The Orange County Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss overhauling operations at OC Animal Care during Tuesday’s meeting, including expanding viewing hours and reinstating catch and release services.
Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Vicente Sarmiento are calling for a discussion that includes four recommendations for potential changes at the county-run animal shelter in Tustin.
The first recommendation would direct leaders at OC Animal Care to prepare a plan for expanding viewing hours to allow more public access — something local activists have been calling for over the past few years.
Currently, the shelter only allows the public to walk through the dog kennel areas and cat rooms daily from 2 to 5 p.m. Shelter leaders added those hours for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2024.
[Read: OC Animal Shelter to Allow More In-Person Visitors]
A six-month pilot program launched last month expanded weekend visiting hours to 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
[Read: OC Animal Shelter Expands Weekend Visiting Hours]
Supervisors are slated to consider recommending the shelter plan to allow full public access to view adoptable animals during all operational hours — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily — in addition to one evening for visitors to see the animals until 7 p.m.
“These additional hours will provide more opportunities for potential adoptions, fostering, and community involvement,” reads a memo included with the agenda.
The second recommendation would create a new community liaison aimed at engaging with residents and local animal rescue organizations.
The third recommendation would direct county counsel to revisit legal considerations for trap, neuter and return programs and review how surrounding jurisdictions operate these kinds of services.
Trap, neuter and return — often referred to as TNR or trap and release — is the practice of trapping feral or community cats living outside, spaying or neutering the animals to prevent reproduction and returning the cats back where they were found since they’re unsocialized to people.
OC Animal Care used to offer trap, neuter and return services before the COVID-19 pandemic, but officials nixed the program over concerns that releasing cats back into the community could be considered animal abandonment, which is illegal.
[Read: Why is There No Catch and Release Program for Orange County’s Cats?]
Supervisors are recommending county counsel review how other jurisdictions operate catch and release and report back to the board within 30 days.
“In 2024, OCAC reported 12,196 live feline intakes. Of these, 437 of the adult cats and 1,465 kittens were euthanized,” reads a memo included with the agenda. “By implementing a TNR program, Orange County can significantly reduce the intake of both adult cat and kittens, alleviating the strain on county resources.”
The fourth recommendation would require shelter leaders to provide monthly statistics for intakes, outtakes, adoptions and euthanasia online.
OC Animal Care used to post monthly statistics but ended that service in 2021. Now, the shelter only offers quarterly statistics.
“In the absence of strong data reporting systems, many challenges emerge,” reads a memo included with the agenda. “Gaps in data transparency create trust issues between shelters and the communities they serve.”
Potential Overhaul Comes After Years of Criticism
Orange County residents and animal activists have been criticizing the shelter’s operations for years.
Advocates have called out lacking viewing hours in addition to not offering trap, neuter and return services. Over 25,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the shelter to fully reopen to the public without restriction.
[Read: More OC Residents Keep Pressing The County Animal Shelter to Reopen Kennels to Public Visitors]
Michael Mavrovouniotis, an Irvine resident and former shelter volunteer, said the four recommendations are positive steps.
He also had a research paper published today in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health that found adoption rates are consistently higher when visitors can view dogs in their kennels.
“It’s great to see Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Vicente Sarmiento taking steps to improve the county animal shelter,” Mavrovouniotis said. “These two Supervisors listened to the community, looked at the issues, and are working to gradually build an animal shelter that meets the high standards of OC.”
“As a county, we should be leaders, not laggards.”
