Multiple residents, animal‑welfare activists and national advocates used non‑agenda public comment at the Nov. 5 San Diego County land use session to press the board for immediate intervention after repeated reports of animal neglect at a rural Artesian Road property and alleged poor conditions at county shelters.

Callers described a pattern of reported neglect and multiple deaths; several said four horses had died at the property. "How many more horses have to die before the county supervisors take action?" one caller asked. Other callers said they had repeatedly reported conditions and received little response from county code enforcement and animal services.

Speakers named county staff by title and called for personnel actions. Dora Fahim, president and founder of Los Angeles Alliance for Animals, said the board "has known about these abuses for over a year and continues to do nothing meaningful to stop them," and repeated a caller's quote of assistant director Rachel Borelli as saying, "I'm so sick of us keeping **** dogs that aren't gonna get adopted," language that multiple callers cited as evidence of poor leadership.

Callers demanded removal of animals from the cited property, an independent third‑party investigation of animal services and shelter conditions, and accountability for leadership decisions. Several callers also raised shelter overcrowding and operational concerns, and some asked the board to use its influence with district attorneys to enforce California animal cruelty laws.

County staff did not present a staff report or take formal action on the record at the Nov. 5 meeting; the item was raised during non‑agenda public comment. Vice Chair Montgomery Stepp noted that remaining callers would be heard and that the board would receive the comments for the record.

Why it matters: public commenters framed this as a systemic failure of animal services and county oversight rather than isolated incidents. Callers sought immediate removal of animals and an independent investigation; board members did not announce a specific staff action in response during the meeting.