Rachael Borrelli, the former Department of Animal Services assistant director, has filed a claim against San Diego County alleging her termination earlier this year was an act of retaliation.
Borrelli oversaw operations at the county’s two animal shelters. The county placed her on leave in September after KPBS revealed she sent a profanity-laced voice memo that disparaged shelter dogs and complained of too few euthanasias.
Borrelli’s claim, filed in January, alleges a colleague defamed her in 2024 and she complained about the matter to human resources. It does not provide details on the nature of the alleged remarks that Borrelli considers defamatory…