This bill is a long-overdue step toward transparency and accountability in our animal welfare system. From 1995 to 2016, the California Department of Public Health collected similar data, but that reporting was voluntary and eventually discontinued. Since then, multiple bipartisan efforts to restore shelter data reporting have been blocked in committee before reaching a full vote.

While this bill doesn’t solve everything, it sets a critical foundation. Here’s why your support is essential:

– Public shelters handle the vast majority of intakes.
Approximately 85% of all animals entering California’s shelter system go through public shelters. Without mandatory reporting from these facilities, we are missing the full picture of what’s happening to most of the state’s homeless and at-risk animals.

– No tracking of animals turned away.
Many shelters now use “managed intake” policies, refusing to accept stray or found animals without any record. These animals vanish from the system—unseen, uncounted, and unprotected.

– No centralized data system.
California still lacks a statewide mechanism to collect and analyze shelter data. Without it, policymakers, advocates, and the public cannot assess the true scope of the crisis or craft effective solutions.

– Lack of transparency enables inaction.
Shelters funded by taxpayer dollars should not be allowed to operate in secrecy. Transparency drives accountability, improves outcomes, and empowers the public to advocate for change.

This bill is a start—but we need your voice to make it law. By supporting and sharing this campaign, you’re helping to shine a light on California’s animal welfare system and pushing for a future where no animal is left invisible.

Join us. Sign the campaign. Contact your legislator. Be part of the solution.