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Social Compassion, Laguna Beach, CA (2026)

06/19/2026

Just days ago, a family in Los Angeles was celebrating the New York Knicks championship when police responded to a call regarding a woman reportedly screaming. During the encounter, the family's beloved two-year-old dog, Jameson, was shot and k*lled by responding officers.

Nearly a decade ago, when Social Compassion in Legislation sponsored legislation addressing police encounters with dogs, estimates from the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that approximately 10,000 pet dogs were being shot and killed by law enforcement officers each year— roughly one every 98 minutes.

Social Compassion in Legislation sponsored AB 1199, the Police-Canine Encounters Protection Act, in 2017. Authored by then-Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, the bill would have required law enforcement officers to receive training on canine behavior, de-escalation techniques, and non-lethal responses during encounters with dogs.

Despite strong support, AB 1199 stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee due to concerns about the cost.

Today, the conversation should be different.

The question before policymakers is no longer whether training has a cost. The question is whether California's communities can continue to afford the consequences of not providing it —costly litigation, damaged public trust, national headlines, and the preventable loss of beloved family pets.

As Social Compassion in Legislation prepares for the 2027 legislative session, we are exploring the reintroduction of legislation modeled after AB 1199.

Companion animals are family members to millions of Californians. Officers are frequently called upon to enter homes, respond to emergencies, and interact with animals under stressful and unpredictable circumstances. They deserve access to training and tools that can help them safely resolve these encounters.

No family should have to experience what Jameson's family is experiencing today.

We look forward to finding an author for the bill and working with lawmakers and supporters across California to finally move this long-overdue training requirement forward in 2027.

06/19/2026

WASHINGTON D.C. — Monday, June 15, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D – Los Angeles County) introduced The Keeping Pets and Families Together Act that would establish a program within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to encourage the microchipping of dogs and cats in shelters with the goal of quickly returning missing pets to their families.

“When my family adopted our rescue dog, Abbot, our lives changed for the better. The thought of losing our furry family member is unthinkable, which is why I’m so glad we were able to microchip Abbot. Now if he ever got lost or stolen, his microchip would help us find him again. I want other families to feel that same sense of security,” said Congressman Lieu. “I’m pleased to introduce The Keeping Pets and Families Together Act to fund microchipping services in animal shelters. With this legislation, we can help lost pets find their ways back home.”

According to the American Humane Association, roughly one-third of all pets will become lost at some point in their lifetime, and many of those animals end up in shelters. However, a study by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that almost three-fourths of all lost or stolen animals with microchips are located and many eventually reunited with their families.

Support for this legislation:

“When a lost pet enters a shelter, a microchip can mean the difference between a joyful reunion and a permanent loss. The Keeping Pets and Families Together Act will help more pets return to their loving homes, spare families the heartbreak of separation, and provide shelters with the resources they need to reconnect animals with the people who love them,” said Judie Mancuso, Founder and President, Social Compassion in Legislation

Read the full Press Release;
https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-lieu-introduces-bill-help-families-reunite-lost-pets

06/17/2026

🐺💧CALL TO ACTION | STOP AB 1673, AMENDED TO ALLOW TEAR GAS ON WOLVES!

Late last week, AB 1673, authored by Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas), was amended to allow tear gas to be used to harass wolves.

AB 1673 moved through the first house (Assembly) as a benign piece of legislation. However, at the beginning of the Senate process, Assemblymember Hadwick amended the bill by adding a "tear-gas bomb" to the bill.

A wide range of nonlethal tools already exists to deter wolves from livestock operations. These include range riders, fladry fencing, turbo fladry, livestock guardian animals, improved carcass management, night penning, human presence, alarm systems, strategic grazing practices, and other husbandry techniques.

Wildlife experts, conservation organizations, and ranchers throughout the West have successfully employed these methods to reduce conflicts while avoiding harm to wildlife. California's own wolf coexistence programs emphasize these approaches as the preferred path forward.

Once we heard about this amendment, we did an extensive search to find jurisdictions that use tear gas as a wolf deterrent. We could not find one!

Tear gas is fundamentally different. It is designed to inflict acute sensory distress through irritation of the eyes, nose, lungs, and skin. While often discussed as a "nonlethal" tool, it is nonetheless an aversive chemical agent that can cause panic, disorientation, and unnecessary suffering. Its effects on wolf packs, pups, non-target wildlife, domestic animals, and surrounding ecosystems have not been studied.

PLEASE CALL THE VICE CHAIR & ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND TELL THEM:

"I'M CALLING TO URGE THE SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON AB 1673 BECAUSE CALIFORNIA SHOULD NEVER ALLOW TEAR GASSING OF OUR WILDLIFE!"

Senate Natural Resources and Water Members:

Vice Chair Sen. Kelly Seyarto: 916-651-4032
Sen. Ben Allen: 916-651-4024
Sen. Christopher Cabaldon: 916-651-4003
Sen. Shannon Grove: 916-651-4012
Sen. John Laird: 916-651-4017
Sen. Henry Stern: 916-651-4027

Thank you for helping to protect wildlife! ❤️ 🐾

06/16/2026

Today at the Los Angeles North Central Animal Services Center, AB 2344 author Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), founder/president of Social Compassion in Legislation, Judie Mancuso, and LA County Assistant District Attorney, Maria Ramirez, spoke to media and live streamed a press conference regarding AB 2344.

Watch the full live stream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvfvcw2YXvY

The day was covered by several news outlets, including this NBC Los Angeles and Los Angeles Magazine with more to come on this evenings news.

A summary of Judie's comments from the press conference:

Every year, animals are rescued from horrific situations. These animals are victims. Yet under the current system, many of them are forced to remain in shelters for months or even years while criminal cases slowly make their way through the courts.

At a time when shelters across California are facing unprecedented overcrowding and resource challenges, this creates a burden and heartache not only for the animals involved in these cases, but for the entire animal welfare system.

AB 2344 provides a reasonable and compassionate solution.

This legislation recognizes a simple truth: animals are sentient, living, feeling beings—not pieces of property that should spend years sitting in a shelter while a case is pending, as if they were evidence in a filing cabinet.

Abused animals deserve the opportunity to begin healing and experience love, safety, and stability as soon as possible.

We are incredibly grateful to Assemblymember Matt Haney for authoring this bill and championing it through the Legislature, and to the members of the Assembly for unanimously supporting AB 2344.

We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to move this bill through the Senate and ultimately to the Governor’s desk for signature.

Thank you.

The bill will be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 23rd. Go sign the support letter for AB 2344 now and help be a voice for the voiceless!
socialcompassioninlegislation.org/help

06/12/2026

Finally, some good news! 🌞 Enjoy this excerpt from the Guardian;

"Even as Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power.

Data released on Wednesday by the global energy thinktank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (Seia) and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.

“For years solar power has risen in the US electricity mix,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. “At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the US mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”"

Read the full article here;
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/11/solar-energy-us-coal?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

06/11/2026

For additional information, please visit: USDA APHIS Screwworm
www.screwworm.gov

CDFA New World Screwworm
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/Animal_Health/screwworm/

Stay safe!

06/10/2026

Take action for trafficked and mill-bred animals 🦜 Send an email to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to let them know that you want to see a ban on the sale of all retail animals in San Francisco👇

Email: [email protected]

Sample email:

Dear San Francisco Board of Supervisors,

I am in strong support of the San Francisco Animal Commission’s recommendation that San Francisco introduce a ban on the cruel and unnecessary retail sale of animals in San Francisco.

Thanks to Social Compassion in Legislation California successfully banned the sale of mill-bred dogs, cats, and rabbits back in 2017 through the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act (AB 485). Now, SF has the opportunity to extend this protection to other animals sold in pet stores and inspire other cities to do the same.

Retail animals are often trafficked from the wild and many die during importation, making this a crucial conservation issue. Retail animals who are not trafficked are bred in mills, where they are confined in deplorable conditions. Whether these animals are stolen from the wild or bred in mills, there is mass suffering that exists within the pet industry.

As a progressive and conservation-oriented city, San Francisco cannot continue to support the suffering of animals in breeding mills, in trafficking incidents, and in pet stores themselves.

I urge the Board of Supervisors to introduce a ban on the retail sale of animals in San Francisco. Thank you for your consideration.

06/08/2026

The Trump Administration strikes another blow to the animals and their humans who depend on them, this time targeting emotional support animals. Essentially, landlords are no longer legally required to accommodate untrained emotional support animals!

📋 Read the full memo :https://dredf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ESA-Enforcement-Memorandum-w-Appendix-05.22.2026-SIGNED-Incomplete-Access-Pass.pdf

Historically, the American with Disability Act (“ADA”) solely permitted service animals, rather than ESAs, to accompany handlers into public spaces and private spaces where the public is allowed. However, under the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”), landlords were legally required to make accommodations for both service animals and ESAs.

Now, the memo states ESAs must be trained in accordance with “training component of the ADA’s definition for service animals to assess animal-related reasonable accommodation complaints under the Fair Housing Act.”

We are completely appalled that the administration would strip away protections for people that need ESAs, such as people who struggle with anxiety disorders or depression, such as veterans with PTSD. Additionally, we are concerned that this new policy will exacerbate the pet overpopulation crisis.

This policy will further impede people from being able to find housing that is pet friendly.
As a result, it is likely that:

(1) people will be further dissuaded from adopting animals and
(2) have no other option but to surrender their beloved pets to shelters to find housing.

In California alone, hundreds of thousands of animals are euthanized in shelters every year. The new policy will almost certainly increase this number.

Therefore, there will be an opportunity for animal advocates to utilize public comment and share our concerns.

🚨 We will send an alert as soon as we find out the next steps.

📰 Read the New York Times article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/politics/hud-assistance-animals-disabled.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nFA.U-9B.3w0sRR56Mr5n&smid=url-share

06/05/2026

Call to Action! Please Contact Houston DA to Prosecute Horrific B*stiality Case!

A disturbing case about a heinous crime has just unfolded in Texas, and we need your immediate help to seek justice for an abused dog. Steven Tyler Swain, a Houston attorney, has been charged with b*stiality, which is a state jail felony. Swain’s wife allegedly uncovered video footage of him engaging in s*xual acts with their family dog, Shipley, while reviewing surveillance footage set up during a home renovation.

These events occurred in November 2025. Subsequently, she provided the video footage to the Houston SPCA as evidence. Thankfully, Shipley the dog has been removed from the home and is safe in the care of Swain’s wife.

While Swain was taken into custody on May 22nd, court documents show the bail was set at a measly $7,500 and he was able to make bail.

To ensure that Swain is brought to justice after what Shipley endured, we urge you to call the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and request that he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Your help is critical as the case moves through the courts. Swain must be held accountable for his actions and Shipley cannot advocate for himself in court. We don’t have faith that this will be done after such a low bail amount was set. The good ole’ boy network might just sweep this under the carpet.

The contact information for the Harris County District Attorney, Sean Teare, is below. Thank you for advocating for Shipley and for ensuring that animal abusers are held responsible for their horrendous crimes.

CONTACT
Harris County District Attorney’s Office
District attorney, Sean Teare

Call | 713-274-5800
Email | [email protected]

06/05/2026

🚨 Please Contact the Federal Bureau of Land Management to Stop Cyanide Bombs!

Here is a script you can follow, but we encourage you to make it your own:

“I am contacting the Bureau of Land Management to urge you to ban the use of M-44 sodium cyanide bombs on BLM lands. These deadly devices poison wildlife, kill family pets, and have even injured children. M-44s are cruel, dangerous, and have no place on public lands. Please reinstate the federal ban on these devices. Thank you.”

Email for BLM Sacramento office:
[email protected]

Phone number for BLM Sacramento office:
916-978-4400

☠️ Here's what's happening ...

In 2023, the Biden Administration banned the use of cruel M-44 sodium cyanide bombs for wildlife “control” on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, the Trump Administration has now reversed that protection, once again putting wildlife, family pets, and even children at risk.

California took a strong stand against this indiscriminate poison in 1998 when voters passed Proposition 4, banning the use of sodium cyanide devices in our state. Rolling back federal protections threatens progress nationwide and undermines decades of growing public opposition to these dangerous devices.

M-44 sodium cyanide bombs are deadly spring-loaded traps that eject poisonous sodium cyanide into the air when triggered. They have been used to kill thousands of animals, including coyotes, wolves, foxes, and other wildlife. But these devices do not distinguish between intended targets and innocent victims. Over the years, M-44s have also killed family dogs, harmed non-target wildlife, and seriously injured children.

We are outraged that such a lethal, inhumane, and reckless device is once again being authorized for wildlife management. No person, pet, or wild animal should risk a horrific poisoning simply by crossing paths with one of these traps.

We urge you to contact the Sacramento BLM office by phone and email and demand that the federal ban on M-44 sodium cyanide bombs be reinstated immediately.

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