The list of issues with animal impoundment procedures

Shelter Process and Procedures
ISSUE:
The County Animal Shelter currently lacks internal process/procedures that elaborates or
simplifies the State Laws and County Ordinances for animal control employees that assure equal
and humane application for all county residents.
County residents are unable to easily locate and review State Law or County Ordinances, are
ignorant or their rights and of the responsibilities of Animal Control and of procedures through
no fault of their own.
This has placed Animal Control in an adversarial position against the residents when Animal
Control’s role is to:
“[T]o ensure and protect the health and safety of the people and animals of unincorporated
Santa Clara County.”
County Animal Control’s (CAC) role is not that of a “strong arm” department. CAC should first
work with the residence to resolve any issue and take extreme measures only after all other
avenues have been exhausted. Animals are family for a great deal of residences, dramatic acts
or fear of extreme fines by CAC is not who or what CAC is.
CONCERNS:
1. The County Animal Shelter (CAS) relies on employees whose legal acumen to read,
digest and apply State Law/County Ordinances has not been verified.
2. Application of current law is not applied equally.
3. Application does not take into account the owners’ constitutional rights and rights over
property.
4. There is no appeal process outside of the CAS who has already deemed the
animal/owner guilty.
5. Penalties are applied without due process and threats of destroying the animal cause
significant undue duress to owners.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. Internal policies/procedures must be developed that assure equal application to all
animals/owners that:

a. Provide for humane treatment, right to due process of both the animal and owner.
b. Second opinions outside of CAS for any altering medical procedure to include
euthanasia.
c. Provide for transparent and publically available rights of the owner, procedures,
appeals/stays etc.
2. Once compete the procedures will be reviewed for input and approval by the County Animal
Advisory Commission prior to approval by HULET/Board of Supervisors.