December 4, 2024 LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia ordered an independent audit of Los Angeles Animal Services. Mejia ordered the audit because of increasing intake and euthanasia rates at Los Angeles city animal shelters noted by outside animal rescue organization Best Friends. Mejia stated "Our audit aims to give L.A. Animal Services, the public, and policymakers a detailed understanding of LAAS' struggle to provide adequate care, and the audit will identify ways the system can be improved, both at current funding levels and with additional funding."
A part of that audit included a Request for Proposals (RFP) titled “Evaluation of LA City Animal Shelters and Care” by an independent consultant. The proposal may have been about to be awarded to past LA Animal Services Chief veterinarian Dr Dena Mangiamele. Mangiamele was allegedly notified by the City Controller that the contract was cancelled due to conflict of interest. I tried to confirm with the City Controller and Dena Mangiamele but neither returned my email. As far as I know the City Controller is still doing an audit. Maybe they just chose a different consultant or no consultant to save funds.
In light of all of this I decided to do my own quick audit. I was asked to be a commissioner for LA Animal Services around 2005. I was on the Prop F Committee around 2006. I used to attend all the meetings and publicly post my minutes before they started audio recordings. I've been following the Department closely since 2000 and have written a few mini audits and articles if you search this blog.
I took a look at the Department animal statistics since 2017. I'm sure I have stats from 1990's if not earlier in my records. Intake and euthanasia rates had been going down while spay neuter was going up since the 1970's. Below is a summary of the statistics.
Intake was going down, live save was going up then Covid hit March 2020 with lockdown. Some probably relinquished animals early in the pandemic as they couldn't afford to keep them without working. Later 2020, 2021 fewer animals came in and more were adopted during Covid as people had more time for pets. Number of spay neuters went down because of Covid lockdown so population increased. After Covid lockdown people went back to work and dumped adopted animals and fosters. Intake went up as did euth rate. Intake is still below 2017 to 2019 levels. Euth is back up above 2017 levels. During this time the Dept budget increased until 2025 when it decreased because of LA City budget issues. A good thing is live save rate is about stable to a little less which is amazing considering increase in intake. Another good thing is spay neuter is now back up to pre Covid levels. (See statistics below with links)
The biggest complaint today is overcrowding in the shelter. The shelter is actually limiting animal intake by refusing some animals. The shelter is overcrowded because the only other immediate alternative is euthanasia. It's damned if you do, damned if you don't. If the Dept euthanizes, people will complain even louder about the euth rate. If they don't, they'll complain about over crowding. Pick your poison.
Another issue to consider is the addition of the new larger shelters starting in 2006. I was on the Prop F Committee to build the new shelters. I asked how the Department will pay for more employees to take care of a larger shelter which can house more animals. I was told Prop F funds can only be used to build the shelters and not staff or support them. This has caused some field employees to spend more time in the shelter. The animal per employee ratio is also higher than previously.
A recent issue is the economy. Tariffs, rising interest rates, rising rents, uncertain economy has caused people to tighten their budgets. If we go into a recession, it'll get even worse as this generally leads to more animals being dumped and fewer adopted. Another issue is immigrants being deported or self deporting. It costs $350 for a vet visit and airline certificate besides $200 to fly pets back home. Many can't afford it and are leaving pets behind.
What is the solution to this problem? The Department has been increasing spay neuter post Covid above pre Covid rates. It will take time to get the intake back down. Things will be more difficult now that the budget has been cut 4% compared to 2024. The shelter is working with many different rescue groups with spay neuter, adoptions, foster, grants... Our organization Animal Advocates has worked with the shelter since 2000 so we know all their programs.
Sadly we are seeing more pleas from the shelters begging us to take animals within the last two months. End of July and August historically is generally the time they have to euthanize animals for space. It's post puppy, kitten season and people dump animals to go on vacation. The shelter has no other options. If anyone would like to help, adopt an animal. Tell people to adopt instead of buying one. Support a rescue group that takes animals from the shelters. Help people so they don't have to dump their animal. This is not the shelter's problem. They are just the dumping ground. It's everyone's problem. Attacking the Department only makes the problem worse. Please, be part of the solution instead and try to help.
STATISTICS
YEAR, cat/dog intake, save rate, euth, spayneuter partners shelter animals only*
Dec 2024, 39763 84% 5588 18405
Dec 2023, 38606 86% 4731 15772
Dec 2022, 35653 88% 3580 (missing 2022 stats and not all included in 2023 stats)
Dec 2021, 28683 89% 2741 11184
Dec 2020, 30977 90% 2019 11114 March 2020 Covid lockdown
Dec 2019, 46825 88% 4886 (missing)
Dec 2018, 44392 -89% 3960 17225
Dec 2017, 44794 86% 5382 (missing)
I found some older intake rates from a past article I wrote in 2015. https://animaladvocatesmarycummins.blogspot.com/2015/06/some-animal-activists-are-protesting.html
2014/15 44,734 -9% from previous year at this rate
2014/15 44,734 -9% from previous year at this rate
2013/14 50,239 -8% from previous year
2012/13 54,825
2012/13 54,825
Older euthanasia numbers. We're doing so much better today.
2014/2015 11,579 at this rate -9% from previous year, 23% euth rate
2013/2014 12,683 -25% from previous year, 25% euth rate
2012/2013 17,069 -21% from previous year, 31% euth rate
2011/2012 21,620 37% euth rate (euth/intake)
2013/2014 12,683 -25% from previous year, 25% euth rate
2012/2013 17,069 -21% from previous year, 31% euth rate
2011/2012 21,620 37% euth rate (euth/intake)
Here's an article I wrote in 2011 about the statistics.
https://animaladvocatesmarycummins.blogspot.com/2011/02/brenda-barnette-first-six-months-by.html
This old stat page is still up in the web archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20170427194024/www.sheltertrak.com/stat_laas002.php
https://animaladvocatesmarycummins.blogspot.com/2011/02/brenda-barnette-first-six-months-by.html
This old stat page is still up in the web archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20170427194024/www.sheltertrak.com/stat_laas002.php
Chart. I should have started the graph at zero intake so the dip wouldn't look so drastic.
*There were more spays from other programs but this is the one program that existed during all the time periods so I could use it for comparison
BUDGET
2025 30.31 million
2024 31.70
2023 26.94
2022 25.73
2021 23.21
2020 27.16
2019 24.91
2018 23.51
2017 23.98
2016 23.06
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