“Animals have no voice. So we are their voice. We must treat dogs, cats and other creatures in our shelters with care and dignity.” - Senator Janet Nguyen.
Senator Janet Nguyen has authored two bipartisan animal welfare bills that would increase the quality of life for animals in California’s shelter system through transparency with vital data like the number of intakes, euthanasia cases and open kennels.
It would provide direction to veterinarians by suggesting protocol for managing animals in shelters such as medical record notations including pain management and the speed in which impounded animals are treated and monitored.
Shelter Facts:
- 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters every year. Of those, 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.
- In California, 568,729 animals enter shelters.
- 920,000 animals are euthanized nationwide every year; 62,882 in California.
- 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted nationally every year, 451,180 in California.
Source: ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society
Coauthors include:
Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) and Assemblymembers Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach); Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel); Heath Flora (R-Ripon); Kate Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita); and Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton).
Standards for veterinarian notations on animal medical charts for instances such as pain control, trauma mitigation and instructions given to technicians for treatment.
Requiring data reporting on the websites of large county animal shelters noting the number of intake and outtakes, euthanasias and natural deaths. Clarifying that trap-neuter-return programs for population control of feral or community cats does not constitute animal abandonment as defined in the Penal Code.
Shelter Animals
