My name is Jason, and I’m part of the Civic Engagement Team at Change.org. Our mission is to connect petition supporters with decision makers and to help foster healthy civic engagement in our communities.

We reached out to FEMA both by phone and email regarding the petition to support Doodle’s Ranch with emergency assistance. FEMA Region 5 indicated they’re currently unable to respond because of the federal government funding lapse:

“Due to the lapse in federal government funding, this email inbox may not be actively monitored at this time. As a result, we may be unable to respond to your message, or there may be a delay in our response due to the high volume of inquiries. 

Once the government funding lapse is resolved, we will address your message as soon as possible.”

What this means: Federal staff who would typically handle these requests may be unavailable until funding is restored, so replies or action could be delayed.

Staying engaged (while federal channels are paused):

• Keep outreach respectful and concise and be prepared for delayed replies.
• Consider state, county, or local emergency management contacts and relevant animal-services nonprofits that may offer interim support while federal agencies are limited.
• The petition starter can post any status changes here once official communications resume.

We hope you found this update useful,

Jason and the Civic Engagement team