With advocates and employees imploring San Jose to find a fresh voice for its beleaguered animal shelter, the city has chosen a new leader from outside its ranks to run the refuge long beset with accusations of mismanagement.

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Monica Wylie — who spent 15 years at the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County, and most recently served as the executive director of a Southern California rescue organization — will assume the deputy director position on Oct. 26.

“With nearly 20 years of experience in animal welfare, coupled with her leadership, operational expertise, and track record of life-saving results, I am confident she will help fulfill the Animal Care Center’s mission to provide a welcoming and humane place for animals and those who care for them,” City Manager Jennifer Maguire said in a news release. “She is committed to data-informed decision-making, workforce development, and public accountability.”

Before launching a nationwide search for a new deputy director following the medical retirement of Jay Terrado, public officials had demanded improvements at the beloved shelter in response to myriad concerns raised by advocates and later confirmed by a 2024 scathing audit prompted by an uptick in animal deaths.

San Jose has hired Monica Wylie to oversee its animal shelter. (Courtesy of the city of San Jose) 

The audit found that the shelter had operated well above capacity and in substandard conditions, increasing the risk of spreading disease. It also revealed that the shelter had not expanded medical care, including trap-neuter-return services, to address the growing pet population, and did not engage enough with rescue groups, many of whom said they did not have a positive relationship with the shelter.

While the city is in the process of implementing 39 recommendations from the audit, many have questioned the level of progress made after several incidents surfaced in the wake of the audit — including instances in which more animals died or received questionable care.

One rescue group in particular also took umbrage with a recently released annual report, accusing the shelter of mischaracterizing their relationship and the sequence of events surrounding the resolution of a cat hoarding situation. The organization said a lack of movement by animal control exacerbated the problem.

“Given this reactive nature, calling the effort a ‘collaboration’ is a significant stretch and feels like putting lipstick on a pig, masking the fact that advocacy was required to leverage the shelter’s resources,” Gatos de la Noche Director Jenna Skinner posted on social media. “This incident underscores a systemic issue. There is a breakdown in responsiveness and communication at the municipal level that forced a crisis into the community’s hands.”

Frontline workers and advocates warned that many of the issues persisted at the expense of the animals and employees, emphasizing the need for an outsider to “reset the culture.”

The city selected Wylie from the 27 candidates who applied for the position. Her annual salary is $246,750.

“I am thrilled to join such a dedicated team during a pivotal moment,” Wylie said in a statement. “The San Jose Animal Care Center serves one of the most diverse communities in the country, and I’m inspired by the mission to provide a welcoming place for animals and those who care for them; to protect, educate, and serve the public; to develop programs that improve the lives of people and animals; and to create opportunities for our community and supporters to help us succeed.”

Wylie started her career as a customer service representative before rising through the ranks at the Humane Society to the deputy director position, which she held for six years in the state of Washington. San Jose touted her involvement in building relationships with over 100 rescue groups, which helped reduce the length of animal stays, increasing survival rates through Trap, Neuter and Release and foster programs, and building volunteer programs.

“We’re all about the data here in San Jose. And for far too long, it was clear our shelter was underperforming and needed new leadership,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. “Monica Wylie’s past outcomes speak for themselves — and I will be watching her impact closely as she joins the incredible frontline staff, volunteers, and rescue organizations who save and care for our furry friends.”

After leaving the Humane Society in January 2018, she joined the Animal Friends of the Valleys in Southern California in September 2019 as its executive director, where she was credited with increasing employee retention by 30% and improving spaying, neutering, and vaccination rates by 42%. However, her tenure only lasted 14 months.

Wylie returned to the animal welfare field in 2022, serving as the executive director of KARMA Rescue until the organization folded in mid-2024.

While the city has expressed optimism that Wylie can improve the culture and shelter operations, some skepticism remains among advocates.

Publicly available tax documents show the Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County’s expenses during Wylie’s tenure as deputy director were nearly a third of San Jose’s current $17.5 million shelter budget, raising concerns of whether she could manage such a large organization. Advocates also questioned the dwindling finances of KARMA Rescue before it closed.

Mike Wagner, a former board member of an organization that managed a foster kitten program for the shelter and one of its staunchest critics, said Wylie’s hire appeared to illustrate the city’s pattern of passing candidates with more high-level expertise and a track record of success, noting that he had knowledge that a former director of Miami’s animal shelter had applied for the position.

“I don’t expect this appointment to turn the shelter around overnight after city leadership has ignored the concerns of the community for three straight years,” Wagner said. “It’s noteworthy that the city once again bypassed a highly qualified candidate in the selection process to arrive at an appointment that pales in comparison with someone who appears to lack municipal shelter and public policy experience. I am also concerned that this appointment lacks the experience to oversee the medical director, which is much needed given the way that the medical clinic has been operated and medical resources have been utilized.”