SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Those who do the thankless job of saving animals from conditions most couldn’t stomach are in a special class. Some animal shelters might rely on this help too much and now expect volunteers to carry the bulk of rescue work. On June 24, “Show up for Animals” brought a coalition of animal rescue groups from all over California to the State Capitol to advocate for shelter animals. They told legislators their stories and asked for help. 

Elena Gaffney, founder of Animal Rescues for Change in San Jose, co-organized the event. Gaffney said, “Legislators must recognize we are in a crisis. Too many healthy, adoptable animals are euthanized before the public even has an opportunity to see them.”

In addition, there is a new trend in which many shelters don’t accept animals. Gaffney explained, “People call and say they found a dog or cat, and the shelter won’t take it. The shelter gave them my number instead.” The extra work has become overwhelming. She already rescues animals from Apple Valley (outside San Bernardino), which is what is referred to as a high-kill shelter. 

From the perspective of these animal saviors, the problems are clear: lack of funding transparency, shelter mismanagement, illegal breeding and fewer spay/neuter programs. 

Morgan Leskody was shocked over how mismanaged Modesto’s kitten foster program was, saying, “I was on the foster list but never once got called. Then I’d see shelter postings on social media with photos of kittens saying they would be euthanized if they weren’t picked up.” She continued, “The shelters argue it’s about bandwidth. I believe it’s about red tape instead of being focused on acceptable solutions like spay and neuter.”

Shelter mismanagement also concerned Julie Virga and Elyse Mize, who founded Fix Front Street in Sacramento. They hired an animal rights attorney, Jennifer Mouzis, who explained, “When you notice lots of money being poured into shelters and don’t see results, that’s a problem. The burden is shifting from people who are paid to do the work to those who are not. If the money were going where it should be going, there wouldn’t be conflict with the animal rescue groups. There would be synergy.”

 Fix Front Street members want Sacramento City’s shelter to follow a better model, like the Bradshaw Animal Shelter run by Sacramento County. 

The sentiment from other marchers was the same; they wanted to be part of the solution. And they know pushing for humane animal control legislation is the answer. Lisa Kirk with Fix Our Ferals noticed a drop in spay and neuter program funding around 2020. 

At the time, Gov. Gavin Newsom allocated $50 million to make the state a no-kill haven for shelter animals. Rescue groups may have believed most of these funds would be distributed among shelters for spay and neuter programs. Instead, much money went toward developing strategies to reduce animal euthanasia. Kirk said, “We thought there would be robust funding, but Contra Costa County only received $100,000. …When it costs $150 to $200 to fix an animal, that doesn’t go too far.” 

Backyard breeding is also rising. Gaffney said, “You see dogs for sale on NextDoor and Facebook Marketplace. Many of them get into the hands of irresponsible owners. A year later, we get calls to pull these breeds from the shelters. 

More than 54% are leftover puppies that illegal breeders can’t sell.” She continued, “I was looking at the root causes of this and found lobbyists block breeder control bills, even though these bills would not affect licensed breeders.”

Following the march on the Capitol, comedian and animal advocate Elayne Boosler joined Julie Virga to hand out awards to recognize individuals. 

One recipient was Officer Jessica Solano, an animal control officer for Sacramento County. Solano and her colleagues support shelter transparency and collaboration with animal rescues. She also shared a few things the public should understand: “People get upset when we don’t rush to their call, but there’s a reason. Sometimes, I’m down the street dealing with an animal in a backyard for weeks without food, water or shelter.” 

The public servants address hundreds of animal calls daily, and the public’s patience and kindness are appreciated.

Solano also offered ways the public can help. She said, “If you see something, say something. Contact 311 to report. We can press criminal felony charges against people who abuse and neglect animals. People can also call 311 to report illegal breeders.” Solano concluded, “Fostering and adopting is the best the public can do for us.” 

Many on her team have a passel of their foster pets. 

Elena Gaffney and Julie Virga welcome the public to review their websites and join their efforts. 

Their websites provide plenty of information to help. The coalition plans to conduct Show up for Animals again in the fall and reach out to legislators. 

Websites to visit includefixourshelters.com, animalrescuesforchange.org and tailsofjoy.net.