WAGS Pet Adoption tells Stanton council shelter faces capacity, funding and staffing pressures

Stanton — Executive director Courtney and board president Michelle of WAGS Pet Adoption told the City Council that the shelter’s intake and length‑of‑stay have risen sharply since 2019, stressing staff and budget and increasing reliance on volunteers and foster caregivers.

Courtney, executive director of WAGS Pet Adoption, said the nonprofit runs contracts with three cities (Westminster since 2011, Stanton since 2014 and Seal Beach since 2023) and has expanded its paid and volunteer workforce over the last 13 years. “WAGS is committed to the welfare of animals. Our mission is to provide the best quality of care, advocacy, and shelter for lost and unhealthy animals seeking new permanent living homes,” Courtney said.

The presentation laid out operational pressures and program details. WAGS reported roughly 150 active volunteers and more than 300 cats currently in foster homes; staff said without that foster network the shelter would exceed safe on‑site capacity. The organization described four intake pathways — stray pickup by citizens, animal control intake, owner surrenders and transfers — and provided year‑over‑year comparisons showing higher intakes and longer stays. Courtney said the average dog length‑of‑stay increased from about 15 days in 2019 to about 66 days in 2024; some dogs remain in the shelter up to a year.

Voluntary programs and services cited included adoptions, a trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) community cat program, return‑to‑owner efforts, foster placement, volunteer outreach and on‑site veterinary care. The TNR counts dropped from 78 cats pre‑COVID to 20 in the most recent year, staff said, with a lack of funds cited as the primary reason the shelter cannot sustain the same level of community cat sterilizations.

Michelle, WAGS board president, described expanded staff roles and growing operational costs. She said frontline wages have risen and operating expenses have jumped, which the shelter covers through a mix of municipal contract payments, adoption fees and donations. “We are doing everything we can to help with the overpopulation and capacity issue,” Michelle said, and asked the council to help connect WAGS with community outreach opportunities and local partners.

Mayor Tony Shaw thanked the presenters and offered the council’s support, noting residents value having the shelter in the city.

Why it matters: Longer animal stays and reduced community sterilization capacity increase care costs, disease risk and space pressure at a small shelter. Volunteers and foster placements are currently central to maintaining a low‑kill approach.

Provenance: Presentation begins at the city council meeting transcript near the special presentations section; key remarks by WAGS staff appear in the transcript blocks cited below.