Animal welfare groups are calling on California lawmakers to create a new state agency to monitor animal shelters and pet stores, following recent cases of alleged large-scale animal abuse.
The proposal comes as authorities investigate Miranda’s Rescue in Humboldt County. Investigators recovered the remains of 117 dogs from the property in June and found additional remains they could not remove because of their advanced decomposition.
Authorities said many of the recovered dogs appeared to have been shot. The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed against the rescue’s owner.
In May, authorities also removed hundreds of animals from Villa Chardonnay, a sanctuary in San Diego County, after years of complaints about conditions there.
The coalition wants California to establish a Bureau of Companion Animal Welfare that would license businesses and organizations, conduct inspections and collect statewide data.
“California has strong animal welfare values and animal protection laws that govern the care, sale, transfer, shelter rescue, boarding and breeding of pets, but no single state entity that is responsible for ensuring those laws work together,” the San Diego Humane Society said in a news release.
San Diego Humane Society President Gary Weitzman said California is one of among roughly 20 states without a similar statewide agency.
“There's such a disparity between the progressive animal welfare laws that currently occupy all of our books in California and the enforcement of those laws,” he said during a news conference Monday in Sacramento.
Valley Humane Society President Melanie Sadek said California could model its regulatory system on Colorado’s Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act. The program allows the Colorado Department of Agriculture to license and inspect pet shelters and businesses.
“Having a bureau really centralizes the information [and] creates an expert at the statewide level for all of us to lean on,” Sadek said.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office also supports the proposal.
“A statewide Bureau will give California an earlier line of sight into how animals are received, cared for, transferred and adopted, while preserving the authority of local agencies,” Sheriff William Honsal said in a statement. “Better information and coordination can help us respond sooner and protect both animals and the public.”
