URGENT: Notice of Animal Welfare Violations at Sonoma County Fair – Demand for Policy Changes
Complaint Summary
>Pursuant to California Penal Code § 597, I am filing a formal complaint alleging severe and recurring animal cruelty violations at the Sonoma County Fair. The fair's management has consistently failed to provide humane care for exhibited rabbits, specifically through two negligent practices:
1. Exposing rabbits to extreme temperatures without adequate cooling or shelter, thereby subjecting them to needless suffering and unnecessary cruelty. This constitutes a clear failure to provide "proper shelter" and "protection from the weather" as mandated by CA Penal Code § 597.
2. Housing rabbits on wire mesh flooring, a known cause of painful physical conditions like pododermatitis (sore hocks), injury, and chronic stress. This practice inflicts "unnecessary cruelty" and fails to provide a proper environment, violating the animal's freedom from discomfort and pain as established by foundational animal welfare principles .
These conditions demonstrate a systemic failure to meet the minimum standards of care required under California state law.
FORMAL COMPLAINT – ANIMAL WELFARE VIOLATIONS
Sonoma County Fair Rabbit Exhibitions
I, O.A., hereby file a formal complaint against the Sonoma County Fair for repeated violations of animal welfare standards and statutes during rabbit exhibitions, specifically:
Heat Stress Endangerment
Exposure of rabbits to ambient temperatures exceeding 85°F (29.4°C) without the implementation of sufficient and verifiable mitigation measures to prevent heat-related distress, injury, or illness.
Allowing Inhumane Housing Conditions
Wire mesh flooring can cause pododermatitis (ulcerative foot pad lesions), constituting a failure to provide a safe and humane environment.
Background and Evidence
A. Lack of Adequate Protection From Extreme Weather
During the years 2023 - 2025 at the Sonoma County Fair, rabbits were exhibited in extreme temperatures contrary to Merck Veterinary Manual (2020)* which states, “Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 80°F (27°C) may cause your rabbit to become sick.” Notwithstanding that rabbits require environmental temperatures at or below 80 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent the onset of potentially fatal hyperthermia, the fair organizers willfully permitted the rabbit exhibition to proceed in deliberate neglect of this established standard of care.
A fundamental principle of thermodynamics confirms that an electric fan does not lower a room's ambient temperature; it operates solely by moving air to create a convective cooling effect on skin, which provides a subjective sensation of thermal relief through enhanced evaporation, while the total thermal energy within the enclosed space remains conserved (University of California, Davis, n.d.; The Physics Classroom, n.d.).
References
McClure, D. (2020, August). Special considerations for rabbits. Merck Veterinary Manual. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/rabbits/special-considerations-for-rabbits
The Physics Classroom. (n.d.). Heat and temperature. Retrieved from https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/thermalP
University of California, Davis. (n.d.). How fans keep you cool. Physics Demos. Retrieved from https://physics.ucdavis.edu/outreach/how-fans-keep-you-cool
Weather Records (Attachment 1)
Fair Year & # of days exceeding 85°
2023=4
2024=6
2025=5
CA Penal Code § 597(b) mandates “protection from the weather.” This would be interpreted to protect the animal from temperature extremes, especially temperature that can cause harm. As documented by the undersigned over the course of three annual fair cycles, multiple rabbits exhibited clinical signs consistent with mild to moderate heat stroke, each year. Notice was provided to staff members on a yearly basis. Concurrent notice was also provided to the on-site veterinarian in 2023.
Photographs/videos of distressed rabbits at the Sonoma County Fair (Attachment 2)
Disclaimer of Diagnosis
The photographic evidence included in this report is provided for documentary and illustrative purposes only. It is intended to demonstrate the methodology and standard of health observation conducted. A definitive diagnosis of any medical condition requires clinical observation by a licensed veterinarian. The images are offered strictly as proof of diligent monitoring and documentation of animal welfare at the Sonoma County Fair by the undersigned, a licensed nurse with over 20 years of experience in caring for rabbits and 6 years at Rabbit Ears Rescue in Oakland, CA.
Video documentation (to observe panting) can be found at: bit.ly/SoCoFairRabbits
Photo and video recorded on: August 6, 2023, August 3, 2024 & August 8, 2025
B. Wire Flooring Violations
Rabbits were housed on wire mesh flooring, a practice demonstrated by peer-reviewed research to cause pododermatitis and spinal deformities (Buijs et al., 2014). While temporary use may not cause chronic conditions, it exacerbates and normalizes poor husbandry practices by teaching the future leaders of agriculture that science stops where profit begins.
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Studies on the Negative Effects of Wire Flooring in Rabbit Housing
1. Buijs, S., Hermans, K., Maertens, L., Van Caelenberg, A., & Tuyttens, F. A. M. (2014). Effects of semi-group housing and floor type on pododermatitis, spinal deformation, and bone quality in rabbit does. Animal, 8(10), 1728–1734.
Key Findings: This study found that rabbits housed on wire floors exhibited significantly higher incidences of pododermatitis (soar hocks) and spinal deformities compared to those on plastic slatted floors.
2. Masthoff, T., & Hoy, S. (2019). Investigations on the influence of floor design on dirtiness and foot pad lesions in growing rabbits. Animals, 9(6), 354.
Key Findings: Wire mesh floors complying with German animal welfare ordinances (11 mm slots) resulted in the highest frequencies of foot pad lesions and soiling compared to alternative plastic slatted floors. The study concluded that wire floors meeting regulatory requirements do not correspond to animal welfare due to high injury and soiling rates.
3. Rauterberg, S. L., Bill, J., & Kemper, N. (2019). Evaluation of two different flooring designs for rabbit housing in accordance with German welfare regulations: Soiling and mortality. Agriculture, 9(12), 257.
Key Findings: While wire mesh flooring provided the cleanest environment, it was associated with higher mortality rates (11.7%) compared to alternative designs.
4. Ruchti, S., Meier, A. R., Würbel, H., Kratzer, G., & Gebhardt-Henrich, S. G. (2019). Progression and risk factors of pododermatitis in part-time group housed rabbit does in Switzerland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 166, 56–64.
Key Findings: Wire flooring was identified as a significant risk factor for ulcerative pododermatitis, with lesions progressing to severe stages more frequently on wire floors. Only partial recovery was observed even after extended periods, indicating chronic pain and welfare compromises.
5. Rosell, J. M., & de la Fuente, L. F. (2009). Effect of footrests on the incidence of ulcerative pododermatitis in domestic rabbit does. Animal Welfare, 18(2), 153–160.
Key Findings: Adding plastic footrests to wire cages reduced the incidence of ulcerative pododermatitis from 71.5% to 15.1% in breeding does. However, wire floors without footrests caused persistent lesions leading to premature culling, indicating that wire itself is the primary risk factor.
3. Other Legal Violations
The Sonoma County Fair organizes livestock exhibitions and auctions, where animals like rabbits are temporarily housed and cared for on the fairgrounds. Under California Civil Code § 1834, a depositary must provide animals with "necessary and prompt veterinary care, nutrition, and shelter, and treat them kindly.”
As the entity that hosts the event and provides space for animals to be exhibited, the Sonoma County Fair and Exposition have accepted the animals for safekeeping. The exhibitors are the "depositors," and the fair is the "depositary" during the event's duration. The animals are under the fair's temporary custody, and the fair has a duty to ensure their welfare on its property.
The Fair’s actions constitute:
Negligence per se (violation of published animal welfare standards)
Reckless endangerment (ignoring foreseeable harm)
4. Demand for Action
I request a policy mandating the cancellation of rabbit exhibits whenever the forecasted high temperature for Santa Rosa, CA reaches or exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius). This measure is necessary to ensure adherence to California Penal Code § 597, which prohibits allowing an animal to suffer due to a lack of adequate protection from the weather.
I request a policy requiring the use of plastic foot rests in all enclosures utilizing wire mesh flooring. This is a fundamental practice of modern animal husbandry that prevents pododermatitis (sore hocks) and associated complications.
These policies are supported by established veterinary science, including the Merck Veterinary Manual, making their implementation a prudent and necessary step to mitigate preventable illness and suffering.
5. Attachments
Weather records (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Santa Rosa, CA. 2023, 2024, & 2025.)
Photographic evidence (all photo and video recorded by the undersigned, at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, CA.)
Respectfully submitted for immediate review and action,
This complaint is protected under CA Labor Code § 1102.5 as a disclosure of practices that may endanger public or animal health. I certify that this report is my own work and has not been influenced or funded by any outside organization or entity, whether affiliated or not. I have no conflict of interest to declare.