At 16 years old, Puppy has attended family court protests, immigration-related demonstrations, and the San Jose Women’s March. She has also visited Stanford University for protests, lectures,  meetings  with law professors and children's medical units as a support dog.  Mostly she has been present when we interview children and families related to family court trauma inflicted by protracted litigation. 

Last week, following the apparent dog-kicking incident involving Peter Ortiz at City Hall, we returned to Stanford after Michele Dauber’s name appeared in Ortiz’s 2026 re-election financial records.

When we arrived, we found Dauber’s office closed. A law professor informed us that she has essentially not maintained a regular presence there since 2018, shortly after she led the successful recall effort against Judge Aaron Persky. Her door still displays emails, letters and a newspaper from that local election. 

Dauber, who was instrumental in the recall of a sitting California judge, received significant out-of-state funding in what became one of the most controversial and costly elections in Santa Clara County history. It was therefore surprising to see her name associated with efforts to support Peter Ortiz, who represents some of the most marginalized and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the region. We understand that Dauber has reportedly been ill, which makes her recent political involvement all the more notable.

We have requested the elevator video from the day Ortiz reportedly kicked an elderly dog and did not issue an apology. We are also investigating who is financially supporting his 2026 campaign and asking whether those supporters would continue their support if  are made aware of the allegations of animal abuse, Ortiz's  lack of response to requests for comment regarding a lawsuit he lost against a social media journalist, and his reported connections to now-convicted child abuser Omar Torres.

In addition to Dauber, we found that Peter Ortiz is receiving financial support for his re-election campaign from Rolando Bonilla, who was convicted in a civil domestic violence case involving his first wife and infant son.

Now we are asking if civility still matters more than politics.