Seeking to provide more affordable care for pet owners in the region, the San Diego Humane Society plans to expand a 500-square-foot clinic at its Morena campus into an $11 million full-service animal hospital, envisioning a summer or fall 2027 opening.
Officials say the project, to be funded entirely by donors, will include space for a high-volume spay/neuter clinic and an area to house dogs that have been surrendered or picked up by humane officers. It will be inside a Gaines Street building that the nonprofit acquired in 2020 along with five other buildings it had previously leased.
The Humane Society plans to triple its vet staffing for the hospital, which will provide dental care, surgeries and emergency services, as well as routine care. The goal is to expand affordable care options in the region, recognizing that some people surrender their pets, or even euthanize them, because they can’t afford veterinary care.
The University of California Davis is also building a new animal hospital in San Diego, expected to open later this year.
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The additions come amid a persistent shortage of veterinarians in California and beyond.
Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, said officials have discussed building the Community Veterinary Hospital for years. About $3 million has been raised for the project so far.
Several factors are making veterinary care unattainable for some, including a shortage of veterinarians and the high cost of services. Vet offices that do exist may not be able to schedule appointments quickly, while some pet owners live in “veterinary deserts” with no clinics or hospitals nearby, Weizman said.
“Access to care is becoming more and more challenging for most people with their animals,” Weitzman said. “That’s the opposite of what we want to see.”
Emergency hospitals can help fill the gap, he said, but often are too expensive for pet owners.
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On its website, the Humane Society describes its community veterinary program as low-cost care that is accessible to pet families who need it most. “By providing affordable, compassionate and exceptional veterinary care to San Diego community members, we help keep pets out of shelters and with the people who love and need them,” the site says. In recent years, the nonprofit has grappled with record numbers of dogs in its shelters.
Weitzman said building the community veterinary hospital will require extensive fundraising, not only for the construction but to pay for staffing.
Officials expect it will cost about $5 million a year to run the hospital and will look at creating endowments to pay for positions. “This will definitely be a financially involved program,” he said. “But I think it’s really game-changing for the Humane Society and for the region.”
Those interested in contributing can email donate@sdhumane.org.
Dr. Andrea Brkic examines Cali at the San Diego Humane Society Community Veterinary Clinic on Thursday. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
A decade ago, Weitzman said he would have expected private vet practices to oppose the project. Instead, he said, those providers are increasingly sending animals needing care to the Humane Society because their owners cannot pay clinic fees.
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“Ten years ago, there definitely would have been concern among my private practice colleagues,” he said. “As of COVID times, there has been no concern whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the opposite — we get referrals from private practices because they don’t want to have to resort to ‘economic euthanasia.’”
The Humane Society is able to charge lower fees because its work is supported by philanthropic gifts, he said.
“What we want to do is provide urgent care that (allows) people to come in and not have to get a second mortgage to get care for their animal,” he said.
The Humane Society began its community veterinary program in 2022, with services initially provided from a mobile clinic. In the summer of 2023, the clinic moved into the Gaines Street space, although mobile clinics are still used on a scaled-back basis, spokesperson Nina Thompson said.
The Humane Society’s website says those eligible for services at the clinic include pet owners with an annual household income under $70,000 or people enrolled in federal or state assistance programs or receiving unemployment benefits. However, clinic staff do not ask for documentation when people show up for appointments.
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Veterinary assistants Vanessa Meza and Madeleine Inoue treat Mochi at the San Diego Humane Society Community Veterinary Clinic on Thursday. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“If you have a vet that you’re going to now, and you can afford those fees, please stay with your private practice. We’re here for people who can’t get in, and that’s really the purpose of the program,” said Weitzman, a veterinarian who works at the clinic one day a week. “We really just want to be there to solve a problem.”
Beyond the animal hospital project, the Humane Society has worked with a coalition of animal groups to seek legislative changes designed to expand veterinary care options. One new law now in effect allows registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants to perform any medical task not expressly prohibited by law. A second bill allows registered veterinary technicians to give vaccines and parasite control measures in shelters without requiring a supervising veterinarian to be on site.
There are other steps being taken to expand veterinary care in San Diego County.
UC Davis is building a state-of-the-art medical center in University City that will offer specialty care, create veterinary teaching and training opportunities, and facilitate clinical research studies.
According to its website, the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California will feature “a pharmacy and dedicated suites for radiography, cardiology, surgery, medical oncology, 24/7 emergency and critical care (ER/ICU) and nephrology/urology.” It is expected to open later this year in a business park on Shoreham Place.
The new facility will take the place of a 3,000-square-foot medical center run by the university in Sorrento Valley in operation for more than 20 years. The new hospital will be eight times the size of the current facility.
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UC Davis is also working to expand the number of veterinarians in its training pipeline. It has pledged to expand the number of doctor of veterinary medicine students enrolled from 600 to 800, adding 50 additional students per class beginning in 2029. The university also plans to build a new veterinary education pavilion on campus.
“We are the premier veterinary school in the country and California is facing a veterinary shortage, so with public and donor support we are committed to meeting the needs of the state’s pet parents, agricultural producers, animal shelters and other care providers,” Tom Hinds, a UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine spokesperson, said in a statement.
36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.
TRENDING
Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.
2026 OUTLOOK
Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
In today’s Daily Dirt, I mentioned that the search at San Diego was done. Here’s the official announcement from USD on the hiring of JR Blount as their next head men’s basketball coach:
University of San Diego Athletics has named JR Blount the 15th head coach in San Diego men’s basketball program history, USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey announced on Monday.
Blount arrives in San Diego with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaching talents after helping lead Iowa State to four NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons.
He joins the Toreros after five seasons on T.J. Otzelberger’s staff at Iowa State, where the Cyclones compiled a 95-45 record during his tenure, won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024 — one of the most successful stretches in program history. Iowa State finished in the AP Top 15 in each of those four seasons and climbed as high as No. 2 nationally in each of the last two years. During the 2025-26 season, the Cyclones opened with a 16-0 start, highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John’s.
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“After a thorough and highly competitive national search, we are proud to welcome JR Blount as the next head coach of USD men’s basketball,” said Massey. “JR is an outstanding leader, a relentless competitor and one of the brightest rising coaches in college basketball. Even more importantly, throughout this process I came to know him as a humble leader with strong integrity and deep family values. JR has been a part of winning at every level of his career and understands what it takes to build a program that competes with toughness, discipline and consistency. Just as importantly, he believes in developing young men holistically and leading in a way that reflects the values of this university.
“This is a pivotal moment for our program and JR’s vision aligns with our belief that San Diego men’s basketball should compete in the upper tier of the WCC and position itself to be a regular NCAA Tournament participant. We are excited about what lies ahead under his leadership.”
“As a product of Catholic education and deeply committed to USD’s mission and values, Coach Blount is an outstanding role model for the young men in our Torero basketball program,” said USD President James T. Harris III. “He brings an impressive resume with deep experience, a winning track record and — above all — a commitment to the overall wellbeing of our student-athletes.”
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead USD men’s basketball,” Blount said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for this opportunity. This is more than just a coaching position for me — it’s a chance to become part of a community and build something meaningful. My wife and our three daughters are excited to make this move together and we can’t wait to invest in this university and the relationships that make it special.
I come to USD with a deep desire to win — to compete relentlessly, to develop our young men to their fullest potential and to build a program our fans can be proud of. Winning championships is important, but so is building a culture of toughness, accountability and love. We’re going to work every day to represent USD the right way, on and off the court. I’m ready to get started.”
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Blount played a key role in Iowa State’s rise under Otzelberger, helping orchestrate one of the most significant program turnarounds in recent Division I history. In his first season with the Cyclones in 2021-22, Iowa State rebounded from a two-win campaign the year before to finish 22-13 and advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Cyclones quickly established a national reputation for defensive toughness, ranking among the nation’s best in scoring defense, defensive efficiency, steals and turnovers forced.
Over the next three seasons, Blount helped Iowa State sustain that momentum. In 2022-23, the Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament and recorded nine wins over AP Top 25 opponents, tied for the most in school history. In 2023-24, Iowa State won the Big 12 Championship, finished 29-8, posted an undefeated 18-0 record at Hilton Coliseum and advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, the 2024-25 Cyclones finished 25-10, climbed as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, earned another NCAA Tournament appearance and closed the season ranked No. 17 nationally.
Known for his work in player development, recruiting and culture-building, Blount has mentored multiple all-conference and All-America caliber players throughout his coaching career. At Iowa State, he developed some of the Big 12’s top performers while contributing to a program identity rooted in toughness, connectivity and competitive excellence.
Prior to Iowa State, Blount spent three seasons at Colorado State, where he helped elevate the Rams into one of the Mountain West’s top programs. During his tenure in Fort Collins, Colorado State signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history and posted consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 20-8 finish and a run to the NIT semifinals in 2020-21. He also played a leadership role in Colorado State’s Together Initiative, which promoted social justice and racial equality on campus.
Blount also previously served in coaching roles at Drake and Saint Leo and began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where the program won the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.
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A former three-year team captain and two-time team MVP at Loyola University Chicago, Blount later played professionally for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League during the 2010-11 season. He earned degrees in psychology and sociology from Loyola in 2009 and later received his master’s degree in education from UW-Stevens Point in 2012.
A native of Milwaukee, Blount and his wife, Ashley, have three daughters: Maya, Zuri and Gema.
UNIVERSITY CITY (KGTV) — San Diego police are investigating the death of an 81-year-old woman who was found unresponsive in her apartment in the 6300 block of Genesee Avenue.
Officers and San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel responded to a 9-1-1 call at about 11:56 p.m. on March 6.
First responders found the woman in her bedroom, unresponsive and “positioned awkwardly on a bed.” Despite immediate life-saving efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives from the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit were called to the scene due to “unusual circumstances,” police said. The cause and manner of death remain undetermined.
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Investigators are working with the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine what happened.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
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