10/29/2026
Some have criticized us for using funds to fight for justice for Cinnamon and Georgia. But their lives mattered, and so do the legal protections we believe were violated when they were killed.
Shelters should not be above the law.
California’s Hayden Act requires that impounded stray dogs be released to a qualifying nonprofit rescue that requests them before euthanasia, subject to statutory exceptions. We believe Haven Pet Center violated that requirement in Cinnamon’s and Georgia’s cases. That is part of what we are fighting to establish through our lawsuit. (oag.ca.gov)
Cinnamon had “RESCUE HOLD” written on her kennel card. It was ignored.
Cinnamon had “RESCUE HOLD” in her file. It was ignored.
She had a confirmed rescue commitment and a scheduled spay. Just 97 minutes after that confirmation, she was killed.
Three employees claimed Cinnamon was aggressive—including CEO Jeff Sheppard. Yet, in the records provided to us, not one of those three employees documented the alleged aggression they described.
How can behavior supposedly serious enough to justify killing a dog go undocumented? We consider that a profoundly negligent failure.
Cinnamon was housed in the adoptable section of the shelter. Volunteers handled her, and the shelter featured her on social media shortly before her death.
For Georgia, we had communicated our intent to help, and the rescue coordinator told us there was a note to contact us if euthanasia was being considered. She was killed without that call.
Despite Haven’s claims that Cinnamon and Georgia were aggressive toward humans, the records provided to us contained zero documented evidence supporting those claims.
Both dogs’ files were altered—something the shelter later admitted. Imagine that.
That raises serious questions about the accuracy of their records and the explanations given for their deaths.
Then there was Cora.
Cora was killed for reportedly being aggressive toward other animals, despite being kenneled with another dog, Jake. We also saw video showing her behaving neutrally around other dogs.
Please make sense of that. Sharing a kennel does not answer every behavioral question, but it demands an explanation when aggression toward other animals is given as the reason for killing her.
And the concerns extend to medical care.
California Civil Code §1834 requires those holding animals to provide “necessary and prompt veterinary care,” along with nutrition, shelter, and kind treatment. We believe Haven failed that duty in the cases below. (leginfo.ca.gov)
Gangsta lay in the shelter with a dislocated hip and a ruptured eye, without the surgery he needed.
Kona remained in the shelter with dislocated kneecaps, without corrective surgery.
Joey suffered from a horrific skin condition that, according to the information available to us, went untreated.
What was their solution? List these dogs as “rescue only” and schedule them to be killed.
Then there was Jarbi, who had a badly infected canine tooth that went unnoticed. According to the rescue coordinator, the shelter did not have a veterinarian on staff.
How was an infection like that being missed? Where was the veterinary oversight? California’s Veterinary Medical Board explains that ongoing and regular veterinary care in shelters must be provided by or under the supervision of a licensed California veterinarian. (vmb.ca.gov)
These are just a few of the dogs who were in their care.
A “rescue only” label is not medical treatment. Asking rescues to step in does not erase a shelter’s responsibility to provide necessary care while animals remain in its custody.
In 2023, Haven killed close to 2,000 animals—roughly one-third of the nearly 6,000 animals taken in. Let that sink in.
Behind those numbers were individual lives. Cinnamon and Georgia were two of them.
For close to three years, this legal fight has drained resources from our small, all-volunteer rescue. We believe Haven has dragged these proceedings out in an attempt to financially cripple us and wear us down until we walk away.
Every additional delay means more expense, more strain, and fewer resources available for dogs who need our help.
And we are supposed to turn a blind eye?
To us, walking away would be an act of cowardice—a betrayal of the dogs we committed to help. We refuse to answer their deaths and suffering with silence.
We wish these resources could have gone toward bringing dogs home, providing their care, and finding them families. But accountability matters, too.
Rescue holds should mean something. Records should be accurate. Medical care should be provided. And shelters must answer to the law just like everyone else.
We will continue demanding answers and fighting for accountability. 🐾
Please help sustain our rescue and our fight for accountability. Every donation matters.
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Southern California Pit Bull Rescue is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported entirely by donations. Thank you for standing with us.
