SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- Animal advocates are preparing to take legal action against the City of San Jose if improvements are not made at the city-run animal shelter, which they claim are detrimental to animal welfare. A legal notice sent to the city accuses it of violating state laws regarding a nimal care, alleging significant neglect that has led to animal deaths. Kit O'Doherty, the operator of Partners in Animal Care and Compassion, has been working with the City of San Jose Animal Care Services for three years and claims to have witnessed ongoing dysfunction in its operations. Photo: KRON4 News. O'Doherty stated, "No standard processes in place, constant churn in hiring, turnover extremely high, no training of staff, calendaring done on sticky notes — you name it. Chaos." This description highlights the erratic management style that has reportedly characterized the shelter. The legal complaint has been prepared by Ryther Law Group LLP and states that the conditions at the shelter are so severe that they could be considered criminal. According to O'Doherty, some healthy animals, like a dog named Rufus, have suffocated due to how the shelter is managed. The complaint also refers to a troubling pattern of animal mistreatment, alleging that surgeries were performed on animals, only for them to be returned to inadequate kennel conditions where suffocation might occur. O'Doherty remarked that such matters should be a major red flag for any shelter's management. Approximately one year ago, a critical audit of the San Jose animal shelter suggested numerous improvements and Public Works Director Matt Loesch indicated they aimed to implement these recommendations by 2025. However, the current legal situation could hinder these efforts if not addressed promptly. The city has been given until Jan. 31 to respond to the legal notice, after which further legal action may be pursued if satisfactory improvements are not made. The shelter's management and conditions will likely remain under scrutiny during this period. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published. ...read more read less