photo credit: City of Clearlake Animal Control
Smiley, one of the dogs up for adoption from Clearlake's animal shelter, 
which transitioned administration and staffing from North Bay Animal Services to the Clearlake Animal Association on 8 February, 2026.

Sebastopol and Windsor are joining a growing list of local cities canceling their contracts with North Bay Animal Services.

The nonprofit animal services organization and shelter has come under scrutiny after being investigated by Sonoma County's Civil Grand Jury last year.

The report found a lack of oversight at North Bay Animal Services, N.B.A.S., based in Petaluma.

Issues include low dog licensing rates, failure to report dog bites, and sub-standard shelter conditions and maintenance.

The allegedly unfit conditions caused major concern from Sebastopol city council member Stephen Zollman - who did disclose that he is a volunteer at the Humane Society of Sonoma County, at a recent council meeting.

"I'm really really glad that this is where it is now to hopefully have a vote to immediately terminate all relationships with N.B.A.S.," Zollman said. "Because if you saw the animals that I saw, those dogs infected by parvo, and the volunteers and the staff that worked around the clock to try to save their lives, you too would want to break ties with that agency as soon as possible."

Petaluma and Clearlake have already cut ties with North Bay Animal Services. Windsor has moved to cut ties at the end of March, while Cloverdale looks set to do the same later this month.

Unlike Sebastopol, Windsor's town council did not select an interim provider for shelter, care, and animal control services through June.

The town is weighing competing bids from the Humane Society of Sonoma County - with costs up to $68,000 - and the City of Rohnert Park, which operates its own animal shelter, with a price tag up to $54,000 for interim service from April through June.

Town council member Sam Salmon said he's concerned about increased costs in the long term.

"If we learned anything about the crisis in Lake County, part of the problem in Lake County was a budgetary problem," Salmon said. "So, we'll go into our reserves, which is the name of the game, and then people will ask, didn't you see this coming? And I think we all have to realize that civic life in terms of finances is changing, and I think they're changing for all of us."

Sebastopol has signed an interim contract for animal services with the Humane Society of Sonoma County, with the Sebastopol Police Department providing animal control and licensing until a permanent contract is agreed.