Gov. Newsom aiming to prevent deaths of animals in California shelters

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Governor Gavin Newsom has a new plan to prevent the deaths of nearly every single animal in California shelters.

As part of his budget proposal, the Governor wants to spend $50 million on saving adoptable cats and dogs across the state.

Experts are on board with the idea and think it's feasible.

According to the pet adoption website BestFriends.org, hundreds of thousands of animals are euthanized in California shelters every year.

California has one of the highest rates of cats and dogs entering into shelters.

"Any help that California as a whole can get with the assistance of the pet overpopulation problem is phenomenal," said Devon Gillard with Valley Animal Center.

The money would benefit the University of California Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program so that it could create a new grant program for animal shelters.

"In this state we've needed assistance for decades, and I think teaching and putting money into the Shelters is the way to go," said Teri Rockhold.

She explained much of that should be to spay and neuter more animals, and improve funding for shelters.

She believes creating programs to help current and future pet owners will help move California to reach that no-kill status of saving 90 percent or more of the adoptable animals.

"Community involvement, that covers everything, that covers assistance for people who can keep their animals in their homes, that helps animals get fixed," Rockhold explained.

Rockhold added funding could even be used to help pet owners in the more rural areas.

This is still in the early stages, but Gillard is staying optimistic.

"We are hopeful that this will actual make a difference, but it will make a difference financially with all of us working together as a team," Gillard said.

If the budget is approved, California would be the third state moving towards a no-kill state. Delaware and Michigan have already reached that status.