During a recent city council meeting in Orange, community members passionately advocated for enhanced animal welfare initiatives, aiming to elevate the city's live release rate for shelter animals. A representative from the local animal control department highlighted a significant increase in the live release rate from 49% to 74% this year, expressing a goal to achieve a \"No Kill City\" status, where 90% of shelter animals are saved.

To reach this ambitious target, speakers urged the council to implement several key changes. These included revising ordinances to support a trap-neuter-return program for feral cats, ensuring that animals are vaccinated and dewormed upon intake, and establishing a volunteer fostering program to promote adoptions through social media outreach.

Community members, including representatives from various animal rescue organizations, reported successful adoption events and gathered signatures in support of a new shelter. They emphasized the importance of community involvement and the need for an advisory board to guide these initiatives.

The discussions underscored a collective desire for Orange to adopt more humane practices in animal care, drawing comparisons to successful models in other countries. The council's response to these proposals remains to be seen, but the community's commitment to improving animal welfare is clear.