Recommendation R7
By September 7, 2026, the City Council shall direct the City Manager’s Office to actively pursue, with other willing municipalities and Sonoma County, the establishment of a mutually agreeable form of county-wide governance for animal control and shelter care and provide quarterly progress updates to the City Council commencing November 2, 2026.
Jury report: Animal Services Revisited: A City Asleep at the Wheel · PDF page 19
Permanent linkOfficial response
Petaluma City Council
Agency plans to implementPromises continued regional discussions and periodic Council updates, with any shared governance subject to approvals and review.
Read official response · PDF page 19Expressly accepts only part of the recommendation and does not commit to quarterly updates beginning November 2, 2026.
- Continue participating in regional animal-services discussions and provide periodic Council updates. Shared governance remains subject to approvals, fiscal analysis, legal review and interagency agreement. Owner: Petaluma City Manager’s Office. Timing: Periodic updates; no commitment to the requested quarterly schedule beginning November 2, 2026..
This review evaluates the response document. Implementation claims have not been independently verified.