane or any other shelter, we're very proud of how we care for our animals here, that we make it as stress-free as possible, but it is stressful for a dog or a cat or a rabbit or a horse to come into us, so keeping them at home is our paramount rule.

We want to do that more than anything.

We also would love, if we do have animals, to have the community's help, and that's through foster.

We have--about 35% of our animals are in foster at any one time.

So, when we're at our peak, about 2,500 to 3,000 animals, I mean, you can tell right there, that's about 900 animals that would be in foster.

Maya: This is Mochi and Mochi has been here since May, and she is a perfect example of an animal that would benefit from fostering, and KPBS's Melissa May recently visited an East County family that is helping through fostering.

Melissa May: The Lizarraga family home is full.

There are two adults, five children, and no shortage of animals.

They have 25 of their own, plus 12 foster puppies and their mama.

Their front and back yards are kid and animal friendly.

And inside, clean cages with bunnies, guinea pigs, and birds are arranged around the house.

Dogs wander between your legs, cats appear out of bedrooms, and photos of their family cover the walls.

Karen Lizarraga: So, lots of animals, lots of cages to clean, lots of picking up poop, and that is the kid's job, and they do it very well, so--and I just think it's such a healthy way for kids to grow up, like, lots of responsibility, lots of lives depending on them, and they do a lot of hard work.

Melissa: The family first got involved with the San Diego Humane Society in 2022 when they adopted Ozzie the pit bull.

He sparked the children's interest in fostering.

Olivia Lizarraga: It's one of the only ways that like, us as kids can really be a part of helping with the Humane Society.

Melissa: The Humane Society says there is a huge need for foster families to help care for the influx of animals in the shelter.

The biggest need is for mama dogs and their puppies.

Like the Lizarraga's most recent fosters, playfully named the baker's dozen, there's mama, Donut, and-- Olivia: Boston Cream and this is Chocolate.

Karen: Twelve puppies is a lot.

It's a lot of poop, it's a lot of cleaning, it's them crying and wanting to go out to go potty during the night, it's sometimes diarrhea, sometimes throwing up, sometimes hard things, and a lot of people, like, don't wanna do hard things, and I say bring it on.

Olivia: I help clean after the puppies and I help take care of them.

I bathe them and do their nails and things like that.

I help with night feedings and morning feedings, especially when we have bottle babies.

Melissa: The Humane Society says unwanted litters are one of the top reasons people give up their pets.

Karen: These animals have no one else.

It's not their fault that they're in this situation and they deserve as much love and companionship, and we can't help all the animals in the shelter, but we can help some.

Melissa: The family has fostered over 70 animals in their East County home over the last two years.

Karen says that's meant an increase in their water and electricity bills, but they get help paying for the animals' basic needs.

Karen: The Humane Society gives you all the food, all the formula, all the vet care, so they go back into the Humane Society every 2 weeks and they have whatever treatments they need done while they're there, so all their shots, all their flea and tick prevention, all of their deworming.

Melissa: Olivia says it's rewarding to see an animal she's cared for be adopted.

Olivia: One of the best parts is just being able to be a part of their lives, and when you see, like, the joy of a family when they get that puppy that you've loved and now they love, it's the best feeling in the world.

Melissa: People interested in fostering animals can fill out an application on the Humane Society's website and take a few online training courses.

Melissa May, KPBS News.

Maya: Once you've made a decision to adopt an animal, your journey could begin online or in person, just like here at the San Diego Humane Society's Gaines Street campus because these touch screens will allow you to search for available animals, click on their profile, and learn everything you need to know.

Maya: And of course socialization is important for all dogs, not just puppies.

KPBS reporter Heidi DeMarco shows us a San Diego County program that proves socialization can benefit both humans and dogs.

D'Angelo Garcia: My name is D'Angelo.

I've been working here for maybe three years now.

Helping all these dogs is my goal in life, 'cause every single one of these dogs here and other animals deserve a loving home and a caring family.

Rachael Borrelli: So we have 40 adults with special needs that come into the shelter five days a week, and they come in and volunteer and they do tasks from laundry, making treats for the dogs, walking the dogs, helping with socialization, because a lot of people are scared to give adults with special needs job experience and allowing them to come in because there are some obstacles that we have to overcome, but we at Animal Services, we noticed that the incredible benefit that it was, not only to our animals but to the adults that were coming in.

Keith Capello: Animals have a way of drawing humans out of their shells, so sometimes they need that.

Sometimes they're very sheltered, you know, in the in the kennel and with D'Angelo especially, he's worked with a number of animals that were too timid to come out of their kennel and he, with patience and, you know, it's okay, it's okay, you know, he's had them, you know, to where they can come out of the kennel and able to socialize with with other people and with other dogs as well.

D'angelo: You got the zoomies!

Rachael: D'angelo is a perfect example.

He came in three years ago, I was here on his first day and helped train him.

Super shy, super withdrawn, so we've seen tremendous growth in him, and he would be a perfect candidate to be an animal care attendant once he gets, you know, enough experience.

D'angelo: It makes me feel confident in life that we come here to help all the animals.

My family is proud of me because, my mom especially, wanted me to get a job here and I told her I'm working my best to get a job so I can help all these animals get a home.

Maya: So having puppies here, this is a good example of why people can come and actually get a puppy from the shelter, but people can also get desirable breeds.

Ethical dog breeding is something that is important, but a lot of the times people can find desirable breeds here at the Humane Society.

Dr. Weitzman: Oh, absolutely, there's no question.

I mean, we have everything, we literally have everything.

I don't think I've seen a Chinese Crested in a couple of years, but almost everything else.

Goldendoodles, Bernedoodles, different mixes that you can call a doodle if you want.

We also have--often have Yorkies, we've got a--we had a Maltese a few times.

We've got all sorts of different breeds.

An organization that has over 20,000 dogs a year, you can get anything that you're looking for, and we always really recommend that people actually consider those animals as individuals, because just because someone's a, what is this, a husky, a husky breed, doesn't necessarily mean this husky is gonna have all the attributes of a husky, so it's really the individual animal as well, but honestly, for heaven's sakes, come shop with us first, and then if we can't find you that animal, we can direct you to one of our partners in the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition, and believe me, just wait two minutes and we're probably gonna have the animal that you're looking for.

Maya: So what are the benefits in somebody adopting from the shelter as opposed to a breeder?

Dr. Weitzman: Well, from us and hopefully from good breeders, you have the organization that you got that animal from.

So from us you have a spayed and neutered animal with a completely medical checked, up to dates--up to date on shots and vaccines and all the things that you need.

Also the behavior support and all the force that we've got to help you for the life of that animal, but that's what we give you, we give you all of us, and I think it's really important because it does take a village, sometimes, you know, even getting through medical insurance and figuring out what what kind of pet insurance you want to have and what kind of training classes you wanna have.

Stick with us in a good shelter and we'll be there right with you, holding your hand if you need it, but I think everybody should take a pause knowing that the dog situation is so unprecedentedly over what any of us could have imagined five years ago.

Take a pause on making new dogs.

Let's get the ones we've got into homes.

Maya: Sit, good girl.

This is Plum.

This is her 4th month here at the shelter, and life here can be really difficult on some of these animals while they're waiting for their forever home.

That is why a group of volunteers in the North County are using their special skills to create a little comfort of home.

KPBS's Tanya Thorn has their story.

Tanya Thorn: They cut, they stuff, and they sew.

This group of volunteers meets every month to make the kennels at the animal shelters a little more comfortable.

Carol Lee: We're in charge of kennel comforters.

We make beds for the animals in the county shelters, mostly for kitties, but also for small dogs, like Chihuahuas like to curl up in these little beds.

Tanya: Carol Lee has been volunteering with the group for 10 years.

Carol: I just love doing this, chatting with friends and doing something worthwhile.

We always say, if we can't take the animals home with us, we can at least give them a comfortable bed.

Tanya: Kennel Comforters meets every month at the county animal shelter in Carlsbad.

They form an assembly line that results in comfy beds for animals in the shelter.

Sue Mills: And we do all different sizes so that they fit different cats, different dogs, and if somebody wanted a specific size to fit a kennel or something, we could do that.

Tanya: The beds come in different sizes, patterns, and shapes, but they all have one thing in common.

Sue: And they were doing just an X or a circle, and my husband had been going through chemotherapy, and they gave him blankets that had a heart in the middle, so I started putting the heart in the middle, and then people said, hmm, maybe we want the heart in the middle, and then everybody started doing them.

Tanya: The Kennel Comforter heart travels to different animals in need throughout San Diego.

All of the supplies used for the beds are donation based.

Manny Salazar: Oh my gosh, without them, these guys would be on like a cold surface floor.

They are providing them so much more than comfort.

Tanya: Manny Salazar is the volunteer coordinator with the shelter.

Manny: We call them donuts, these little donut beds for the dogs.

We give them to cats and to dogs.

Also our medical team will use them to restrain and to kind of comfort animals too.

Cats love to be kind of held and squeezed in it, we call it little like, purrito, where we just kind of hold them.

We use it to vaccinate sometimes.

Tanya: He says the contribution from Kennel Comforters frees up funding that in turn support different needs for the animals in the shelter, and at a time when the shelter is experiencing high volumes of animals, every bit of help counts.

Manny: We work with hoarder cases, we work with relinquishments, with strays, and so a lot of times people think that, all we do is bring in those types of animals and don't even realize that we too have an adoption center, and it's so important to get that word out.

Tanya: But if adoption isn't a possibility, volunteering still makes a difference.

female: He's doing a fantastic job, and guess what, the best part of it is he's never done this before and he tried, and it's all about trying, so there's no mistakes.

Tanya: Volunteers with little or no sewing experience are welcome to make a difference in an animal's life.

female: It gives security to the animals, and guess what?

If I can do that for one animal per month, guess what?

I've been successful, been really successful.

Tanya: Tanya Thorn, KPBS News.

Maya: Thank you for joining us for this special evening edition.

We've shared a lot of resources and programs available to help pet owners through difficult financial times, as well as different ways that you can help.

If you want to learn more, you can head to our website, KPBS.org.

We have created a page with links to all of the resources and programs that we talked about today.

I'm Maya Trabulsi, thank you for watching our KPBS special from the San Diego Humane Society.

Have a great evening.

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Call 1-800-BILLHOWE or visit BillHowe.com.

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