Scrutiny on Abdul El-Sayed’s Record as Detroit Health Director

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, is under fresh scrutiny regarding his time as Detroit’s health director. This comes as the city’s animal control department grapples with allegations of animal abuse, with a former employee labeling it a “dog slaughterhouse.”

When El-Sayed took over in late 2015, the biorelease rates at Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC) increased from around 20% to about 26%. By late 2016, those numbers climbed to approximately 61-62%. El-Sayed’s campaign highlights this improvement, suggesting that while the overall euthanasia rates might seem concerning, they reflect the dire situation he inherited. However, records indicate that 4,680 dogs and cats were euthanized during his first full year in charge, including 1,056 dogs and 29 cats.

Having narrowly defeated Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens in the primary, El-Sayed is now appealing to voters to send him to the Senate. His track record in the Detroit Health Department, particularly concerning animal control, has become a focal point of the campaign.

Michael LaRosa, a former press secretary to Jill Biden, expressed doubt regarding El-Sayed’s comments, saying, “Actually, I really don’t want to believe this, but can someone verify this?”

Meanwhile, El-Sayed’s Republican rival, Mike Rogers, criticized him harshly on social media, questioning his trustworthiness based on the animal control issues in Detroit.

The controversy was sparked by a whistleblower lawsuit from Brittany Roberts, a former officer in Detroit’s Animal Control, who accused the department of neglecting animals, leading to unnecessary deaths. She claimed that after she voiced her concerns, she faced harassment and was ultimately fired. This lawsuit coincided with the transfer of animal control from the police department to the health department led by El-Sayed.

Roberts, who began her role in March 2015, claimed to be “ashamed” of the conditions that led to so many animals suffering, stating, “Every morning before I ate, I would just walk around and see who was alive.”

At that time, reports indicated that DACC had euthanized a significant number of animals—2,260 total in 2015, with 1,988 being dogs and 272 cats.

Under El-Sayed’s leadership, the city began making changes, including lifting a no-adoption policy and hiring Melissa Miller as the new animal control director in December 2015. Over time, this led to improved outcomes, with live release rates rising as well. By the end of 2016, reports suggested a live release rate of 62%, nearly tripling from the previous year, even though the exact euthanasia numbers for that year remain unclear.

While Mayor Mike Duggan acknowledged prior euthanasia rates were troubling, he noted the improvements brought the city more in line with national standards. However, challenges persisted due to budget constraints and the overall struggle of a city recovering from bankruptcy.

El-Sayed himself recognized the difficulties faced by the Animal Control Division, indicating he had not been trained for the role but sought capable leadership to improve conditions for both animals and residents.

Defending his record, El-Sayed’s campaign has pushed back against criticisms of his tenure, emphasizing that he inherited a troubled system riddled with outdated practices and staffing deficiencies. They also pointed out efforts to raise salaries for workers and make significant operational changes aimed at reducing euthanasia rates.

Despite these improvements, issues continued to arise, such as legal challenges around the removal of dogs from homes. The city even agreed to pay $63,000 to settle Roberts’ lawsuit.