Founded in 1880, the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is one of the oldest and largest humane societies in the region, known for its animal adoption, shelter services, and community programs. Over the years, SDHS has expanded its operations, taking over animal control services for multiple cities in San Diego County, including a significant contract with the City of San Diego in 2018. The organization prides itself on its commitment to no-kill policies and community engagement, but recent allegations have put its operations under scrutiny.
"Previous employee of the San Diego Humane Society," wrote Reddit user erippinger in the now-viral post. "I'm just sick of seeing their ads begging for money, after I know how much money they wasted, and all of the lies told to the public. It would take an entire book to give you everything, but here's the stuff that's readily available to the public, because I really want people to stop donating to these horrible organizations."
The recent Reddit post, titled "San Diego Humane Society is there for your donation, not for the animals or the community," levels several serious accusations against SDHS. The poster references a recent lawsuit that SDHS lost, reportedly undermining its Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and affecting similar initiatives nationwide. The lawsuit highlighted alleged mismanagement of TNR efforts, which critics say resulted in harm to cats and communities.
The author of the Reddit Post further claims that euthanasia technicians were exposed to euthanasia gas leaks for over two years before the issue was addressed, only after multiple complaints and an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report.
"Poisoning employees with euthanasia gas; this one's obviously more personal, but as a euthanasia tech it took over 2 years for them to do something about the euthanasia gas leaking into the room," read the Reddit thread. "And even then they only fixed it after I quit on the spot, and filed OSHA complaints."
The post also alleges that SDHS prioritizes fundraising over community resources, wastes donations, and compensates its CEO, Gary Wiseman, with an annual salary of nearly $500,000. It also accuses the organization of throwing away valuable donations like flea medication, pet carriers, and food.
The post also alleges that SDHS prioritizes fundraising over community resources, wastes donations, and compensates its CEO, Gary Wiseman, with an annual salary of nearly $500,000. It also accuses the organization of throwing away valuable donations like flea medication, pet carriers, and food.
Despite its public image as a “no-kill” shelter, the post claims that SDHS euthanizes animals at an alarming rate, allegedly manipulating records to justify the practice when shelters become overcrowded. SDHS Management and HR are further accused of fostering a toxic work environment, including union-busting efforts, verbal abuse, and ignoring safety and resource requests.
The allegations have stirred community anger and disappointment, especially given SDHS's significant role in local animal welfare. Public reaction on social media platforms like Reddit and X has been swift, with many users calling for more transparency, accountability, and possibly a change in leadership. Some are advocating for donations to be redirected to smaller, local rescues that might offer more direct benefits to animals in need.
"This is brutal," reads one of the Reddit threads' top comments. "I know a lot of local rescues* are frustrated with SD Humane. Lots of BS and not a lot of transparency. We def need people in our community to better understands shelters are essentially where you drop your pet to be euthanized. It’s so fucked."
This latest stir has highlighted a rift between the public image and internal practices of the San Diego Humane Society. As the community digests these claims, there's a growing demand for SDHS to address these issues head-on, possibly revisiting its mission, management practices, and community trust. For now, the conversation continues online, with many residents of San Diego re-evaluating their support for one of the city's long-standing institutions.
In addition to the most recent Community Cats Program issue, SDHS has been embroiled in several controversies in recent years. In 2023, hundreds of small animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters, were transferred to Arizona and ended up with individuals linked to a reptile breeder known to sell animals as live food, leading to public outrage and calls for accountability. Of the 323 small animals sent to Arizona by the San Diego Humane Society, more than 250 were unaccounted.
The full statement from SDHS is copied below:
Thank you again for reaching out and for the opportunity to address the allegations made in the Reddit thread. While it is unfortunate to see that an anonymous post from a disgruntled former employee can be taken by so many as factual and accurate, we appreciate you providing us with an opportunity to address these concerns directly and transparently.At San Diego Humane Society (SDHS), we are unwavering in our commitment to the well-being of both the animals entrusted to our care and the dedicated employees who make our lifesaving work possible. The allegations shared in this post do not reflect the reality of our organization’s values, practices, or impact.Lifesaving Animal Welfare PracticesSan Diego Humane Society is a national leader in animal welfare, maintaining a zero-euthanasia policy for healthy or treatable shelter animals since 2015. We do not euthanize animals due to space constraints or their length of stay. Every animal we care for is given every possible opportunity to find a loving home, thanks to our nationally recognized veterinary and behavior training programs, and our kitten nursery. These initiatives have saved thousands of lives and have helped animals overcome significant challenges that would have previously rendered them unadoptable.Our transparency extends to our operations. All data regarding admissions, adoptions, and euthanasia is publicly available in our annual impact reports from 2003 to today, and is accessible at sdhumane.org/impact<https://www.sdhumane.org/impact>. For the fiscal year 2023-2024, we proudly maintained a live release rate of 91%, underscoring our dedication to saving lives.Despite our abiding commitment to saving lives, there are times when an animal — despite our best efforts and available treatments — is deemed unhealthy/untreatable due to their extensive behavioral or medical issues. There are clear and specific guidelines that shelters follow for designating an animal as unhealthy/untreatable. These guidelines, known as the Asilomar Accords, were created at a summit of animal welfare industry leaders across the country in 2004, and are used by all members of the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition (SDAWC). We follow these guidelines in partnership with the SDAWC to ensure clarity, compassion, and consistency in our practices. You can learn more about the Asilomar Accords on our website here<https://www.sdhumane.org/about-us/our-story/asilomar.html>.Stewardship of Donations and Fiscal ResponsibilityAs a four-star rated organization on Charity Navigator — the highest rating awarded by the world’s largest charity evaluator — SDHS is proud of our commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency. Every dollar donated is carefully utilized to further our lifesaving mission, and in-kind donations are directed to benefit animals and pet families as they can be. Like most nonprofit organizations, we are not able to utilize every item that is donated to us, and we list specific in-kind donations we are able to use on our website<https://www.sdhumane.org/support-us/ways-to-give/wish-list.html>.Our innovative programs, such as our lifesaving veterinary medicine and community pet support services, are designed to maximize impact while serving as models for shelters across the nation. As the largest shelter in the country to achieve zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals, our efficient use of resources stands as a testament to the trust our supporters place in us.Our Workplace Culture of CareSan Diego Humane Society is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace culture — one that empowers employees to feel respected, valued, and heard. While we acknowledge that some employees may explore unionization as a means of ensuring their voices are heard and that meetings were held related to potential unionization at SDHS, we strongly believe that our Culture of Care makes third-party representation unnecessary.We prioritize direct communication with our employees and encourage open dialogue to address their concerns, provide feedback, and improve their experience. This approach has been validated by our recognition as a Top Workplace by the San Diego Union-Tribune and USA Today for four years, based entirely on anonymous employee feedback. We believe this recognition reflects our commitment to fostering a workplace where employees feel supported and aligned with our mission.Addressing ConcernsAt San Diego Humane Society, the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, and the animals in our care are of the utmost importance. We take all reported concerns seriously and have established confidential reporting channels to ensure individuals can share their concerns freely and without hesitation.We are aware of concerns related to potential exposure to gas used during the humane euthanasia of specific wildlife. Gas is utilized for humane euthanasia selectively, and only on very small wildlife because it is considered humane, effective, and practical for certain species and situations. When it is necessary, SDHS always chooses the most humane option for humane euthanasia that prioritizes minimizing pain and distress.The concerns that were brought forward have been thoroughly reviewed and addressed in accordance with industry best practices and safety standards. We are committed to maintaining a safe and compliant workplace by continually assessing and improving our protocols to protect everyone involved in our lifesaving work, and this work remains ongoing.Whether related to workplace safety, facilities, donation management, or HR practices, all grievances are rigorously evaluated and resolved with transparency and accountability. We remain steadfast in fostering a safe, supportive environment and encourage anyone with concerns to bring them to our attention through the established reporting channels.Final ThoughtsSan Diego Humane Society stands firm in its commitment to saving lives, caring for our employees, and using donations responsibly to support our mission. We value the trust our community places in us and remain dedicated to serving as a model of excellence in animal welfare.For those with further questions, we invite you to connect with us directly to learn more about the impactful work we do every day to inspire compassion and to make the world better for animals and the people who love them.
Originally published on January 6, 2025.
