Animal welfare leaders from across California, including representatives of the San Diego Humane Society, gathered at the State Capitol Monday to urge lawmakers to create a Bureau of Companion Animal Welfare.
California has relatively strong laws governing the care, sale, transfer, sheltering, rescue, boarding and breeding of companion animals, but no single bureau is responsible for ensuring statewide compliance.
The proposed bureau would be established within the California Department of Food and Agriculture, allowing one agency for the public and politicians to turn to in the matter of companion animals.
"For the past three years, we have worked with a dedicated committee of animal welfare leaders to develop this proposal and carefully refine the legislative language," said Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of San Diego Humane Society. "It was not drafted in response to Villa Chardonnay or the allegations involving Miranda's Rescue. But these cases and other serious animal welfare concerns throughout California underscore why this work is necessary and add urgency to the need for legislative action.
"California should not wait for the next catastrophe to build a system that can identify warning signs earlier and better protect animals."
Villa Chardonnay is the local case dating to May when a San Diego Superior Court judge transferred care of 728 animals at a Julian property — including horses, cats, dogs and livestock — to the Humane Society.
Among the animals impounded at Villa Chardonnay during what the Humane Society called a "mass rescue operation" were more than 130 cats, more than 30 dogs and dozens of horses, ponies, donkeys, alpacas, geese, chickens, roosters, turkeys, goats, peacocks, ravens and a crow, according to the organization.
Since the rescue of the neglected animals in early May, SDHS has provided medical care, nutritional support and rehabilitation while finding homes or rescue partners for hundreds of cats, dogs and farm animals.
During a June 2026 search operation involving Miranda's Rescue Animal Sanctuary in Humboldt County, investigators recovered 117 intact canine remains from two dig sites, 21 canine skulls, hundreds of additional bones and more than 600 dog collars, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.
To prevent similar cases again, the animal welfare leaders modeled their proposal in part on Colorado's Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act, a state-administered licensing, inspection, complaint and enforcement program.
"California's shelters and animal control agencies are being asked to operate within a statewide system that has no common foundation for licensing, inspections or information sharing," said Jill Tucker, CEO of CalAnimals, the state's association for animal shelters and animal control agencies. "A bureau would establish clear, consistent expectations, help organizations understand and meet those standards, and allow small problems to be corrected before they become costly emergencies. That is good for animals, good for local agencies and supports organizations in doing this work responsibly."
According to those speaking in Sacramento on Monday, the bureau would "supplement, not replace, local animal control, public health, sheriff, police and prosecutorial authority." It would create a statewide framework for licensing and registration, inspecting animal rescues, collecting data and giving the public a place to report concerns and find reliable information.
Licensing fees would be "tiered by factors such as organization type, animal volume, number of facilities and regulatory burden, and could not exceed the reasonable cost of regulation," a joint statement from the groups speaking read. "Most violations would include notice and an opportunity to correct the problem, with due process and appeal rights. An advisory committee would include representatives of shelters, rescues, breeders, veterinarians, boarding facilities, local governments, animal welfare organizations and the public."
The goal is to have the bureau in place, with licensing required by Jan. 1, 2030, the statement read.
