Animal-friendly Candidates
This list highlights candidates who support strong animal protections which can comprise of plant-based initiatives, wildlife conservation, companion animal welfare and more. We believe that electing animal-friendly leaders is essential for creating a more compassionate community through policy and law.
Endorsements
Camarillo
Sylvia Garcia
Camarillo City Council, District 2
Candidate Sylvia Garcia scored 100% on our questionnaire, backing a ban on the sale and use of glue traps, a cruelty she saw firsthand while deployed in Iraq. She supports expanding low-cost spay/neuter and pet-retention programs, greater transparency in shelter operations, nonlethal wildlife solutions, and moving the city's fireworks show away from shelter animals. A veteran and UC Santa Barbara McNair Scholar who researched polar bears, Sylvia has had animals throughout her life and has rescued cats.
David Schlangen
Camarillo City Council, District 5
Candidate David Schlangen scored 100% on our questionnaire, supporting a ban on the sale and use of glue traps, nonlethal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts, and funding for low-cost spay/neuter and pet retention programs in partnership with nonprofits. A current Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District board member and a member of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Advisory Board, David has backed wildlife corridors and crossings and wants to promote adoption of rescue animals from local shelters. He describes himself as a dog person who respects all creatures.
Rachel Lang
Ojai City Council, District 2
Ojai City Council Member Rachel Lang has consistently supported animal welfare measures during her term, backing the city's landmark 2023 ordinance recognizing elephants' right to bodily liberty and voting for Ojai's 2026 unanimous ban on the sale and use of glue traps. Rachel is always a friend to animals and can often be seen with her rescue dog Dove.
Leslie Rule
Ojai City Council, District 1
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Ojai City Council Member Leslie Rule has consistently supported animal protection measures during her term, introducing the city's landmark 2023 ordinance recognizing elephants' right to bodily liberty and voting for Ojai's unanimous 2024 ban on the sale and use of glue traps. As Ojai's commissioner to Ventura County Animal Services, she has pushed for greater transparency in shelter statistics, and she is now drafting a budget item for a dog park and "parklets" so Ojai's dogs have safe off-leash space. All four of her dogs are rescues.
Ojai
Oxnard
City Council, District 1
John Barrick
Candidate John Barrick scored 93% on our questionnaire, supporting a ban on the sale and use of glue traps, city funding for low-cost spay/neuter and pet retention programs, and nonlethal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts. He backs greater transparency in shelter operations, police training on dog encounters, and more public education about local wildlife, and he points to drone shows as an alternative to fireworks. John's daughter recently graduated from Moorpark College's Animal Care and Training Program, and he says her passion for animals has become his own.
Ventura
Dr. Jeannette Sanchez- Palacios
Mayor, District 4
Ventura Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios has voted consistently in favor of animal protections during her time on the council, supporting the 2026 emergency ordinance protecting Monarch butterfly habitat from tree removal and voting to ban the sale and use of glue traps in Ventura. Dr. Sanchez-Palacios earned a 95% on our candidate survey.
Impact in the voting booth
Electing animal-friendly candidates leads to better local laws and stronger protections for animals. Local races often have the biggest direct impact on animal welfare in our community. Your vote ensures that Ventura County can advance animal welfare initiatives and set a standard for leadership that truly cares.
