LA would need to close half of its animal shelters under Bass' proposed budget cuts

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass' proposed budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year could hit Los Angeles Animal Services hard. While shelters across the city have been well over capacity for months, budget cuts could force the closure of at least three shelters and layoffs for dozens of employees. 

The backstory:

Los Angeles is facing a $1 billion budget deficit. In her State of the City address this week, Bass laid out the proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which includes more than 1,600 layoffs and major cuts to many departments.

By the numbers:

Bass' budget would cut nearly $5 million from the LAAS budget. According to City Controller Kenneth Mejia, the cuts would eliminate nearly a third of the department's staff positions. 

Only three city departments — youth development, disability and city planning — face more staff cuts, proportionally.

FOX 11 obtained a city memo from LAAS Interim General Manager Annette Ramirez on the proposed cuts. In it, Ramirez said the cuts would force at least three of the department's six shelters to close. The Harbor, West Los Angeles and West Valley shelters would be closed, Ramirez said. 

In total, 62 employees will have to be laid off, including animal care technicians, Animal Control officers, veterinary technicians and more. Sixty additional vacant positions will also be eliminated.

Why you should care:

Los Angeles' animal shelters have been facing overcrowding for years. Last year, FOX 11 reported employees' concerns that shelters were euthanizing healthy dogs just to make room. A month later, LAAS General Manager Staycee Danis resigned.

In the city's memo, Ramirez said that the closures would shift more of a burden to the remaining shelters, and that "the three remaining facilities will quickly run out of space to maintain animals." Making room would "require the Department to revert back to old procedures for euthanizing animals… The number of euthanasia will increase dramatically."

What they're saying:

LAAS employees tell FOX 11 that currently, between five and 10 dogs are euthanized a week, simply because of overcrowding.

"When a dog gets [listed for euthanasia], they'll take a dog off the website, they'll put them in the back, where they're not available for public view," one employee told FOX 11. "So they're setting this dog to die and then giving them the littlest chance to get out of the shelter as possible."

"This shelter system is so overburdened and to cut the budget and fire staff members is ludicrous," said Rene Ruston, founder of Start Rescue. "These budget cuts are a knee-jerk reaction. This is not leadership. Leadership finds ways to increase revenue."

Ruston argues that the city should prioritize revenue-generating efforts—like stronger enforcement of pet licensing—over slashing services.

"If you need more money for your shelter system, go canvas for licensing. I see dogs every day that are not licensed—go after it. That's money you're not capturing," she said.

Susie Ross, a volunteer at a local animal shelter, called the situation unacceptable.
"What is going on is disgusting, and we need to do something about this," she said. "We cannot allow this to happen."

The other side:

In response to FOX 11's request for comment over the proposed shelter closures, Bass' Deputy Mayor for Communications Zach Seidl said "this is false."

"We set aside funding in the Unappropriated Balance to restore those cuts, including the full restoration of the filled position cuts at Animal Services."

But Ruston remains skeptical. 

"She can deny it all she wants," Ruston said, on Bass. "There's a response from the shelter director, and I would put more credence in what she says than what Karen Bass is saying. You've seen the fire department dispute her words, now the animal shelter is disputing her words. I no longer believe what she says."

What's next:

Animal advocates are holding multiple protests to speak out against the proposed cuts over the next few days, including one at Van Nuys City Hall at 1 p.m. on Friday, and one at Los Angeles City Hall on Monday, April 28, at 3 p.m.

They're calling on animal lovers across the city to show up and make their voices heard. 

The full letter from LAAS Interim GM Annette Ramirez can be read below.