TAKE ACTION: Reinstate Fired SJACS Volunteer Leaders. Protect Lifesaving Advocacy.

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For years, experienced San Jose Animal Care & Services volunteers have done far more than walk dogs.

They have:

• Helped socialize stressed animals

• Conducted playgroups and enrichment

• Trained new volunteers

• Assisted with behavior observations

• Connected animals with rescues and adopters

• Provided the only public visibility many euthanasia-listed animals ever receive

  
  

Now, two long-serving volunteer leaders have been terminated following the implementation of a new volunteer policy that restricts volunteers from photographing, filming, and sharing shelter animals.

This matters.

Many rescue organizations—including our own—learn about urgent dogs through volunteer videos and networking efforts. San Jose Animal Care & Services does not routinely distribute euthanasia alerts to rescue groups, and many animals are never broadly publicized by the shelter itself.

Without volunteer advocacy, countless animals become invisible.

For foster-based rescues, videos are not simply "marketing." They are critical tools used to evaluate temperament, social skills, handling needs, and placement suitability. Without this information, rescues are often forced to make decisions with limited visibility into an animal's actual behavior.

At the same time, the community continues to raise concerns about:

• Reduced public spay/neuter services

• Increasingly restricted shelter intake

• Growing animal overpopulation

• Long shelter stays

• Lack of a Community Advisory Commission

• Limited transparency and stakeholder engagement
  

Removing experienced volunteers will not solve these problems.

It risks making them harder to see.

We are asking community members to respectfully contact San Jose City leaders and shelter officials and request:

• Reinstatement of terminated volunteer leaders Chris Chiappari and Amie Jan

• Review and revision of volunteer policies that restrict lifesaving networking efforts

• Increased transparency regarding shelter operations and policy changes

• Creation of a Community Advisory Commission

• Stronger collaboration between the shelter, volunteers, rescue organizations, and the public
  

The animals cannot advocate for themselves.

The volunteers who have spent years helping them should not be silenced for doing exactly that.

We have prepared a sample constituent letter that can be copied, personalized, and sent to City officials.

Every voice matters.

Every email matters.

And for some animals, being seen can mean the difference between life and death.

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