If you’ve ever walked into a veterinary office with a sick pet and walked out overwhelmed, anxious, or blindsided by a bill you weren’t prepared for—you’re not alone.

Across California, government-run animal shelters are overwhelmed. From large urban counties to smaller rural communities, shelters grapple with an unrelenting influx of animals, especially young puppies. The constant arrival of litters is straining already overburdened systems battling rising costs, insufficient budgets, limited staffing, and increasing public expectations. California’s public shelters are on the front lines of a growing crisis and are not alone.