Sunnyvale staff outlines changes after Humane Society shelter fire, plans year-long extension with county

City staff told the Sunnyvale City Council at a Sept. 30 study session that the city has stabilized animal control operations after the December 2024 Milpitas fire at Humane Society Silicon Valley and shifted shelter services to the County of Santa Clara under an emergency procurement effective Feb. 1, 2025.

The presentation, led by Chief Dan Pestor of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety and Captain Jeremy Lima, said the city temporarily suspended a municipal code requirement to impound healthy stray cats by resolution on April 22 so the county partner could use trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) approaches. "The county does not impound healthy stray cats," Lima said, adding that the county’s policy is based on concerns about stress to animals and low reclaim rates.

Why it matters: The shelter provider change has lengthened transport trips and raised travel hours for Sunnyvale officers because the county facility that took the contract is located in San Martin. Staff described an operational increase in workload but said response metrics have improved; the share of calls answered within 24 hours rose from about 51% two years ago to 79% in the most recent year.

Key points from staff presentation

- Program makeup and budget: The city’s animal control team includes two full‑time officers and one senior community services officer and relies on a contracted shelter…