LA animal shelters’ multiple problems begin with mismanagement, says consultant

A consultant hired to assess Los Angeles’ animal shelters told the city’s Animal Services Commission Tuesday that many problems are hindering the effort to ease the overcrowding crisis at the facilities and properly tend to animals in the city’s care.

Chief among them, according to Kristen Hassen, founder of Outcomes for Pets Consulting, is the lack of a manager at each of the six shelters to guide strategic planning in place of the current system of shelter supervisors.

“This is the No. 1 thing that has to change,” Hassen told the board.

Hassen said that under the current system, the supervisors sometimes have little to no managerial training, and are too burdened with “trying to survive day-to-day” to examine protocols and tackle overarching problems.

Another major problem in her view is that, with the number of dogs, cats and other animals outpacing the department’s resources, shelter staff is too focused on intake and is not devoting enough effort to moving animals out, with an inadequate number of adoption counselors.

“The is no lack of potential adopters in Los Angeles,” she said.

She also found inconsistency among shelters.

“No two shelters do things the same way,” Hassen said, with different decisions made by various supervisors often causing confusion for the public.

Hassen also called for LAAS to hire a dedicated safety officer. The consultant said moderate and severe dog bites at the shelters have nearly doubled since 2023, and added that staff need to have up-to-date standard operating procedures on safety, including proper bite tools and training.

In addition, Hassen called for equipping every staff member and volunteer with a whistle in case of a dog bite. She also said all shelters should have at least biweekly meetings, something they’re currently falling short on.

Overcrowding at the shelters has gotten worse in the last few years, fueled by a combination of lack of access to affordable spay and neuter surgeries, inadequate funding, increased returns of pets as people returned to work after the coronavirus pandemic, breeders dumping unwanted animals at shelters and other factors.

In April, the Los Angeles City Council voted 13-0 to approve a temporary moratorium on dog breeding permits in the city to address the population crisis.

The shelters have the capacity for 737 dogs, but there are currently 1,082 dogs in the LAAS system, which Hassen pointed out is actually an improvement from recent months when the total was a few hundred higher.

Nevertheless, the situation has made it necessary to house multiple dogs in the same kennel. Some dogs aren’t getting daily walks, and staff have had to clean the kennels with the animals still inside, sometimes worsening behavior problems in dogs who are already skittish or otherwise problematic.

The number of cats and rabbits at the shelters is also high, increasing the strain on beleaguered staff and volunteers.

Mayor Karen Bass’ office has noted that about 25,000 animals were adopted or rescued from the city’s six animal shelters so far this year, representing a 17% increase compared to 2023.

However, a recent Los Angeles Times analysis also found that about 1,224 dogs were euthanized, an increase of 72%, from January to September compared to the same period last year. Some 1,517 cats were euthanized, also a 17% increase from 2023.

Last week, officials announced that the city controller’s office will conduct a performance audit of LAAS in an attempt to identify solutions to years-long issues.

The audit is expected to determine whether the city is providing its animals with humane care; whether programs maximize the department’s ability to save animals; and whether sites have capacity to manage the current demand. The controller’s Audit Services Division will conduct the audit with assistance by a consultant specializing in animal shelter operations and veterinary care.

According to the controller, the city’s six shelters took in approximately 39,000 dogs and cats in 2023.

“Its mission is to provide care for LA’s animals, and it strives for a 90% save-rate, which are nearly impossible tasks given that the city recently reduced the department’s operating budget by $1.4 million to $30.3 million this fiscal year — a fraction of the $5.9 billion total operating budget for all city departments,” Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a statement.

LAAS is also dealing with a long-term leadership vacuum, as former General Manager Staycee Dains resigned at the end of last month following months of being on paid leave. Annette Ramirez, who led LAAS on an interim basis for a year and half prior to Dains’ appointment in 2023, is again leading the department on an interim basis.

Dains, who formerly led Long Beach’s animal services department, has not responded to a request for comment. Neither the mayor’s office, the City Council or LAAS has given a reason for her departure, or offered any information about the search for a new general manager.