CAPS is working on a groundbreaking documentary entitled The Crisis at California’s Municipal Shelters, which we will distribute to state legislators, the media, and the public. CAPS has been doing interviews and getting footage of shelters around the state for the documentary. We currently have footage for 34 shelters, including two wealthy private shelters in the Bay Area.
CAPS is also producing a series of exposés about some of California’s largest municipal shelters, which we will release in the lead-up to the debut of The Crisis at California’s Municipal Shelters. These exposés will include OC Animal Care, Riverside County Department of Animal Services, LA Animal Services, Kern County Animal Services, and San Jose Animal Care & Services.
State Legislation
Our ultimate goal is to get a law passed like the one in New York. Their law, which went into effect in December 2025, regulates public and private shelters and rescues and provided three years of funding and training to get these entities into compliance. Initially, our focus will be on municipal shelters. CAPS is an associate member of the Association for Shelter Veterinarians. Following New York’s law, we’d like to use the association’s extensive shelter guidelines.
In April 2025, CAPS President Deborah Howard met with legislative directors and chiefs of staff for 10 animal friendly legislators in Sacramento. Senator Henry Stern’s (Los Angeles and Ventura Counties) legislative director is taking the lead, assisted by the legislative director for Sen. Kelly Seyarto (Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties). Ms. Howard returned to Sacramento in July for a policy meeting with the legislative directors for Senators Stern and Seyarto.
Sen. Stern honored Ms. Howard as a Senate District 27 Woman of the Year at an awards ceremony in June 2024.
