SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Part of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 includes a reduction in the contract that the city has with the San Diego Humane Society.
“We are here to do the work. That’s our mission. We won’t turn people away. We won’t turn animals away,” Gary Weitzman, President of San Diego Humane Society, said. “We were surprised at the gravity of this potential cut.”
The president of the San Diego Humane Society told ABC 10News that this could have a devastating impact on the organization's work in the community.
“We actually have a partnership with the City for Animal Services, so they don’t have to do it themselves,” Weitzman said.
Mayor Gloria’s proposed budget for next year calls for a 20 percent cut, which is $3.5 million dollars, of the contract between the Humane Society and the City.
The City faces a deficit of more than a quarter of a billion dollars in FY 2026.
“Our budget is $17 million to do services throughout San Diego County, responding to the City of San Diego. And a cut like that would jeopardize everything that we do,” Weitzman said.
The proposed budget states the reduction would impact services like patrols with “further impacts to be determined.”
Weitzman said the proposed cut would impact the shelter’s ability to take in animals and it’s humane law enforcement division.
“We do over 20,000 in this city every year to try and help the citizens with animal-related issues, and that’s all at risk,” Jace Higgins, VP & Chief of Humane Law Enforcement, said. “It has a significant impact on all of the different types of calls that we do, from loose dogs in the parks to the cruelty investigations, you know, aggressive animals out in the field, the wildlife that we go out and pick up.”
An official budget proposal is expected out next month.
Weitzman said the worst-case scenario for the non-profit is that it would have to step away from its contract with the city.
"We absolutely do not want to do that or even consider it. What we want to do is have a conversation with the City so we can continue the work and still be able to cover costs, be efficient, and maybe cut some of the expense for the City. We hope that those conversations will start now,” Weitzman said.
ABC 10News reached out to the Mayor’s office for comment about the proposed cuts to the Humane Society in the initial budget proposal.
Gloria’s office told us, “The precise services that will need to be reduced from the $18 million contract will be determined by negotiations with the Humane Society. The City is certain that the ultimate reduction will not threaten public safety. Since the beginning of the year, we have been transparent with the Humane Society about our challenging financial forecast. This is a draft budget, and similar to other departments and stakeholders, we will all work together to find mutually agreeable solutions as we deliver essential services.”
It added there were also difficult reductions in rec center and library hours, and that the budget proposal in May is likely to look significantly different.
