The Humane Shelter Reform and Animal Protection Act

This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “Humane Shelter Reform and Animal Protection Act.”

Purpose and Legislative Intent

The Legislature finds and declares that:

Companion animals are living beings deserving of humane treatment and protection.
Animal shelters throughout the state are experiencing severe overcrowding due to population growth, inadequate municipal shelter infrastructure, insufficient funding, and lack of statewide coordination.
Euthanasia should never be used as a primary solution for shelter overcrowding, lack of space, or insufficient resources.
The State has a responsibility to provide local animal shelters with the funding, staffing, marketing support, veterinary resources, foster programs, and adoption outreach necessary to reduce unnecessary euthanasia.
Every municipality and major population center should maintain adequate sheltering resources to prevent overcrowding in neighboring jurisdictions.
Increased public education, adoption promotion, foster recruitment, transportation partnerships, and rescue coordination can significantly reduce euthanasia rates statewide.
Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to establish humane, proactive, and fully funded statewide shelter reform policies that prioritize lifesaving efforts over euthanasia.

Definitions

For purposes of this Act:

(a) “Animal shelter” means any public or private facility operated for the purpose of impounding, caring for, housing, or adopting animals.

(b) “Overcapacity euthanasia” means euthanasia performed primarily due to lack of shelter space, overcrowding, insufficient staffing, or inadequate funding.

(c) “Lifesaving measures” include adoption programs, foster care placement, rescue transfers, behavioral rehabilitation, medical treatment, public outreach, transportation assistance, and marketing initiatives.

(d) “Municipality” means any city, county, or local government jurisdiction within the State.

Prohibition on Euthanasia Due to Shelter Capacity

No publicly funded animal shelter within the State shall euthanize a healthy or treatable animal solely due to:
Overcrowding;
Length of stay;
Insufficient kennel space;
Budgetary limitations; or
Lack of staffing or resources.
Euthanasia may only be performed when:
An animal is suffering from irremediable physical illness or severe injury confirmed by a licensed veterinarian; or
An animal poses a documented and severe public safety threat that cannot reasonably be rehabilitated or safely placed.
Before euthanasia is authorized, shelters must document all reasonable lifesaving efforts attempted, including:
Adoption promotion;
Rescue outreach;
Foster placement efforts;
Interstate transport opportunities;
Behavioral intervention;
Emergency overflow coordination.

State Shelter Support Fund

The State shall establish the “Animal Shelter Lifesaving Fund” to provide annual funding to shelters for:
Adoption marketing campaigns;
Social media and public outreach;
Veterinary services;
Spay and neuter programs;
Foster recruitment programs;
Shelter expansion and modernization;
Emergency overflow housing;
Transportation and rescue partnerships;
Behavioral rehabilitation and enrichment programs.
Funds shall be distributed based on:
Shelter intake numbers;
Euthanasia reduction goals;
Community population size;
Demonstrated overcrowding conditions.
The State shall allocate sufficient emergency funding during natural disasters, evacuations, or other emergencies causing increased shelter intake.

Municipal Shelter Requirements

Every city or municipality with a population exceeding 50,000 residents shall maintain:
A municipal animal shelter; or
A contracted shelter facility adequately serving its population.
Municipalities failing to provide adequate shelter services shall be subject to state review and corrective action requirements.
Regional shelter burden shall be monitored annually to ensure that large cities are not disproportionately overwhelmed by surrounding jurisdictions lacking shelter infrastructure.

Mandatory Lifesaving Programs

All publicly funded shelters shall implement the following programs:

Foster Care Programs;
Volunteer Recruitment Programs;
Public Adoption Events;
Online Adoption Marketing;
Rescue Partner Coordination;
Behavioral Rehabilitation Programs;
Low-Cost or Free Spay and Neuter Services;
Community Education Campaigns promoting responsible pet ownership.

Transparency and Reporting

Every shelter shall publicly report monthly:
Intake numbers;
Adoption numbers;
Transfer numbers;
Foster placements;
Euthanasia statistics and reasons.
Reports shall be made accessible to the public through a centralized statewide database.
Any euthanasia conducted due to alleged behavioral or medical concerns must include supporting documentation from qualified professionals.

Statewide Adoption and Awareness Campaign

The State Department of Animal Services shall create and maintain a statewide adoption awareness campaign designed to:
Increase pet adoptions;
Promote fostering;
Encourage volunteerism;
Educate the public about shelter overcrowding.
Campaigns shall include:
Television and radio outreach;
Social media promotion;
Partnerships with schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations;
Emergency adoption drives during overcrowding crises.

Enforcement

The State Department of Animal Services shall oversee enforcement of this Act.
Shelters found in violation may:
Receive corrective action orders;
Be required to complete operational reform plans;
Face reduction or suspension of state funding for repeated noncompliance.
Whistleblower protections shall apply to shelter employees or volunteers reporting violations of this Act.

Effective Date

This Act shall take effect on January 1st, 2027 following its passage and approval by the Governor.