About the Writer: Karen Pearlman
Karen Pearlman is a longtime San Diego journalist and associate editor at East County Magazine, where she covers local news, government, community issues and feature stories.
Karen Pearlman • August 24, 2026
California animal welfare groups push for state bureau to fix oversight gaps
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A scene from rescues effort and investigation in Northern California at Miranda’s Rescue. Photo courtesy Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office
By Karen Pearlman, East County Magazine
In light of recent high-profile cases exposing gaps in oversight, transparency and accountability for companion animals, some of California’s top animal welfare organizations are lobbying for the creation of a centralized Bureau of Companion Animal Welfare within the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
A coalition — which includes San Diego Humane Society, California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals, the state’s association for animal shelters and animal control agencies), San Francisco SPCA, Valley Humane Society, Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the ASPCA, Humane World for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society and Oakland Animal Services — will hold a collaborative press conference at 10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 24 at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Lawmakers, shelter representatives and law enforcement members are expected to attend.
The state has animal protection laws covering the care, sale, transfer, sheltering, boarding and breeding of pets, but no single statewide entity ensures those laws function together. Advocates say the result is a fragmented system in which local agencies often operate with limited resources, inconsistent standards and no reliable mechanism for early intervention.
Two recent cases illustrate the problem, coalition members say.
At Villa Chardonnay, Horses with Wings, Inc. an organization in Julian that presented itself as a sanctuary, San Diego Humane Society executed a search warrant and assumed care of more than 700 animals, including nearly 450 cats plus 30 dogs, 175 horses and more than 70 farm animals, following years of many publicly shared concerns about inadequate conditions on the property.
Investigators found Villa Chardonnay-housed animals suffering from malnutrition, emaciation, untreated wounds, infections and substandard medical care. Many of the animals rescued from the Julian site required extensive treatment, while others were euthanized to end severe suffering.
“Villa Chardonnay showed us the enormous cost of waiting until a situation becomes catastrophic,” said Jace Huggins, vice president and chief of humane law enforcement at SDHS. “Rescuing 728 animals required an extraordinary mobilization of investigators, veterinarians, animal care teams and community partners. A statewide bureau would not replace local enforcement, but it could provide the licensing, inspections and complaint-response infrastructure needed to identify warning signs before hundreds of animals are in crisis.”
Further north, in Humboldt County, Miranda’s Rescue remains under active investigation, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, amid allegations that dogs accepted by the organization were killed and falsely represented as adopted.
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies said investigators recovered canine remains, skulls, bones and more than 600 dog collars from Miranda’s Rescue property, and that preliminary examinations indicated many of the recovered dogs died from gunshot wounds. Hundreds of additional dogs transferred to the rescue remain unaccounted for. The investigation is ongoing.
“The investigation into Miranda’s Rescue has highlighted the need for greater accountability and transparency for organizations entrusted with animals,” said Humboldt County Sheriff William F. Honsal.
“Law enforcement is designed to investigate suspected crimes after evidence comes to light; it is not a substitute for routine licensing, inspections and reliable reporting. A statewide Bureau will give California an earlier line of sight into how animals are received, cared for, transferred and adopted, while preserving the authority of local agencies.”
Pros and cons
Supporters say a Bureau could license and register companion-animal businesses and organizations, conduct inspections, investigate complaints, support enforcement of existing laws, collect and publish statewide data, provide the public a clear reporting channel, and coordinate with local animal control, public health and other agencies.
Funding could come from a tiered, fee-supported licensing model that accounts for organization size, type and animal volume.
Darcy Smith, co-founder of Funky Chicken Rescue in Vacaville, said she supports stronger protections for animals but opposes adding another layer of bureaucracy.
California already has animal welfare laws, animal control agencies, code enforcement and law enforcement, she said — the focus, and the funding, should go toward strengthening those existing systems.
Smith has closely followed a separate case involving a Duck Sanctuary run by Howard Berkowitz, whose operation was raided in Valley Center on July 16 after moving into San Diego County following years of code enforcement contacts in Riverside County.
More than 800 animals, most of them birds, were seized, and Berkowitz was arrested on a Riverside County warrant. Smith said Riverside County code enforcement cited Berkowitz repeatedly over the years but that he continued relocating the operation rather than face impoundment of his animals. She said many animal control agencies are severely understaffed and underfunded, leaving officers unable to thoroughly investigate every complaint or conduct needed follow-ups.
“Rather than spending money creating another Bureau, I would much rather see those resources invested directly into local Animal Control — more officers, better training, stronger investigative resources, and the ability to follow up on every credible allegation of neglect and abuse,” Smith said. “Accountability and additional bureaucracy are not the same thing.”
Audrey Reynolds of Saving Horses Inc. said she raised concerns about conditions at Villa Chardonnay for years before the intervention took place, and that she and another advocate, Annette Ledda, came forward with evidence in 2024.
Reynolds said she supports creating a state-level agency the public can turn to when local government response falls short, while stressing that laws still need to be enforced locally first.
“Who can I go to in Sacramento?” Reynolds said. “It’s time for some type of change.”
Not everyone is ‘the bad guy’
Coalition leaders emphasized that the vast majority of California’s shelters, rescues, foster groups, veterinarians, boarding providers and breeders operate responsibly.
The recent cases, they said, illustrate what can happen in the absence of consistent licensing, inspections, reporting requirements and statewide accountability — and local agencies and nonprofits often shoulder that responsibility with limited coordination or shared data.
“California’s shelters and animal control agencies are being asked to operate within a statewide system that has no common foundation for licensing, inspections or information sharing,” said Jill Tucker, CEO of CalAnimals. “A Bureau would establish clear, consistent expectations, help organizations understand and meet those standards, and allow small problems to be corrected before they become costly tragedies.”
The coalition continues to call on the California Legislature and the next governor to establish the bureau, championing the ideas that doing so would give the state the tools, expertise and accountability needed to protect companion animals, consumers and communities.
Learn More About Borrego Springs
Two amazing movies are coming to BSPAC in September! On September 9 th , we have the winner of last year’s Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Prix, Sentimental Value. And on September 23 rd , it’s John Huston’s finest – The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, for which he won the Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars, starring Humphrey Bogart and Huston’s father, Walter Huston (who also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor). It was the only time a father and son both won Academy Awards during the same ceremony! All screenings are held on Wednesday evenings at 7pm at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center, 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. Our full schedule for 2026 is posted on the BSFI website: www.borregospringsfilminstitute.org . Please check the website for the most up to date information. Here are the movies coming to BSPAC in September: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 7pm – Sentimental Value – 2025 – Rated R – 2h 13m Sentimental Value (Norwegian: Affeksjonsverdi) is a 2025 Norwegian drama written and directed by Joachim Trier, the acclaimed Danish-Norwegian filmmaker known for The Worst Person in the World and Oslo, August 31st, in collaboration with his longtime writing partner Eskil Vogt. The film follows sisters Nora and Agnes as they reunite with their estranged father Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When she turns it down, he gives the part to an eager young Hollywood star, forcing both sisters to navigate their complicated relationship with their father while contending with an American outsider dropped into the middle of their family dynamics. The film stars Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as the sisters, with Stellan Skarsgård as their charming but complicated father and Elle Fanning as the Hollywood star dropped into the middle of their world. Sentimental Value won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Academy Awards — the first time Norway had ever won in that category. It also received nine Academy Award nominations in total, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. In Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and English with English subtitles. Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 7pm – The Treasure of Sierra Madre – 1948 – Not Rated – 2h 6m The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is one of the towering achievements of American cinema, widely regarded as John Huston's masterwork and one of the greatest films ever made. Written and directed by Huston and based on B. Traven's 1927 novel of the same name, the film stars Humphrey Bogart, with Walter Huston (John Huston’s father), Tim Holt, and Bruce Bennett in support, along with Alfonso Bedoya as the menacing bandit Gold Hat. The story follows two hard-luck American drifters, Dobbs (Bogart) and Curtin (Holt), who team up with a wily old prospector named Howard (Walter Huston) and head into the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico to mine for gold — only to find that the treasure they uncover unleashes suspicion, paranoia, and murderous greed. The film is notable for Bogart's extraordinary willingness to subvert his own star image, as his character diminishes steadily into madness and delusion. Huston insisted on filming in the harsh Mexican mountain terrain — making it one of the first Hollywood productions to shoot primarily on location outside the United States — and the rugged setting lends visceral authenticity to the tale. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was a critical triumph: Pauline Kael called it "one of the strongest of all American films," praising its "powerful cumulative effect." At the Academy Awards, the film received four nominations and won three: Best Supporting Actor for Walter Huston, and both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for John Huston — the only Oscars he ever won. Notably, Bogart was not nominated for Best Actor, a decision that modern critics and Academy members have since widely condemned. In his Oscar acceptance speech, Walter Huston said, "Many years ago I brought up a boy and said to him, 'Son, if you ever become a writer, try to write a good part for your old man sometime.' Well, by cracky, that's what he did!" And looking forward, here are the scheduled movies coming in October and November: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 7pm – Diabolique – 1955 – Not Rated – 1h 47m Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot and set in a decrepit French boarding school, the film follows the wife (Véra Clouzot) and mistress (Simone Signoret) of a cruel, abusive headmaster (Paul Meurisse) who conspire to murder him — only to find his body mysteriously vanishes after the deed is done. Based on a novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac — whose work would later provide the basis for Hitchcock's Vertigo — Clouzot expertly builds a feeling of mounting dread, culminating in a twist ending that pushes the film into the realm of nightmare. With its unprecedented narrative twists and outstanding performances, Diabolique is considered a benchmark in thriller filmmaking and one of the most influential films of its kind. In French with English subtitles. Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7pm – Poor Things – 2023 – Rated R – 2h 21m Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) and set in a whimsical version of Victorian England, the film follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by an eccentric scientist (Willem Dafoe) who implanted a baby's brain into her body — sending her on a globetrotting adventure of self-discovery with a sleazy lawyer played by Mark Ruffalo. Wildly imaginative and exhilaratingly over the top, the film is considered a bizarre, brilliant tour de force for both Lanthimos and Stone, and it announced itself immediately upon its debut at the Venice Film Festival, where it was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion. At the Academy Awards, Stone won Best Actress for her performance, while the film took home additional Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Make-up, and Best Production Design — a sweep that cemented Poor Things as one of the most celebrated and visually inventive films of the decade. Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 7pm – Babette’s Feast – 1987 – Rated G – 1h 42m Directed by Gabriel Axel and adapted from a short story by Isak Dinesen, the film tells the lovingly layered tale of a French housekeeper with a mysterious past who brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late nineteenth-century Denmark. The title role of Babette is played by Stéphane Audran — with Birgitte Federspiel and Bodil Kjer as the two devout sisters into whose isolated lives Babette quietly, transformatively arrives. Babette’s Feast became the first Danish film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Among its many admirers is Pope Francis, who named it his favorite film of all time. In French, Danish, and Swedish with English subtitles. Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 7pm – The Daytrippers – 1997 – Rated R – 1h 27m Written and directed by Greg Mottola in his feature debut, the film follows the distraught Eliza (Hope Davis), who discovers a love letter written to her husband (Stanley Tucci) by an unknown woman and turns to her tight-knit Long Island family for help — sending the whole clan, including a strong-willed mom (Anne Meara), a taciturn dad (Pat McNamara), and a jaded sister (Parker Posey) with her pretentious boyfriend (Liev Schreiber) in tow, piling into a station wagon and heading into Manhattan to find out the truth. With its droll humor and bittersweet emotional heft, The Daytrippers announced the arrival of an unassumingly sharp-witted new talent on the 1990s indie film scene. Critics were largely enthusiastic: the Washington Post called it proof that "a great movie isn't a matter of dollars, so much as creativity," while Newsweek noted that "thanks to the superb cast and Mottola's deft touch, this modest-looking comedy proves quite memorable." This season’s BSFI movie screenings are being generously underwritten by the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF). See you at the movies!
Social Security representative Jennifer Miranda will discuss retirement, Medicare, survivor benefits and more Aug. 24 A free Social Security 101 workshop will be held Monday, Aug. 24, at 4 p.m. at the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center, 587 Palm Canyon Drive #125. The workshop will be presented by Jennifer Miranda , Public Affairs Specialist for the San Diego and Orange County Social Security Administration. Topics will include eligibility for retirement benefits, how early retirement can affect benefits, disability, survivor and spouse benefits, Medicare, ways to maximize benefits and the future of Social Security. Miranda will also discuss Social Security’s online services. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. Participants are encouraged to access or create a personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount and print their Social Security Statement before attending the workshop. The event is coordinated by Martha Deichler and is free to attend. Please share this information with anyone who may benefit from the workshop.
Planet Ultra steps in with a new 6-, 12- and 24-hour endurance race for Oct. 31–Nov. 1, pending permits
