Animal advocates demand city ease shelter crowding
Animal advocates rallied at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday to urge city leaders to address what they say are severely overcrowded shelters and to stop turning away homeless animals.
People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, local rescue groups and concerned citizens gave public comment during Friday's City Council meeting. This group called on the city for emergency action to address the ongoing crisis at the city's six animal shelters, strictly enforce spay and neuter law, and prompt a drafting of a breeder moratorium.
PETA members and animal advocates have been taking action this week by plastering posters near Mayor Karen Bass' residence at the Getty House, around City Hall and by Chesterfield Square/South L.A. shelter. Their message shows a picture of Bass and a stray dog in the background, and reads, “If you see a stray in L.A., It's her fault. Ask Mayor Bass to stop the neglect of animals at L.A. Animal Services.”
Bass' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, the Department of Animal Services, also known as LAAS, pushed back on some of the claims made by protesters.
“Since General Manager Staycee Dains was appointed (in July 2023), overcrowding has been nearly cut in half in less than a year because of new policies to protect animals,” the department said.
Additionally, the department has increased its volunteer staff from 560 people who put in an hour over 30 days to 953 people who put in an hour over 30 days — nearly doubling in less than a year.
“There is obviously much more work to be done, but progress has been made and lives of animals have been saved,” the statement read.
According to PETA, animals have been reportedly dumped on the streets when they're turned away by staff at the Chesterfield Square/South L.A. shelter.
The animal group says the shelter staff has refused to accept stray animals and instructed residents to abandon animals on the streets where they found them. PETA and others say they've begged the city to intervene, but despite “mounting evidence” that the department's policies “aren't working,” Bass and city officials aren't changing them.
The department “has washed its hands of the crisis it helped create by refusing to enforce the city's spay/neuter ordinance and allowing the homeless animals it turns away to flood L.A.'s streets, where they often suffer and die painfully and slowly,” PETA Senior
Vice President Lisa Lange said in a statement. “PETA is calling on Mayor Bass to actually do her job and remind city shelters of theirs: to provide shelter to all.”
According to the department, Dains invites and encourages collaboration from anyone who wants to work to find solutions that benefit animals and the community.
“It's crucial to emphasize that (the department) does not and will not entertain the idea of euthanizing healthy, safe, and friendly animals, and any rumors indication otherwise are entirely false,” it said in a statement.
Again the department pushed back saying, “A small minority of `advocates' and certain rescue organizations, who are not actively engaged in our shelters, continue to distort and fabricate an untrue narrative about the department.”
PETA said the most effective way to reduce the city's homeless animal population is to ban breeding and enforce the city's 2008 spay/neuter ordinance to prevent more animals from being born. The group alleges the ordinance isn't being enforced, resulting in animals being turned away and left on the streets to breed even more homeless animals.
City Council members voted to draft a breeding permit moratorium in a move to address overcrowding at the shelters last year, but the current status of that law is uncertain.
The moratorium would be lifted once shelters were at or below 75% capacity for three consecutive months, and could be automatically reinstated if shelter capacity rises above 75%. Should the ordinance need more time to be prepared, the motion instructs the city attorney to amend city law to allow Dains discretion to limit the issuance of breeding permits.
Additionally, animal services will provide a report detailing violations and citations issued in 2022 related to breeding permits, an analysis of fees associated with violations and a list of cities that placed moratoriums or banned breeding permits.
The city's animal shelters and department have faced criticisms in recent years from volunteers and rescue groups about animals being neglected, overcrowding and staffing shortages.
Last year, Dains stepped into the role as the general manager. Since then, the department has taken steps to correct issues at the shelters.
The department continued to say Dains has spoken openly and frankly about the crisis, which is also occurring nationwide.
The department cites some pet owners abandoning their large dogs at shelters as a reason for overcrowding, as well as too few people adopting and fostering animals.
The department has undertaken a major campaign to encourage the adoption of animals and has continued to partner with outside groups to host adoption events. Dains previously reported she instituted weekly departmentwide, all-staff meetings and volunteer meetings, as well as the first-ever regular convening of New Hope rescue partners to discuss problems, gather ideas and implement solutions.
The department has also taken steps to bolster its staff and volunteer force. Angelenos are encouraged to apply through the city's Targeted Local Hire program. Candidates can begin their career as an animal care attendant providing hands-on care to animals in the department's shelters.
“These factors have created an overpopulation of large dogs in shelters,” the department said. “We are urging Angelenos to help us confront this crisis by coming forward to help animals by fostering, adopting, volunteering and donating.”