Dear,

As a concerned California constituent, taxpayer and  advocate for animal welfare, I am deeply concerned about the pet  overpopulation crisis in our state. Californian shelters and rescue  groups operate in Crisis mode.

California’s state-run animal  shelters face a dire situation. Since 2021, shelter intakes have soared,  with approximately 450,000 animals entering the system in 2023 alone.  Pet euthanasia rates have hit a three-year high,  reaching alarming  levels of 57 % non-live outcomes in areas. California leads the nation  in homeless animal intakes and euthanasia levels.

Alarmingly,  only a fraction of California government run shelters, about 38.5%,  submitted any statistics to the National Shelters Animal Count database.  Even fewer, just 25.2%, reported data for the entire year. This  incomplete reporting means that a significant 70-75% of California’s  animal intake and outcome data remains unaccounted for.

Some examples for 2023:

Town of Apple Valley Animal Services – 55.84 %

Los Banos, Animal Services -30.72 %

LA County Animal Care Services – 31.28 %

Fresno Humane Animal Services – 32.23 %

Kern County Animal Services– 24.44 %

Contra Costa Animal Services – 17.30 %

San Jose Animal Care Services – 16.57 %

Another  alarming trend: Municipal shelters decline animals in takes, deepening  the current crisis. The numbers of ‘declined’ by shelter animals are not  accounted for either, many of them end up abandoned and suffer the  consequences of living and dying on the streets. The same shelters have  terminated low cost spay neuter support within our communities. The  average price of $850-2000 is not affordable to the majority of  Californians.

These troubling trends underscore the urgent need  for proactive measures to address pet overpopulation and ensure the  well-being of animals across the state – Comprehensive neuter/spay  support has proven to be an effective tool in addressing these  challenges.

I kindly request your support in championing the State Funded effort to comprehensively address the pet overpopulation. By doing so, we have an opportunity to make a positive impact on the  lives of countless animals and strengthen our commitment to responsible  pet ownership. I would like to highlight the following key points that  would like State Leadership to focus on:

• Recognise Animal overpopulation Crisis, work on Comprehensive Centralised solutions as part of crucial Core State Priorities. Adding  Animal Crisis to Core State Priorities is critical step for the  well-being of both our animal population and struggling communities

• Prioritize  and Allocate Sufficient Public Funding ( Including Emergency State  Funds) to establish widely accessible low-cost Spay-Neuter programs  throughout the state, establish a relevant Category within the 2024-25  State Budget. With soaring inflation and a high cost of living,  Californians need affordable access to these services. Local  jurisdiction Animal services are no longer able to provide these  essential services.

• Funding for animal welfare should be sufficient and based on each region’s population needs, prioritizing  areas with high euthanasia rates. It should be transparent and  allocated directly to Californians, not through Third party  organizations that use unrelated grant criteria. This ensures fair  distribution to communities most affected by this crisis.

• Considering lack of veterinarian staff at shelters,  providing  financial assistance in the form of vouchers would allow  expanded access to spay-neuter services through private veterinary  clinics.

• Develop and implement a  systematic approach, possibly create a State Task board to address systemic problems, come up with a long term approach:  Develop  and implement measures to prevent overbreeding of animals by  strengthening breeder laws and regulations, stopping illegal animal  sales, implementing mandatory spay-neuter and registration  requirements.

The welfare of our  companion animals is a matter of great importance to many individuals  and families in our community. However, the challenges associated with  pet overpopulation persist, leading to increased strain on animal  shelters, higher euthanasia rates, and a multitude of issues related to  responsible pet ownership.

Comprehensive spay/neuter support,  along with responsible breeding practices can make significant strides  towards controlling the population of unwanted animals, reducing the  burden on shelters, and improving the overall well-being of our pets.

I am grateful for your attention to this matter  and kindly request your support in championing legislation that addresses the animal Overpopulation comprehensively.

What’s needed is an approach centered on both animals and communities, rather than catering solely to big-money interests and powerful lobbies. Key components for humane animal population management:

State Funded Spay -neuter availability and affordability throughout the communities is crucial at curbing overpopulation at its root. Increased funding for  spay-neuter programs and ensuring access to affordable veterinary  services throughout communities.

Laws and regulations around breeding and selling of animals including online animal sales  to keep animals safe and from being overbred, and prevent breeders and sellers from conducting business in illegal ways.

Mandatory identification and registration of animals are essential when it comes to traceability, responsible ownership,  breeding/selling of animals, including online sales, combating illegal  or criminal activities, managing stray animal populations, preventing  public health risks, and handling zoonotic disease outbreaks.

By  doing so, we have an opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives  of countless animals and strengthen our commitment to responsible pet  ownership.

I am grateful for your attention to this matter and am hopeful that we can work together to enact meaningful change.

Thank you for your dedication to our community and its four-legged residents.

Sincerely,