Governor Newsom Proposes Statewide No-Kill Animal Shelters

Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed making California the third no-kill animal shelter state in the country.

Included in Governor Newsom’s 2020-2021 budget proposal is a $50 million grant to the University of California for the no-kill shelters. According to the budget summary, the state is to ‘achieve the state’s policy goal that no adoptable or treatable dog or cat should be euthanized.’

In a tweet, the Office of the Governor elaborated, saying “Woof-woof-hooray!  Governor Newsom dedicated $50 million to the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program to give CA’s animal shelters the training and resources they need to meet the state’s no-kill goal in 5 years.”

Woof-woof-hooray! ????

Governor @GavinNewsom dedicated $50 million to the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program to give CA’s animal shelters the training and resources they need to meet the state’s no-kill goal in 5 years. #CaliforniaForAll #CAbudget pic.twitter.com/zO7GG4eEMF

— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) January 10, 2020

“We want to be a no-kill state,” stated Governor Newsom.

The University of California’s Koret Shelter Medicine Program, who will be be receiving the grant, has publicly praised the Governor for his budget decision.

“California has had a policy for 20 years that it’s the preference of the state that no healthy, treatable animal be euthanized. So that part is not new,” explained program director Dr. Kate Hurley. “But what is new and just incredible is the governor investing state funds to make that a reality.”

“About 100,000 animals are euthanized each year in California. In 1998, it was estimated that more than half a million animals were euthanized. So we made some headway. We really have.”

According to the budget proposal, the $50 million will finish the job.

Animal welfare groups also praised the budget proposal when it was released, with many city animal shelters messaging or tweeting support as well.

However many critics have pointed out that the Governor has also supported largely contradictory laws and proposals in the past. As the National Review pointed out, California has passed assisted suicide measures. Other critics have said that the Governor is spending money on things that can be sorted out by themselves, such as the case with shelters and his proposed state prescription drug manufacturing program.

“He’s ignoring the bulk of California,” explained Peter Dewey, a lawyer and state budget watchdog. “No-kill shelters aren’t helping anyone in particular. People are thinking with their heart, and it won’t eliminate the problem.

Meanwhile we have lower-middle class to upper-middle class people paying the bulk in taxes for all of these experiments. They address some issues like street people, but things like no-kill shelters, there are more pressing things to give money to.

It’s just voter pandering to animal lovers while others suffer and can’t pay their rent or can’t afford their bills.”

If accepted by the California legislature, California would be the third no-kill shelter state in the country after Delaware and Michigan.