Riverside County Animal Services Faces Backlash Over Leadership Failures

Riverside County Animal Services Faces Mounting Criticism Over Shelter Crisis

This week on The Roggin Report, Fred Roggin examines the ongoing scandal surrounding Riverside County Animal Services, where residents, activists, and local officials are demanding accountability for mismanagement and failed leadership.

Leadership Failures and Public Outrage

For years, concerned citizens have attended public meetings, voiced solutions, and pleaded for better treatment of animals—only to be ignored. Instead of taking action, county officials have allowed conditions at shelters to deteriorate, leading to mass euthanizations, low morale, and public distrust.

The hiring of Erin Gettis, an unqualified director with no animal services experience, led to the deaths of 24,000 animals. Rather than acknowledging their mistake, county officials attempted to offer Gettis a three-year contract before ultimately promoting her to a new role.

$2.5 Million Consultant Contract Raises Questions

After intense backlash, Riverside County hired Kristen Hasen, a $2.5 million consultant, to "fix" the crisis. But her approach—turning away more animals to reduce euthanasia rates—has been widely criticized. Cities that previously implemented her model quickly abandoned it.

Supervisor Manny Perez Under Fire

Supervisor Manny Perez has come under fire for deflecting blame and ignoring activists' concerns. Instead of addressing the root causes of the shelter crisis, he has attempted damage control, making empty promises and questionable spending decisions.

What’s the Solution?

Roggin suggests that Riverside County:
✅ Cancel the $2.5 million contract and redirect funds to no-kill shelter experts.
✅ Adopt Palm Springs’ no-kill shelter model, which has proven successful.
✅ Acknowledge leadership failures and listen to the community's concerns.

Will county officials take action, or will they continue prioritizing politics over the lives of animals? The public is watching—and demanding change.