San Francisco politics just got a whole lot messier – and we’re not just talking about city budget meetings. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s newest District 4 supervisor pick, Beya Alcaraz, is facing some serious heat after revelations about her former pet store’s less-than-stellar conditions.

The drama unfolded when Julia Baran, the new owner of Animal Connection in the Outer Sunset, spilled the tea on the shop’s gnarly state before she took over. We’re talking a horror show of epic proportions: hundreds of dead mice, cages swimming in rodent urine, and – wait for it – a freezer packed with 40 deceased pets. Talk about a nightmare inventory!

From Pet Shop to Politics

Alcaraz, who was just 22 when she bought the store in 2019, apparently thought running a small business was her ticket to political stardom. Her résumé? A mix of pet store ownership and part-time music teaching. College degree? Nope. Political experience? Hard pass.

Mayor Lurie’s team is desperately spinning this as a small business success story, claiming Alcaraz’s “work ethic” and determination should be celebrated. But the new owner isn’t buying it, telling the Chronicle that calling Alcaraz a “successful businesswoman” is a stretch worthy of Silicon Valley startup pitch.

The Political Fallout

With two experienced political opponents already eyeing the June 2026 primary, Alcaraz’s pet store pandemonium might just become her most memorable campaign platform. Dead mice and mountains of rodent remnants aren’t exactly the kind of “community service” most politicians want on their record.

As the saying goes in San Francisco politics: it’s not about how you start, it’s about how spectacularly you can potentially flame out. Stay tuned, folks – this political drama is just getting started.