Shelter animals living in crowded, unsanitary conditions; animals being euthanized rather than adopted; strays roaming the streets jeopardizing public health and public safety; and taxpayer money wasted. These are the downsides of a dysfunctional county animal control program which is what Riverside County’s Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) is accused of being.
The department is facing a lawsuit by animal rights advocates alleging both animal cruelty and wasteful spending. The lawsuit, Woodruff v Gettis in Riverside County Superior Court, originally sought the removal of RCDAS Director Erin Gettis. She was transferred to a different position within the County shortly after the suit was filed. Plaintiffs have since amended their complaint to include different demands including cancellation of an expensive consulting contract and that the County come into compliance with California’s Hayden Act, a 1999 law which promotes adoption of shelter animals rather than euthanizing them.
In California and nationally, advocates have been promoting the concept of “No Kill” shelters at which 90% or more of admitted animals have a live outcome, meaning that they were not euthanized, found dead, or lost.
Nationally, 89% of cats and dogs admitted to shelters in 2024 had a live outcome (or save rate) according to data collected by Shelter Animals Count. New Hampshire, which has a state-wide no-kill policy, led the nation with a 95% save rate compared to California, at 87%. But RCAG saved just 73% of the cats and dogs that came into its shelters last year.
In recent decades, the public has become more concerned about animal welfare and animal rights, so killing and mistreating shelter animals has become less acceptable. While this change places more pressure on county animal control departments, it also creates an opportunity in the form of greater willingness to volunteer. The rising number of retirees and childless working age families means that more people have the time and space to take in foster pets and volunteer at shelters.
Some of the best animal control departments are taking advantage of this volunteer energy to achieve better results. A national leader in leveraging volunteers is the Pima Animal Care Center (PACC), which serves Tucson and the surrounding area. PACC saved 91% of the animals it received during the twelve months ended June 2025 remaining above the “No Kill” threshold. Volunteers provide over 88,000 hours of their time to the Center annually and the community fostered 6768 shelter pets during the 2023/24 fiscal year. Unlike RCDAS, PACC welcomes teenagers to volunteer albeit with some age-based limitations.
Another innovative approach PACC uses to minimize its shelter population and the need to euthanize animals is a Pet Support Center which assists families who are struggling to keep their pets. Support ranges from telephone counseling to free pet food, subsidized veterinary care, and help with training.
Potentially more controversial is PACC’s Trap/Neuter/Return program for stray cats. While this approach does not result in a placement, it does limit the overall population of “community cats.” And, as anyone who has visited the Greek Isles can attest, a reasonable number of wild cats can thrive in a community without creating health and safety issues.
Thanks to volunteering and support from an allied nonprofit, PACC produces its strong outcomes with a county outlay of just $15 million. On a per resident basis, this is roughly on par with RCDAS, which spends $36 million to serve a larger population.
It is especially important for county animal control departments to step up their game now. With many families being deported or leaving in haste before being apprehended by ICE, more pets are being brought to shelters or abandoned.
The American public is no longer willing to accept animal cruelty, and many members of the community are willing to spend their time and money to prevent it. For counties like Riverside struggling with overpopulated pet shelters, the time to take advantage of this public desire to help is now.
Marc Joffe is a fellow at California Policy Center.
