Title
Initiate a Final Plea Pilot Program to Promote Adoption or Rescue of Senior Animals and Animals at Risk of Euthanasia
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FileID
File ID: 2026-00826
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Pass a Motion authorizing staff to initiate a 7-month Final Plea Pilot Program to support policy goals related to the promotion of at-risk and senior animals; and for staff to return to the Animal Wellbeing Commission prior to the conclusion of the pilot program to report on the results of the program and seek input on whether to continue, modify, or discontinue the pilot program.
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Contact
Contact: Ryan Hinderman, Interim Animal Care Services Manager, (916) 808-7911, rhinderman@cityofsacramento.org, Community Development Department
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Presenter
Presenter: Ryan Hinderman, Interim Animal Care Services Manager, (916) 808-7911, rhinderman@cityofsacramento.org, Community Development Department
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Final Plea Pilot Program Procedure - Working Group Draft (April 15, 2026)
3-Final Plea Pilot Program Procedure - Staff Revisions (May 28, 2026)
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: At the March meeting of the Animal Wellbeing Commission (Commission), the agenda included a discussion item focused on increasing adoption and rescue placement for senior animals and animals at risk of euthanasia. One of the Commission’s suggestions was to create a program similar to the Sacramento County’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter’s “Final Plea” program, which notifies the public of animals that they intend to euthanize in the near future if an animal is not adopted or pulled by a rescue.
In preparation for the April meeting of the Animal Wellbeing Commission, the Commission formed a working group comprised of five (5) commissioners. At the meeting on April 15, 2026, the Commission passed a motion to recommend initiation of a Final Plea pilot program to the Personnel and Public Employees Committee. The Commission recommended that the duration of the pilot program be seven months and requested inclusion of the working group’s Final Plea Procedure/Draft Language (see Attachment 2), which includes the working group’s initial ideas for program operation and language. Strategies including social media posts, signage at the shelter, and other forms of digital and print notification were discussed.
Since that meeting, staff have engaged in several meetings and email dialogue with the working group to further develop the procedure and draft language. Some changes to the initial draft document were agreed upon by staff and working group members, such as specific language for social media posts.
Staff does not support all elements of the working group’s initial draft document (Attachment 2), and suggested changes that were not agreed upon by all members of the working group. The primary differences include:
• The draft procedure states that all dogs should be included unless they are a documented dangerous dog. A Dangerous Dog (DD) or Potentially Dangerous Dog (PD) are legal designations that usually require a dog to hurt or kill an animal or person, or display very specific aggressive behavior in specific contexts, prior to receiving that designation. Staff recommends changing this language to omit dogs from the program that staff believe are unsafe for public placement (whether through adoption or rescue) based on observed aggression, bite history, and other concerning behaviors that could result in public injury and liability to the City.
• The draft language states the shelter should create 2-4 Final Plea social media posts per week. Staff feels that this volume of social media posts will fatigue followers and result in gradual disengagement from the shelter’s social media channels, which are vital for many other aspects of lifesaving placements.
• The draft language suggests several processes (including special meetings) for tracking and discussing these dogs. Staff does not support the exact processes outlined, either because very similar processes already exist, or because the processes suggested do not align with operational flow or available staff time.
In addition to the draft language of the Final Plea Pilot Program, there has been some difference in opinion about which dogs should be prioritized during the launch of the pilot program. Many dogs who are at risk of euthanasia present behavior concerns that can be safely managed by adopters that have home environments that are conducive to dogs with behavioral challenges but could be a safety risk in home environments that are not compatible. These behaviors often make it very difficult for these dogs to find homes. Some working group members expressed a desire for animals without these behavioral challenges to be featured in the Final Plea Pilot Program. However, the working group’s draft language from April 15 (Attachment 2) defines “Animals at imminent risk of euthanasia” as Final Plea animals. Animals without these behavior issues are typically desirable for adoption and are rarely at risk for euthanasia. Staff agrees that if they do become at risk for euthanasia due to severe kennel space constraints, they would then be good candidates for the Final Plea Pilot Program.
During the pilot program, staff will track communication methods and data related to the outcomes of these at-risk animals. Prior to the conclusion of the 7-month pilot program, staff will return to the Commission to report on the results of the program and seek input from the Commission whether to continue, modify or discontinue the pilot program.
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: None.
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: None.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: Initiation of a Final Plea Pilot Program is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as it consists of administrative and organizational activities that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2)(5). Any actions that could result in a physical change in the environment would be identified as projects and would be subject to CEQA review.
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: On April 15, 2026, the Animal Wellbeing Commission passed a motion to forward a recommendation to the Personnel and Public Employees Committee for staff to initiate a pilot program to support policy goals related to the promotion of at-risk and senior animals, and to include items such as kennel cards, kennel marketing identification board in the lobby of the Front Street Animal Shelter, and social media, posting and digital notification. During this meeting, commissioners also discussed the details of the pilot program including staff report supplemental material with procedure/draft language submitted by members of the working group.
In preparation for the April 15, 2026, Animal Wellbeing Commission, the Commission formed a working group comprised of five (5) commissioners. The group has since met with City staff on May 15, 2026, and June 8, 2026, to discuss and refine the pilot program procedure and language. Additionally, the group corresponded with staff via email.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: A Final Plea Pilot Program supports policy goals related to the promotion of at-risk and senior animals to potential adopters and animal rescue organizations.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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