The City of West Hollywood’s Picasso Pets event will feature the swearing-in of the City’s honorary Pet Mayor, Shadrach Byers, who, with Chelsea Lee Byers as the City’s Mayor, will serve as the City’s first-ever honorary Cat Mayor. The event will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Event activities begin at 11 a.m. and the Pet Mayor Ceremony will start at noon.

The free Picasso Pets event will provide an opportunity for pet parents to participate in pet-friendly activities and receive event souvenirs while supplies last. Please note that the pet caricature portrait activity has reached capacity for this event, but pet pawrents are encouraged to enjoy a wide range of pawsitively amazing festivities in the park, including visiting pet care organization booths.

Pets must always remain leashed and under the control of their humans. No ruff housing! Cats are welcome to attend! For the safety of your feline friend, we encourage cats to be placed inside a carrier, pet backpack, pet stroller, or wearing a harness and leash. In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors to the Doheny Room located on the second floor of the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center (which is adjacent to the surface level of West Hollywood Park).

The City’s Pet Mayor is a program approved by the West Hollywood City Council in 2022. As part of the program, the City’s Mayor may choose to have their pet (dog, cat, or another animal companion) serve as the Pet Mayor during their mayoral term. The City’s Pet Mayor program intends to enhance support for the West Hollywood community’s animals and animal guardians and help bring awareness to the City’s ongoing efforts and initiatives focused on animal welfare.

The City is proud to announce its incoming Pet Mayor, Shadrach — a trailblazing feline with a passion for advocacy and adventure. As the first-ever Cat Mayor of the City of West Hollywood, Shadrach will take on the pawsome responsibility of representing the community’s beloved pets and championing initiatives that promote animal well-being.

Shadrach’s duties as Pet Mayor will include attending community events, supporting pet-friendly initiatives, and advocating for expanded resources for animals, particularly Community Cats.

A true trailblazer, Shadrach is not only a historic first but also a leader with a purpose. Born under a guava tree in West Los Angeles, she is the eldest of three siblings — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — all of whom share a strong bond. Her brother, Meshach, will serve as honorary Deputy Pet Mayor, ensuring that the administration remains a family affair.

Shadrach is a nature enthusiast and public safety advocate, known for her dedication to patrolling her home and exploring the local community. Her adventures have even garnered her media and neighborhood attention including appearances on NextDoor and the HomeAway “Missing Pets” portal.

As Pet Mayor, Shadrach proposes a thoughtful agenda, which includes tenant rights to stay safely housed, expanded animal protections including resources for community cats, as well as fresh treats and timely breakfasts for all! Shadrach “thinks globally and acts locally,” using her voice to advocate for access to fresh food and ending world hunger, starting right at home. Shadrach is enthusiastic about her new role and wants to see a world where all community cats are cared for and have the resources they need to stay healthy and warm.

The City of West Hollywood has been on the forefront of animal rights and protections for decades and the City’s commitment to animal rights is one of its legacies. The City has consistently worked to enact leading-edge animal welfare legislation. 

In 1989, the West Hollywood City Council passed Resolution 558 making West Hollywood a “Cruelty-Free Zone” for animals. This action was then followed by West Hollywood’s move to secure animal care service policies that included a no-kill policy for stray and abandoned animals. The City also focused its efforts on raising awareness about the availability of thousands of abandoned animals at shelters waiting to be adopted, even sponsoring local adoption fairs at City parks — a tradition that continues to this day.  

In 2004, the West Hollywood City Council passed an Ordinance to ban the practice of declawing cats, thereby making West Hollywood the first City in North America to ban this procedure. In 2008, the City of West Hollywood adopted a Resolution supporting Proposition 2, which led to a statewide standard in the caging of chickens; in 2009, the West Hollywood City Council took a stand against puppy-mills and the sale of dogs in local stores that came from such mills. The City of West Hollywood’s Ordinance prohibiting the sale of fur established that it is “unlawful to sell, offer for sale, display for sale, import, export, trade, or distribute any fur product by any means anywhere within the City of West Hollywood on or after September 21, 2013.” This Ordinance was approved by the West Hollywood City Council in November 2011 and, in August 2015, the Ordinance was amended.

The City’s dedication to animal welfare initiatives has continued in recent years. To help address concerns locally related to the overpopulation of cats and allow community cats to live healthier lives, the City of West Hollywood adopted a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program as a humane and effective solution. In February 2019, the City Council directed staff to create a spay/neuter program in West Hollywood. Moreover, in May 2022, the City expanded the (TNR) program to provide free and local TNR services to West Hollywood – Community Cats – further demonstrating a commitment to the well-being of stray or feral cats in the community.

For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Pet Mayor, please contact Jennifer Del Toro, the City of West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor, at (323) 848-6549 or at jdeltoro@weho.org. For more information about Picasso Pets, please contact Susana Salazar, the City of West Hollywood’s Recreation Coordinator, at (323) 848-6479 or at ssalazar@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.