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Sunny Shelton's avatar

“Mismanagement and inefficiencies” is such an overly generous way to describe what’s going on at LAAS. The only tool in their kit seems to be killing. I understand that we are a in true crisis, most of which can be laid at the feet of irresponsible dog owners and backyard breeders. Nonetheless, LAAS has a duty to operate in compliance with Hayden’s law. Yet they continually and intentionally shirk their responsibility by mislabeling dogs as “behavioral” so that they can be killed without counting against live release rate. And as you’ve pointed out, they have been unresponsive to offers of assistance from the public, trainers, veterinarians and other professionals even though they would come at no cost to LASS. They refuse to enforce spay/neuter laws or establish any kind of meaningful low cost or free S/N clinics despite the fact that they are sitting on millions of dollars in donations to the Animal Welfare Trust Fund. Having worked both as a transporter/puller and foster, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with animals that were red listed for supposed “aggressive” behavior. Every single one of them was nothing but loving, affectionate and deserving. This constant mislabeling of dogs in order to kill them more quickly is not simply mismanagement but rather a willful and conscious decision. The number of staff that I’ve encountered that have very little understanding of dog behavior or flat out distain for them is shocking. But how do you make people care who simply do not?

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Jennifer Em's avatar

What is going on with LAAS? Why have they been such a persistent problem? The tools are really available to transition to a no-kill or low-kill facility.

I've been following this via the No Kill Advocacy Center, and it's heartbreaking.

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