The report says that while the shelter has made progress addressing issues identified in a 2024 audit, "critical challenges remain in operations and in the significant erosion of public trust, both of which continue to undermine the shelter's effectiveness."
The findings come as no surprise to San Jose animal rights advocate Rebekah Davis Matthews.
"This is just another thing on top of all that to finally take us seriously when we say that there's problems over there," she said.
One of the key issues highlighted in the report is a "trust gap" with the public, driven by what it describes as a lack of data transparency and credibility.
MORE: Advocates demand change after latest dog death at SJ Animal Care Center
The report also notes that while some metrics -- such as animal adoptions -- have improved, others, including animal deaths and the length of time animals remain in the shelter, have also increased.
Those trends are unacceptable to advocates like Kit O'Doherty, who says the shelter's growing budget should have led to better outcomes.
"The shelter has very clearly been doing a lot less for a lot more money. That trend is very clear," she said.
The shelter was unavailable for an interview Wednesday but told ABC7 Eyewitness News in a statement:
"As always, we remain committed to the health, safety, and welfare of the animals in our care, as well as the ongoing improvement of shelter conditions and services."
MORE: Audit reveals inhumane conditions at San Jose Animal Care Center
DavisMatthews said the statement rings hollow.
"It feels like lip service to me because we haven't seen a lot of meaningful change," she said.
San Jose plans to move operation of the shelter from the Public Works Department to the city's Parks Department later this summer - a shift welcomed by many South Bay animal advocates.
Still, they caution that significant work remains.
"Get standard operating procedures in place. Train the staff on those. Monitor compliance with those. Update them regularly. All of those basic organizational infrastructure-type things," O'Doherty said.