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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - More than 30 animal advocates attended a brief rally outside City Hall and spoke at the City Council meeting Friday to urge city leaders to address the severely overcrowded shelters and to stop turning away homeless animals.
Members of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, local rescue groups and concerned members of the public gave public comment during the meeting, called on officials to take emergency action to address what both activists and the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services call a crisis at its six shelters, enact strict enforcement of the existing spay and neuter law and prompt a drafting of a breeder moratorium.
PETA members and animal advocates have plastered posters near Getty House, Mayor Karen Bass' official residence, around City Hall and by the Chesterfield Square/South Los Angeles shelter this week. 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," LAAS said.
Additionally, LAAS has increased its volunteers from 560 people who volunteered an hour over 30 days to 953 people who volunteered 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 dumped on the streets when they're turned away by staff at the Chesterfield Square/South Los Angeles animal shelter, an allegation a department official declined to comment on.
The animal group says the shelter staff have 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 Los Angeles Department of Animal Services' "aren't working," Bass and city officials aren't changing them.
"LAAS 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 LAAS, Dains invites and encourages collaboration from anyone who wants to work with the department to find solutions that benefit animals and the community.
"It's crucial to emphasize that LAAS does not and will not entertain the idea of euthanizing healthy, safe, and friendly animals, and any rumors indication otherwise are entirely false," LAAS 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 claims 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 animal shelters last year, however, the current status of that proposal 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 proposed ordinance need more time to be prepared, the motion instructs the City Attorney to amend city law to give Dains the 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 has 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 of LAAS. Since then, the department has taken steps to correct issues at the shelters.
LAAS continued to say that 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 are 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 that she instituted weekly department-wide, all-staff meetings and volunteer meetings, as well as the first 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," LAAS said. "We are urging Angelenos to help us confront this crisis by coming forward to help animals by fostering, adopting, volunteering and donating."