When Mayor Karen Bass took office, she pledged to make Los Angeles “a national model for animal welfare.” But a new report shows the number of dogs being euthanized in L.A. city shelters is up by 72% compared to last year.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
From January to September, more than 1,200 dogs were killed at the city’s six shelters, according to the L.A. Times. The number of cats euthanized also increased by 17%.
The number of dogs entering the shelters has increased each year since 2022, but the euthanasia rate is still far outpacing those gains.
The rescue group Best Friends Animal Society says dogs in shelters can go weeks without a walk, leading to behavioral problems. This makes them even less likely to be adopted and more likely to be euthanized.
According to the L.A. Times, despite the increasing euthanasia rate, most animals still leave the shelters alive thanks to rescue groups.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok