Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is indeed experiencing a 50% rise in animals since two years ago and is overburdened, say shelter board members Jon Bush and Emily Chung. But that is mainly because the shelter won’t give up its open-door policy and refuses to turn needy pets and families away. It’s one of the few shelters in the region to hold these values and to practice socially conscious sheltering, they write: “Even in these difficult times, we will not waver from these values.” Shelter workers and volunteers wrote a Nov. 9 Lookout op-ed complaining about the conditions for animals and a shortage of staff. The board members say they have made four hires since 2020 and have hired a full-time veterinarian to start Nov. 28.

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter population is exploding with mistreated, unwanted, abused and abandoned pets and too few staff members and volunteers to care for them, volunteers and staff write. Most of the issues, they say, stem from bad shelter management and inaction. Volunteers and staff, united here under their union, insist they are burned out and frustrated by poor leadership choices. They have created a petition to get action for themselves and the animals in their care.