Dogs (and other animals) are being euthanized at ridiculously high rates in California. 

Every single day YOUNG, HEALTHY and ADOPTABLE animals are being killed. This is pure murder and we desperately ask for your continued help in order to reform our animal shelters.

MANY CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE WITHIN OUR SHELTER SYSTEMS. IT IS UNFAIR AND SICKENING THAT GOOD DOGS ARE DYING EVERY DAY.

There is no reason for healthy, young, adoptable dogs to be euthanized. Some of these dogs are PREGNANT, others are PUPPIES. Many are marked "RESCUE ONLY" based off a faulty assessment, making it hard for the shelter to get these dogs adopted out. Many dogs have rescued/adopters lined up, but the dogs that should be saved get put down the day before getting picked up. Shelters will knowingly kill dogs when that dog has a rescue coming. Other times they will provide false information or miscommunicate, which results in the dog dying. 

-Shelter directors need to be properly vetted and in it for the love of animals. There are too many directors who are euthanasia happy and REPEATEDLY put down dogs who have rescues/fosters lined up. Kacey at Riverside Shelter just killed two dogs who could have made it out alive. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN! Many shelter directors seem to not care about the lives of these animals. They care more about sending dogs off to die. It is inhumane and should be illegal. NO dogs should be dying especially when they have homes and fosters lined up. Shelter Directors need to be held accountable for their actions in STATING WHY DOGS (all animals) ARE PUT DOWN. So many things happen behind the scenes that the public does not know about. Why is there so much secrecy? We have to check databases and search for animal ID numbers which oftentimes are incorrect or not updated properly. Why are pregnant mother dogs being put down?? Why are puppies euthanized? Why are FRIENDLY dogs dying? 

-EDUCATED, EXPERT level trainers should be required at every shelter. Ones that can properly assist AND assess these dogs. The shelter environment is scary. These dogs are put in positions to fail, and then deemed "AGGRESSIVE" or "FAILED A TEMPERAMENT TEST" when that is simply untrue. These dogs act much differently when out of the shelter environment. Friendly dogs are labeled incorrectly. This is at no fault of the volunteers who are doing the best they can. However, one small human error can result in the dog being unfairly labeled and at risk for euthanasia. 

-We need system that requires PUBLICLY DECLARING dogs that are on the RED LIST (EUTHANASIA LIST) in shelters. Many dogs do not get the proper chance to be seen or networked. Shelter volunteers and networkers work tirelessly (for free) to try and give these dogs a chance. Sometimes we find out about a dog on the Euth list HOURS before the dog will be killed. This gives volunteers no time to network. We need transparency in the shelter system regarding ALL dogs. The euthanasia list should be MADE PUBLIC ON ALL SHELTER WEBSITES. THE PUBLIC HAS NO WAY TO IDENTIFY WHICH DOGS ARE IN DIRE NEED OF RESCUE/ADOPTION AND WHY. 

GOVERNOR NEWSOM, WE DESPERATELY ASK THAT YOU WORK WITH CALIFORNIA RESCUES AND NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO IMPLEMENT AN ENTIRELY NEW, UPGRADED AND HUMANE SHELTER SYSTEM. WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU HOLD SHELTER DIRECTORS ACCOUNTABLE AND REQUIRE TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY WITHIN THE SHELTER SYSTEM. THERE IS NO REASON WHY HEALTHY, FRIENDLY, YOUNG, ADOPTABLE ANIMALS SHOULD BE GETTING EUTHANIZED.