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Ed Boks answers questions related to California's recently enacted FOUND Act, explaining how it will improve companion animal rescue in the state during emergencies and the new law's implications for animals in other jurisdictions.


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What Does California’s New FOUND Act Mean for Animals in Disasters?
From Ed Boks, Animal Politics with Ed Boks, AnimalPolitics.substack.com
October 2025

Pomeranian and state of California
Images from Canva

Background

California has enacted AB 478, the FOUND Act (Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disasters), an animal welfare law designed to transform how the state handles pet rescue during emergencies. Signed by Governor Newsom, it becomes effective January 1, 2026.

The bill was motivated by the story of Oreo, a Pomeranian who survived five days trapped beneath fire debris during the Palisades wildfire before being rescued. Oreo’s ordeal exposed the glaring absence of structured protocols for pet rescue in California’s emergency plans.

“AB 478 gives local jurisdictions and the Office of Emergency Services a mandate to be ready when disaster strikes, so that animals are treated with the urgency and care they deserve.”
— Judie Mancuso, Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL)

Question:

“Ed, now that AB 478 is law, what will change in practice during a wildfire or evacuation when it comes to pets? And how significant is this for animal welfare broadly?” - B.F. Santa Barbara


Animal Politics Response:

That’s a fair question, and one that strikes at the heart of how we define responsibility in emergencies. Anyone who has lived through California’s wildfire seasons knows that our evacuation systems have often failed the very beings who depend on us most, our pets. Every year, heartbreaking images surface of animals left behind, confused, and terrified, while their guardians are prevented from returning home to save them.

The FOUND Act (AB 478) was designed to change that. It’s not just another procedural tweak, it’s a recognition that saving animals saves people too. Pets are family, and when they’re excluded from disaster plans, human lives are endangered as well.

At its core, this law embeds compassion and accountability into California’s emergency framework. It requires every city and county to plan ahead, not scramble after tragedy strikes.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Mandatory Inclusion in Disaster Plans

Cities and counties must now explicitly integrate pet rescue protocols into their emergency response plans. That means identifying which agencies or departments are responsible, setting up dedicated hotlines, and creating web portals or registries for evacuees to report missing or found animals.

2. Longer Reunification Window

The law extends the holding period for rescued animals from 72 hours to 90 days (unless euthanasia is medically necessary). This gives owners more breathing room to locate their pet, especially during widespread evacuation chaos.

3. Detailed Animal Tracking & Records

Agencies must maintain robust records on rescued animals. That includes sampling identifiers (microchips, photos), intake and outcome status, location history, and efforts made to find owners. This transparency helps ensure no pet is lost in the system.

4. Controlled Adopt / Transfer Rules

During the initial holding period, animals cannot be adopted, transferred, or euthanized (except under dire medical circumstances). They may be fostered or housed in shelters but always under documented oversight, with the aim of reuniting them with their families.

5. Agency Coordination & Resources

Implementation will require training, staffing, logistics, and communication systems. Local governments must coordinate with fire, EMS, animal control, shelters, and nonprofit rescue groups.

Broader Implications & Significance

Beyond the practical mandates, the FOUND Act signals a deeper cultural and policy shift.

  • Cultural Reframing
    AB 478 shifts how government perceives companion animals: not as property or optional adjuncts to disaster plans, but as essential components of family and community resilience.

  • Model for Other Jurisdictions
    California’s approach may catalyze similar laws elsewhere. As climate change intensifies natural disasters, other states or regions may adopt analogous mandates.

  • Public Safety & Human Benefits
    When people refuse to evacuate because of pets, lives are endangered. Having structured rescue protocols eases that tension, improves evacuation compliance, and reduces human–animal tragedy.

  • Accountability & Trust
    The requirement for public records and transparent procedures helps rebuild trust in rescue agencies and addresses past criticisms of “lost pets” during disasters.

  • Equity & Access Issues
    There’s a risk that less-resourced or rural jurisdictions may struggle more to comply. Ensuring uniform application across California will depend on oversight, technical support, and perhaps state or philanthropic assistance.

Funding & Sustainability Concerns

While AB 478 establishes a clear moral and operational mandate, it does not provide direct funding to implement it. That means cities and counties will need to build pet-rescue readiness into their emergency budgets, something most jurisdictions have historically failed to do.

For decades, animal response during disasters has relied on a patchwork of nonprofits, volunteers, and chronically underfunded animal control departments. When wildfires hit, local governments have often scrambled to improvise sheltering and rescue efforts with little coordination or funding. The FOUND Act changes that by making preparedness a legal responsibility rather than an optional goodwill effort.

Counties and cities will now have to allocate resources for staff training, inter-agency coordination, communication systems, record-keeping, and animal shelter capacity. Those costs will vary widely depending on geography and risk level. Rural areas may need mobile infrastructure; urban centers may need expanded shelter partnerships.

While the absence of state funding is a valid concern, supporters of the FOUND Act, including Judie Mancuso and Social Compassion in Legislation, maintain that integrating animal response planning into existing emergency frameworks is both practical and overdue. They emphasize that preparedness should include the entire family, pets included. As Assemblymember Rick Zbur noted, the bill is rooted in compassion and common sense, ensuring that cities and counties develop clear procedures in advance to protect both people and animals when disasters strike.

In practice, this means local governments must now do what many have long avoided: budget for animals as part of community resilience, not as an afterthought once the smoke clears.

Bottom Line

AB 478 isn’t empty symbolism, it codifies compassion and accountability where none existed before. It may not revolutionize day-to-day sheltering, but in the next major wildfire, it could mean the difference between reunion and loss for thousands of families.

It’s a genuine milestone in embedding animal welfare into emergency management, and credit rightly goes to Rick Zbur, Judie Mancuso, and Social Compassion in Legislation for making it happen.

Appreciation to Sponsors & Advocates

This legislation is not only a win for animals and families, but a testament to the dedication of its advocates.

  • Assemblymember Rick Zbur (D-Santa Monica) served as the bill’s author and champion in the Legislature, framing the law as much about protecting people as well as pets.

  • Judie Mancuso and Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL) played a pivotal role in drafting, sponsoring, advocating, and mobilizing support for AB 478. Under Mancuso’s leadership, SCIL has sponsored dozens of animal-protection bills in California over the years.

  • Their combined efforts (lobbying, outreach, coalition building) helped produce unanimous legislative support and strong public backing.

To them, and to all the rescue workers, activists, and community members who backed this, we should express deep gratitude. Their persistence has secured a stronger safety net for animals and communities alike.

Posted on All-Creatures.org: October 24, 2025
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