Recently I had the opportunity, along with spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein and Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA President Nikole Bresciani, to meet with NBC 4 reporter Kathy Vara to discuss the current challenges facing animal sheltering organizations.

The post-pandemic increase of dogs in animal shelters has been straining resources at animal shelters and rescue groups. We are all working at full capacity as we strive to find as many possible live outcomes for the dogs relinquished to our care.

There are several reasons for this increase. The demand for puppies or dogs during the pandemic created a black market for dog breeding, and the results are now arriving in our care centers. People who obtained dogs during the pandemic were not able to get them the socialization they needed due to lockdowns and are now unable to handle their unruly two-year-old dogs. Veterinarians had to limit medical care to emergencies only, and defer elective spay/neuter appointments, so we are now seeing puppies for the first time in years. Some pet owners are now struggling with the costs of owning a pet and must surrender them for economic reasons.

Rescue groups are also overwhelmed for the same reasons. The dedicated and compassionate adoption partners we have traditionally relied upon to adopt dogs from our care centers are already full with dogs surrendered directly to them by their owners. They have reduced ability to help us. In fact, our Downey animal care center recently held a special adoption partner event where we opened on a Sunday for our 200 adoption partners to adopt dogs. Only two organizations showed up, although one did take 10 dogs, for which we are very grateful.

Kathy has aired two reports on the current work done by animal shelters and rescue groups to address this. The links to these stories are below. Although these are challenging times for animal shelters, there are many compassionate people committed to making a difference for these animals. I am grateful to our dedicated staff, generous volunteers, and animal rescue adoption partners for all their hard work in saving lives.

Kathy Vara’s Reports
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/overcrowding-at-la-county-animal-shelters-is-leading-to-euthanization-of-healthy-pets/3386059/

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/volunteers-turn-to-social-media-to-give-shelter-dogs-second-chance/3393396/

Interested in becoming a DACC volunteer? Click here for more information: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/become-a-volunteer/.

Please support the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation. This nonprofit provides additional medical care, behavior and enrichment, adoption support, and more for DACC’s animals. Learn more at: www.lacountyanimals.org

Marcia Mayeda

Marcia Mayeda is the director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control.

About Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control (DACC)
DACC is one of the largest animal care and control agencies in the nation, operating seven animal care centers and providing services to more than three million residents and their pets. DACC operates under the nationally recognized Socially Conscious Sheltering model to ensure the best possible outcomes for animals and the community. As a community resource center for pets and owners, DACC protects people and animals from harm, provides care for lost and unwanted animals, reunites lost pets with their families, and strives every day to move closer to its goal of finding a loving home for every adoptable pet that comes through its doors. To learn more about DACC, the resources DACC provides, and view its animals, visit www.animalcare.lacounty.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). To support DACC’s efforts, please donate to the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation at www.lacountyanimals.org. To learn more about Socially Conscious Sheltering, visit https://scsheltering.org/.