Cease and desist letters included allegations like animal abandonment, unlawful euthanasia, inadequate conditions and retaliation against rescue partners and other members of the public.<\/p>\n
This first round of letters listed a series of allegations without getting too specific toward any individual jurisdiction or shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Representatives from the Sacramento-based Fix Our Shelters nonprofit said they\u2019re working on sending out more detailed letters targeting specific shelters. If shelters don\u2019t take action to comply with state law, nonprofit officials say they will bring legal action against what they consider the most egregious players.<\/p>\n
Julie Virga, president of Fix Our Shelters and a lifelong animal advocate, said it isn\u2019t their goal to bring any lawsuits.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s the only course of action if shelters don\u2019t roll out reforms, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal will be \u2026 once we give the more specific examples of violations of law, that they will cure those violations,\u201d Virga said in a phone interview. \u201cAnd if they don\u2019t, I think we\u2019re going to be in a position where we will have to file lawsuits. We would rather not.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0732.jpg\")
A sign advertises a dog that was adopted from OC Animal Care in Tustin on March 4, 2026. Credit: ANGELINA HICKS, Voice of OC<\/p>\n
Virga said the group first got started when she saw her local shelter at the state capital was slow to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, similar to the county-run shelter in OC.<\/p>\n
[Read: OC Animal Shelter to Allow More In-Person Visitors<\/a>]<\/p>\n One of the major concerns mentioned in the cease and desist letters is the concept of \u201creduced\/managed intake\u201d that minimizes the overall number of animals coming into the shelter in an attempt to reduce euthanasia.<\/p>\n Managed intake often involves shelters turning away animals or encouraging members of the public to keep the animal themselves, put it back where it was found or contact a rescue organization.<\/p>\n Virga said reduced intake is happening all over the state and is creating more strays and homeless pets.<\/p>\n \u201cWe realized it wasn\u2019t just our Sacramento shelter that was suffering like this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAll these different jurisdictions were suffering from the same affliction. Not all, but many shelters were violating state law with impunity on a regular basis and felt that these reduced intake programs were essentially above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n OC Animal Care, the county-run animal shelter in Orange County, received a cease and desist letter dated Feb. 13.<\/p>\n The county shelter \u2014 which has been the subject of numerous grand jury investigations and resident protests over the past several years \u2014 practices managed intake for stray cats<\/a>.<\/p>\n [Read: Grand Jury: OC Animal Shelter Needs Updated Policies to Stop Killing More Animals<\/a>]<\/p>\n The shelter does not accept healthy stray cats. Instead, it only accepts sick, injured or underage cats.<\/p>\n Virga said this could be a violation of the Hayden Act, a 1998 state law that outlines certain requirements for animal shelters like mandatory veterinary care and holding periods for stray animals.<\/p>\n It was meant to prioritize adoption over euthanasia in public shelters.<\/p>\n \u201cHayden\u2019s Act requires that shelters accept stray animals \u2014 both cats and dogs \u2014 and that they keep them for the mandatory 72-hour holding period to make sure that they can be reunited with an owner,\u201d Virga said.<\/p>\n \u201cTurning away cats and kittens is illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n Virga is working with a number of local advocates across the state\u2019s various jurisdictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Orange County, she\u2019s working alongside residents who\u2019ve spent a majority of their lives speaking up for homeless pets and fighting for local reform.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Hayden Act is not aspirational or open to interpretation,\u201d said Sharon Logan, an animal advocate in Orange County. \u201cIt\u2019s binding law. It was enacted to ensure that animals in public shelters received basic protections, including adequate holding periods, care and fair opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n [Read: Are Appointment-Only Policies in Animal Shelters Across America Driving Up Kill Rates?<\/a>]<\/p>\n Jonathan Volzke, the new spokesperson for OC Animal Care, said the shelter received a letter and is in compliance with all state laws.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile any decision to reply will be made in consultation with County Counsel, OC Animal Care operates in full compliance with all applicable laws,\u201d Volzke wrote in a statement to Voice of OC.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur work is guided by our mission to promote responsible pet ownership, ensure the safety and well\u2011being of animals, and strengthen the bond between animals and the communities we serve,\u201d Volzke said.\u00a0<\/p>\n To read the cease and desist letter sent to OC Animal Care, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Orange County Supervisors also weighed in on the shelter\u2019s conditions during their Feb. 24 meeting.<\/p>\n Supervisor Janet Nguyen said the shelter has made improvements over the past year, but it\u2019s a work in progress.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease know that we appreciate you, but there is still some work to be done,\u201d she said at that meeting.<\/p>\n Nguyen said animal shelter staff are working on a report regarding the 2018 strategic plan and asked for an update within the next 30 days.<\/p>\n Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento thanked residents for pushing for improvements at the shelter and said staff should issue regular updates to make sure OC Animal Care is meeting goals laid out in the strategic plan.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we need to do something on a periodic basis, almost as a dashboard, and make sure we\u2019re able to see how we\u2019re doing on these different concerns that we have that are outlined in the strategic plan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n [Read: Orange County\u2019s Troubled Animal Shelter Slated for Overhauls<\/a>]<\/p>\n The Laguna Beach Animal Shelter also received a cease and desist letter from Fix Our Shelters.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe letter insinuates general non-compliance with animal shelter laws; however, it does not give any specific allegation of any violation at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter,\u201d Monika Ghaly, jail supervisor for the Laguna Beach Police Department, wrote in an email to Voice of OC.<\/p>\n The police department oversees the city\u2019s animal services division.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City takes the operations at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter very seriously and makes it a top priority to ensure compliance with all related laws,\u201d Ghaly continued. \u201cAs such, the City denies all the vague and unsubstantiated allegations in the attached letter \u2013 which once again was a form letter that was sent to numerous other public entities across the State.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7784.jpg\")
Purringnon, a 7-year-old domestic shorthair cat, sits her kennel at OC Animal Care in Tustin on March 4, 2026. Credit: ANGELINA HICKS, Voice of OC<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9969.jpg\")
A puppy bites on the kennel bars at OC Animal Care in Tustin on Jan. 21, 2026. Credit: ANGELINA HICKS, Voice of OC<\/p>\n