Subject: San Jose’s Animal Crisis Is Exploding–Stop Illegal Breeding Now!

Dear Councilmember [Name],

I am writing as a San José resident deeply concerned about our city’s growing animal welfare crisis — a crisis that is entirely preventable.

Every day, unregulated and illegal backyard breeders contribute to severe overpopulation, overcrowded shelters, and rising euthanasia rates. This is not an accident. It is the direct result of San José’s failure to enact and enforce meaningful breeder regulations.

The truth is simple:
San José Animal Care & Services is now so overwhelmed that it routinely declines accepting found animals from the public. When a municipal shelter cannot take in lost or abandoned animals, it is a clear sign that our system is in collapse. Yet the City has not addressed the root cause.

Because San José has no enforceable breeder regulations, unlicensed and irresponsible breeding operations continue unchecked across our neighborhoods. These backyard breeders operate in the shadows — prioritizing profit over animal welfare, producing litter after litter with no oversight, no accountability, and no standards of care. Meanwhile, our shelters are drowning. Staff are overwhelmed, kennels are full, and healthy, adoptable animals are losing their lives simply because there is nowhere for them to go.

Despite repeated calls from residents, rescuers, and advocates, meaningful regulatory efforts have been blocked or abandoned. San José cannot continue to ignore this crisis. It will only worsen unless the City takes action.

What We Need:
I urge you to introduce and support strong, enforceable breeder regulations that protect both animals and the community. Specifically, San José must:

• Require all breeders to be licensed and inspected, irrespective of number of litters
• Prohibit unregulated, illegal backyard breeding
• Impose meaningful penalties on illegal breeding operations
• Invest in public education on responsible pet ownership and adoption

These are common-sense measures that cities across the country have already adopted. San José should not fall behind — especially when our shelter system is at a breaking point.

Please act now.
Enough is enough. We need laws that protect animals, not policies that enable neglect, suffering, and preventable death. I am asking you, as my elected representative, to champion humane, responsible, and enforceable breeder regulations for the sake of our entire community.

Thank you for your leadership, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information (optional)]