On June 13, 2026, Los Angeles police officers came to my home for a wellness check. The encounter ended with my beloved dog, Jameson, being fatally shot by an officer.

I held Jameson in my arms as he died. He was only two and a half years old.

Jameson was not simply a pet. He was family. He was part of my everyday life, my home, my routines, and some of my happiest memories. Losing him has devastated my family and changed my life forever.

In the aftermath of his death, I found myself returning to two questions:

How can we make encounters between law enforcement officers and companion animals safer?

And:

Why should lethal force be the first or immediate option in an encounter with a companion animal when safe and reasonable alternatives may be available?

Those questions are at the heart of Jameson’s Law.

I am asking California lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom to consider the creation of Jameson’s Law, statewide legislation intended to help prevent unnecessary deaths of companion animals during law enforcement encounters while improving training, preparation, transparency, and accountability.

Jameson’s Law would seek meaningful reforms, including:

• Statewide training for law enforcement officers on animal behavior, threat assessment, de-escalation, and safe animal encounters.
• Clear protocols for dispatchers to communicate when companion animals are known to be present at a location.
• Greater access to appropriate non-lethal tools and alternatives when circumstances allow.
• Clear standards surrounding the use of force against companion animals.
• Consistent reporting and documentation when law enforcement seriously injures or kills a companion animal.
• Greater transparency surrounding these incidents and how they are reviewed.
• Meaningful accountability when an investigation determines that applicable laws, policies, training requirements, or established standards were not followed.

This is not about asking officers to place themselves in danger. Officers have the right to protect themselves and others when a genuine threat exists. It is about making sure they have the training, information, preparation, tools, and options necessary to respond appropriately when companion animals are present.

The goal is prevention. When an encounter can be handled safely without taking the life of a companion animal, we should have systems, training, and policies designed to make that outcome possible.

And when established standards are not followed, accountability matters.

Jameson cannot come home. No law can change what happened to him, and nothing will ever undo the moment I held him as he took his last breath. But his story can create change.

If Jameson’s legacy leads to better training, safer encounters, stronger policies, greater transparency, meaningful accountability, and fewer families experiencing this kind of loss, then his life will continue to make a difference.

Please sign this petition if you support asking California leaders to consider Jameson’s Law and meaningful reforms addressing law enforcement encounters with companion animals.

For Jameson.
For the families who love them.
For the companion animals who depend on us to protect them.

Justice for Jameson. Safer encounters. Meaningful accountability. Lasting change.