Urgent Request from Former Federal Prosecutor to Defer Euthanasia and Support Sanctuary Transfer for Bruce 
Letter sent  May 7, 2026
to clerkoftheboard@ventura.org, sevet.johnson@ventura.org

Dear Supervisors and Dr. Johnson,

I am writing urgently regarding Bruce, the dog currently in Ventura County Animal Services custody and subject to a court order authorizing euthanasia.

I understand the seriousness of the underlying incidents. I am not writing to minimize those incidents or to suggest that Bruce should be returned to his owner or released into the community.

That is not what is being proposed.

The request is much narrower and more specific: that the County temporarily defer euthanasia and support a lawful disposition allowing Bruce to be transferred to West Coast Cane Corso for permanent, non-public, professionally managed sanctuary care under strict lifetime conditions.

California Food & Agricultural Code section 31645 does not require destruction in every case where a dog has been found vicious. It provides that a vicious dog may be destroyed when release would create a significant threat to public health, safety, and welfare. It also expressly provides that if the dog is not destroyed, the judicial authority shall impose conditions upon the ownership of the dog that protect public health, safety, and welfare.

In other words, the statute itself contemplates two possible outcomes: destruction, or non-destruction with protective conditions.
The sanctuary proposal fits that second pathway.

Bruce would not be released to the public. He would not return to Ventura County. He would not return to his owner. He would not be adopted or placed in a home. He would be transferred to a secure sanctuary environment for lifetime management by experienced professionals.

West Coast Cane Corso is already an established Ventura County Animal Services rescue partner. It is already managing multiple dogs from Ventura County adjudicated cases. This is not a theoretical placement or an ordinary rescue adoption. It is a secure, non-public, permanent containment option with an experienced operator who has agreed to assume responsibility under strict conditions.

In addition, Dr. James W. Crosby, a nationally recognized expert in dangerous dog cases, has reviewed Bruce’s history and the proposed placement. His conclusion is clear: Bruce should not be euthanized, but transferred to West Coast Cane Corso for lifetime care and management.

That expert opinion matters. It provides a professional, public-safety-based foundation for choosing secure sanctuary management over irreversible euthanasia.

I also write from the perspective of someone who previously served as a federal prosecutor. In that role, agencies submitted files and recommendations to us. Their views were important and were always considered carefully. But the ultimate disposition of a case rested with the prosecuting authority, applying the law, the evidence, appropriate legal standards, and the public interest.

The same principle is important here.

Ventura County Animal Services’ position should certainly be considered. But County Counsel is not limited to simply carrying out the agency’s preferred outcome if another lawful disposition satisfies the statute and better serves the public interest.

Here, the public interest can be satisfied without euthanasia.

Public safety can be protected through permanent sanctuary placement. The statutory requirements can be met through strict conditions. The County’s own No Kill commitments are better served by using an available, qualified placement where public safety remains fully protected. And California law and policy, including the Hayden Act and recent Court of Appeal guidance, reflect a broader legislative and judicial concern against the unnecessary overuse of euthanasia where qualified rescue or sanctuary pathways exist.

Reasonable people inside and outside County government disagree with Director Rodriguez’s position that euthanasia is still necessary. There is substantial public concern from people who recognize the seriousness of the incidents, but also recognize that public safety can be protected through secure sanctuary placement.

This is not a choice between public safety and Bruce’s life.

Section 31645 allows public safety to be protected through court-imposed conditions. In this case, those conditions can be satisfied through permanent transfer to a qualified sanctuary that already works with Ventura County and already manages adjudicated Ventura County dogs.

Bruce is currently impounded and secure. There is no immediate public exposure. A short deferral would not create a new public safety risk

By contrast, euthanasia is irreversible.

I respectfully ask the Board of Supervisors and County Counsel to take immediate steps to ensure that Bruce is not euthanized while this lawful sanctuary alternative is considered.

Specifically, I ask that the County:

1. Temporarily defer euthanasia;

2. Confer immediately with Bruce’s attorney regarding a stipulated modification of the court order;

3. Support transfer to West Coast Cane Corso under strict lifetime sanctuary conditions; and

4. Allow the family a meaningful opportunity to evaluate any remaining appellate options before irreversible action is taken.

There is still a lawful, safe, and responsible path forward.

I respectfully urge the County to take it.

Sincerely,

Bill LeFeuvre

Former Federal Prosecutor

Former Executive Director and Board President, Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC)

Attachments (for reference):

• Expert Report – Dr. James W. Crosby

• Curriculum Vitae – Dr. James W. Crosby

END OF LETTER
* * * 
NOTE: Email former VCAS Commissioner Suza Francina Suzaojaicitycouncil@gmail.com for a copy of above attachments.

Bruce is on the brink of euthanasia under a court order in Ventura County, yet his life can have a meaningful future beyond this decision. As a former federal prosecutor, I understand the gravity of the incidents leading to this decision. However, it is crucial to consider that Bruce deserves a chance for rehabilitation in a dedicated sanctuary where he can live without posing any risk.

Bruce has been in the custody of Ventura County Animal Services after a series of incidents that brought him here. While the incidents were serious, Bruce's potential for a peaceful life in a sanctuary remains unexplored. Sanctuaries are equipped with the expertise and facilities to manage animals with difficult pasts, giving them a second chance in an environment designed for their needs.

In recent years, numerous cases have demonstrated that animals with troubled histories, when given the care and environment they require, can thrive safely in sanctuaries. According to the National Sanctuary Trust, 87% of animals relocated to sanctuaries show significant behavioral improvement and enjoy a high quality of life, reducing the need for euthanasia.

We are urging the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and the involved authorities to reconsider Bruce's fate by deferring the euthanasia order. Instead, we propose transferring Bruce to a reputable animal sanctuary where his unique needs can be met.

Your signature on this petition could make a tangible difference. Help us persuade the decision-makers that Bruce's life is worth saving. Let us unite for a compassionate solution that respects all beings' right to life. Please sign and share this petition to give Bruce the chance he deserves.