New D4 SF Supe Alcaraz dogged by pet store controversy

San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood has a new supervisor in political novice Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz. She was appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie and sworn in November 6, replacing gay former supervisor Joel Engardio, who was recalled by voters.

But already, Alcaraz, 29, is feeling the heat after allegations she left the site of her former pet store business in tatters, leaving for the new owner to deal with the bodies of hundreds of dead mice, urine and trash, as well as dead animals in a freezer. The controversy has seen the city native go from being feted by the mayor at a public introduction event last week to declining media interviews in recent days.

Alcaraz is the city’s first Filipina supervisor and the youngest member currently serving on the Board of Supervisors. Lurie tapped Alcaraz, who also worked as an art and music teacher, to represent District 4 after Engardio was recalled in September. His ouster from office came amid outrage over his support for Proposition K, a citywide ballot measure that permanently closed the upper Great Highway to vehicle traffic. The measure passed citywide but failed by large margins in the district, which borders the former thoroughfare now the site of a park known as Sunset Dunes.

Alcaraz’s staff declined the Bay Area Reporter’s request for an interview by press time, but stated she would be available for one “in the near future.” She is set to take part in her first full board meeting when the supervisors reconvene Tuesday, November 18, having been on recess November 11 for the Veterans Day holiday.

Alcaraz promised she’d be accountable to the people of the district and bring people together.

“The people of the Sunset deserve to have a say on the issues that impact our lives today and will for years to come. Too many decisions have been made without us, and that changes now,” Alcaraz stated. “As your supervisor, I will work to bring all of the District 4 residents together to secure the future of the Sunset. I am humbled and honored by Mayor Lurie’s appointment and the opportunity to serve the residents of this great district. I am proud to serve this neighborhood and look forward to working with each and every member of our community.” 

After Engardio left office October 17, the District 4 seat sat vacant awaiting an appointment by Lurie. Alcaraz will serve until a special election is held on the June 2 primary ballot next spring. The person elected at that time will serve through the end of the year, with a November 2026 election picking the supervisor for the next four-year term. 

Natalie Gee, chief of staff to District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, said last month she had pulled papers to run in the June 2026 election for the seat. Gee told the Sunset Beacon and Richmond Review at that time that Lurie’s team knew she was interested, but that she didn’t expect to be appointed.

“I’ve been advocating for my community for as long as I can remember,” stated Gee in announcing her candidacy October 28. “As a child, I translated English to Cantonese so my mom could understand what was happening at neighborhood meetings. I’ve organized in Chinatown for over ten years. I co-founded Youth MOJO to empower high schoolers to take action on issues affecting their lives, and for the past seven plus years, I have organized tirelessly to secure critical legislative wins.”

Alcaraz was not among those who were widely speculated to be in contention for the appointment and does not have government experience. Her family and friends urged her to get in touch with Lurie so she could be considered, the San Francisco Standard reported. That happened when she gave the mayor her phone number at a Sunset After Dark event in September.

In announcing his choice of Alcaraz, Lurie noted, “As I’ve spent time listening to families, small business owners, and seniors in the Sunset, I’ve heard the same thing: they want a City Hall that does things with them, not to them – and I couldn’t agree more. The Sunset deserves accountable leadership, someone who knows what this neighborhood is all about and someone who is of the Sunset and works for the Sunset.”

He called Alcaraz “a bridge builder and problem solver who cares deeply about this neighborhood. She will bring a fresh perspective to City Hall, and I am honored to appoint her as the next supervisor for District 4.”

Highway saga continues
A lifelong Sunset resident, Alcaraz stated she is willing to work “towards a compromise on the Great Highway.” Already, District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan is exploring a ballot measure to restore the pre-Prop K status quo, a compromise that kept the roadway open on weekdays while closing it on weekends.

The possibility of the park closing doesn’t sit well with Lucas Lux, president of the Friends of Sunset Dunes. Lux congratulated the new supervisor, and stated, “Supervisor Alcaraz’s fresh voice and long ties to the Sunset community make us hopeful that she could be just what the neighborhood needs to heal after the divisiveness of the last five years.”

However, he continued, “We want to be crystal clear: allowing cars on the park in any way is not a ‘compromise.’ It’s a park closure. Closing the park to bring back cars some days would mean tearing out beloved park features like the seating areas, play spaces, and skate park. These features are what have already doubled park attendance compared to the former weekend road closure. Why would we tear out the park to bring back a road that we all know won’t exist in the long term due to climate change? Our community deserves better: a permanent coastal park that San Francisco can be proud of, not a return to a halfway measure that left our neighborhood embroiled in argument for five years.”

Engardio, who recently lost his mother to cancer, stated to the B.A.R., “I hope the new supervisor supports the majority of San Franciscans and the increasing number of Sunset residents experiencing the benefits of Sunset Dunes.”

He stated that the highway won’t be reopening.

“Sunset Dunes is settled,” Engardio stated. “The park is popular and the traffic impact is minimal and manageable. We need to focus on housing affordability, reviving our city’s economy to avoid more budget cuts, and not let public safety slip. And we need to do what we can as a city to support our immigrants, workers, and vulnerable populations from the threat of [U.S. President Donald] Trump.”

It is unclear if Engardio will run to be reelected to the seat next year. He declined to state his intentions when asked by the B.A.R. Tuesday.

Alcaraz’s parents met at San Francisco State University and settled in the Sunset, saving enough money to purchase a home there. They worked as parish manager and athletic director at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church and school in the neighborhood. Alcaraz is also an alum of Holy Name School and of St. Ignatius College Preparatory. She attended Diablo Valley College and City College of San Francisco, but did not graduate from either.

Business woes
Former District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang praised the appointment. She had been appointed to the seat to fill a vacancy in early 2013. 

“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone for the Sunset District’s diverse communities to come together to advance shared goals,” stated Tang, now the director of the Office of Small Business. “Beya’s steadfast commitment to public service, prioritization of residents’ voices, and collaborative approach will drive meaningful progress and long-term improvement across District 4.” 

Indeed, Alcaraz was a business owner herself of the pet supply store called The Animal Connection on Irving Street. She took it over back in 2019 but gave away the business earlier this year, citing her frequent need to see her family, who had recently returned to the Philippines, according to the Standard. The publication also reported that after Julia Baran took over the store, she found hundreds of dead rodents, garbage, and a freezer with dead pets, including lizards and guinea pigs. Baran claimed cleaning the space cost thousands of dollars and took months, and questioned the wisdom of Alcaraz’s appointment, asking, “How are you going to think you’re responsible enough to represent the whole people of the Sunset when you can’t operate a business?”

Baran also shared the businesses’ finances, showing it had been operating at a loss for several years. Speaking to the B.A.R. on November 11, Baran said Alcaraz had not reached out to her since the revelations were published the day earlier, but that she’d heard back after sharing the information with the mayor’s office. 

“Basically, they just kept asking me, ‘What do you want us to do about it?’” she said. “I said, ‘I don’t want anything, I just want you to take accountability for not vetting someone who’s going to take public office and who the community is going to pay for to represent them, and represent their best interest.’ … It’s the truth, and if I didn’t know the truth, I would want to know who this person was, and I think so many politicians get away with things because people don’t speak up. The people of San Francisco deserve better.”

Asked for a response, Lurie spokesperson Charles Lutvak stated to the B.A.R., “In Beya Alcaraz, the Sunset has a supervisor who has dedicated her life to serving her community and will work every day to bring people together. She stepped up from employee to owner of The Animal Connection – working seven days a week for six years and keeping the doors open through the pandemic to serve her neighbors. That’s the determination and the work ethic she brings to the Board of Supervisors, and it’s why Mayor Lurie is absolutely confident she is the best person to be the Sunset’s voice in City Hall.”

Baran explained that it is common practice to store dead animals in the freezer for a period of time. But she didn’t expect to have to dispose of those initially under the care of Alcaraz when she took over the business.

“We get a lot of surrendered animals and a lot are sick or old already, and they kind of live out their lives at the store,” she said. “Basically, she had a freezer of dead animals she never buried. I also have a couple in the freezer I still need to bury, but I wouldn’t leave that for someone to do for me.”

Baran said Alcaraz, who remains the leaseholder, was supposed to have hired an exterminator for the past three months, but has not done so.

“I don’t expect her to reach out to me at all,” she said. “I would love people to come through the store – it’s a lot cleaner now.”