Political Career Ends After One Week Amid Animal Welfare Scandal
A San Francisco Democrat's political career has collapsed in disgrace after just one week in office, following shocking allegations about dozens of dead animals stored in freezers and hundreds of decaying rodents discovered at a pet shop she previously operated.
Isabella 'Beya' Alcaraz, aged 29, resigned as District 4 supervisor on Thursday night at Mayor Daniel Lurie's request, marking one of the shortest tenures in the city's political history. The dramatic fall from grace began when the new owner of The Animal Connection pet store came forward with disturbing evidence of neglect.
Shocking Discovery in Sunset District Pet Shop
Julia Baran, who took over The Animal Connection from Alcaraz in May, revealed photographs and video evidence showing the establishment in what she described as disgusting condition. Hundreds of dead mice were discovered under shelving units, while cages were crusted with rodent urine and the property was filled with mounds of accumulated trash.
Baran shared images with media outlets showing extensive rodent nests and decaying carcasses throughout the store. Most disturbingly, she reported finding a freezer 'filled with dozens of deceased pets', including lizards and guinea pigs that had been left to decompose.
'It smells like death,' Baran said in a video recorded on May 19, which showed piles of dead mice and droppings behind store shelving. She and her brother were reportedly stunned by the state of the business and ultimately conducted burial ceremonies for the animals they discovered.
Political Appointment Based on Business Credentials
Alcaraz had been appointed to the San Francisco government with no prior political experience, with Mayor Lurie specifically citing her work as a businesswoman and pet store owner as evidence of her credibility. The mayor's office had promoted her ownership of The Animal Connection, a long-running Sunset District pet shop, as proof of her grit and community commitment.
Lurie had previously praised Alcaraz for working seven days a week to keep the store open during the pandemic, describing it as an example of the 'work ethic she brings to the Board of Supervisors'. The appointment made Alcaraz the youngest board member and the first Filipina supervisor in the city's history.
However, Baran strongly disputed the mayor's glowing description of The Animal Connection as a success story. 'To say you're a successful businesswoman is not true,' she told the San Francisco Chronicle, adding that Alcaraz 'cannot run a business'.
Official Records Confirm Widespread Problems
City inspection records later obtained by media outlets confirmed serious concerns about cleanliness and rodent control at the establishment. Animal Care and Control officers documented multiple violations during visits to the store in 2024, including rodent droppings, spilled food and foul odours.
Authorities issued Alcaraz a formal warning in May 2024 for violating California pet shop health and safety codes, ordering her to clean up rodent droppings and dirty cages within seven days. A follow-up inspection in July still found 'rat faeces everywhere' and persistent bad smells, though the living animals appeared healthy at that time.
Financial records reviewed by The San Francisco Standard and Chronicle revealed additional problems, showing that The Animal Connection operated at significant losses from 2020 through 2023 and that Alcaraz was frequently behind on rent payments. In one email exchange, a leasing agent refused to transfer the store's lease due to its 'payment history and activity'.
Further Allegations Emerge About Business Practices
The scandal deepened on Thursday when Baran released text exchanges in which Alcaraz described questionable financial practices at the shop. In one message published by Mission Local, Alcaraz wrote that she would pay for 'dinner and drinks' with friends or 'clients' as business expenses.
In another concerning exchange, she told Baran, 'I pay people under the table now', referring to employees. Paying workers off the books and claiming personal expenses as business deductions can violate both state and federal tax laws and potentially result in significant penalties.
Alcaraz defended herself in a statement before resigning, insisting, 'I don't owe a dollar in taxes'. She explained that she paid young people who worked in her store because she believed they 'deserve to be paid for their work'.
Rapid Political Fallout and Resignation
As each new allegation emerged—from the dead animals in freezers to rodent-infested cages, under-the-table payments and financial losses—pressure mounted on City Hall to explain why none of these issues had been identified during the vetting process before Alcaraz's appointment.
By Thursday evening, Mayor Lurie moved to contain the damage, accepting Alcaraz's resignation just seven days after swearing her in. In a written statement, the mayor said Alcaraz had offered to step down after concluding that 'the Sunset deserves a supervisor who is fully focused on serving the community'.
He added that they 'also agreed that the new information about her conduct while running her small business, which I learned today, would be a significant distraction from that work.'
Alcaraz echoed this sentiment in her own resignation statement, using language similar to her swearing-in speech just days earlier. 'I believe that my community deserves someone who will work 24/7 to advocate for us,' she said. 'I understand that today's news stories would distract me from doing that. As a result, I told Mayor Lurie that I will resign from my position as District 4 supervisor.'
The case has been referred to the city's Department of Public Health for further investigation, while questions remain about the thoroughness of the political appointment process that elevated Alcaraz to public office despite the apparent problems with her business operations.
