Director of Seattle Animal Shelter resigns, citing concerns

Director Esteban Rodriguez with the Seattle Animal Shelter is stepping down, citing several concerns affecting his decision.

Rodriguez has been in the role for the past three years. In his resignation letter, Rodriguez said the city fell short of fully funding shelter positions - like behaviorists and foster coordinators.

He also voiced frustration over the city’s lack of action in remodeling the shelter in Interbay.

In a statement, Seattle city officials say in part - the foster care coordinator position is filled and the hiring process for the behaviorist position is underway. Both are fully funded in the current budget through donations and grants.

It goes on to say that with the current budget shortfall, funding for a brand-new facility is challenging and not feasible at this time, but the city has set aside nearly $4.5 million for capital improvements at the shelter.

Rodriguez also noted a challenging relationship with shelter staff and volunteers in his resignation letter.

In May, two former volunteers told KIRO 7 that they believed animal behavior information was not being passed on to new owners, often leading to those animals being returned to the shelter.

The volunteers say they were let go after bringing those concerns to management.

In their statement, the city of Seattle said, “The wellbeing of Seattle pets and animals is a priority for the City, and we are grateful for the leadership of Esteban Rodriguez over the last few years to improve health and safety conditions at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) for animals, employees, and volunteers.”