LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to approve a report calling for the Department of Animal Services to examine and find ways to improve the vacancy rates of its veterinarians.
The Council instructed its department to report back within 90 days on the current vacancy rate for veterinarians, compare salary ranges in cities and in the private sector, outline the department's recruitment efforts to attract qualified candidates and include recommendations to expedite the hiring of veterinarians to fill existing open positions.
Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez initiated the action by introducing a motion seeking to address staffing shortages in the Department of Animal Services.
"One of the vital positions DAS is understaffed for is veterinarians," the motion reads. "The head veterinarian for the city is also serving as the vet for two of the six shelters, providing care to over 800 animals."
The department's capacity to provide adequate veterinary assistance for all the animals under its care is "severely lacking" and creates "undue stress" on existing staff, Hernandez added.
The councilwoman noted in her motion that there's a national shortage of veterinarians, making competitive pay and benefits a necessity when hiring for the role.
"With many opportunities available for veterinarians in the private sector, it is important that we assess whether the salary the city is currently offering is competitive enough to attract qualified, dedicated applicants to fill our open veterinary positions," the motion reads.
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