Why Los Angeles’ Animal Shelters Are at a Breaking Point—and How We Can Fix It
Los Angeles Animal Shelters Face a Pivotal Moment in History
The alarming 72% rise in euthanasia rates at Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) is a wake-up call for a system on the brink of collapse. This crisis demands immediate action and a reevaluation of what it means to achieve true success in the “no-kill” effort. While the numbers are shocking, they reveal the deeper challenges that LAAS faces today—challenges that call for new priorities, innovative strategies, and a united effort from city officials and the public.
Over the years, Los Angeles has made tremendous progress in reducing shelter intake through spay/neuter programs, public education, and adoption campaigns. These achievements have saved countless lives and instilled a culture of responsible pet ownership. Ironically, this very success has created new obstacles. Shelters are now the last refuge for the most vulnerable animals—those who are sick, injured, or behaviorally challenged. This shift highlights the complexity of progress: fewer adoptable animals entering shelters, but more requiring extensive care and rehabilitation.
Accepting a New Paradigm
This reality, while difficult to accept, must shape our approach going forward. Without it, we risk failing the animals and the public we aim to protect. LAAS shelters now resemble MASH units—overcrowded, underfunded, and overwhelmed by the hardest-to-place animals, many of whom may never find homes. The risks to public safety also grow when dangerous or unassessed animals are released due to resource shortages or the pressure to meet arbitrary live-release targets.
At this juncture, clinging to a rigid 90% live release rate—a metric often celebrated as the hallmark of “no-kill” sheltering—is no longer sustainable. True no-kill sheltering is not about numbers; it’s about a commitment to euthanize only when rehabilitation is no longer a humane or viable option. This principle respects the spirit of no-kill while acknowledging the increasingly complex realities of shelter management today.
To address this crisis, LAAS must adapt its mission and engage the community in a deeper understanding of this pivotal shift. Today’s shelters primarily serve as a safety net for animals with nowhere else to go while still housing adoptable pets in need of loving homes. Acknowledging these dual roles, the public must step up to support these efforts by adopting, fostering, and volunteering. Transparency about these challenges, paired with humane care that balances compassion with public safety, is the cornerstone of authentic no-kill sheltering.
City Officials Must Participate
However, public involvement alone is not enough. City officials must confront an uncomfortable truth: LAAS is one of the lowest-funded large shelter systems in the country, operating with just $30 million out of a $5.9 billion city budget. This funding shortfall directly contributes to overcrowding, limited behavioral rehabilitation programs, and an overtaxed staff. Humane outcomes for animals—especially those who are hardest to place—cannot be achieved without meaningful investment.
With additional funding, LAAS could expand targeted spay/neuter programs in underserved areas, intensify behavioral rehabilitation efforts for at-risk animals, and provide enrichment activities that improve the adoptability and well-being of long-term shelter residents. These proactive measures would alleviate the pressure on shelters while creating more humane outcomes for animals and safer communities for all Angelenos.
Embracing a New Mission
Los Angeles has long been a leader in animal welfare innovation, but bold leadership is needed now more than ever. By adopting a case management approach tailored to each animal’s unique needs and shifting focus from rigid metrics to humane outcomes, LAAS can set a powerful example for communities nationwide. The goal must be to save lives—not through numerical targets—but by achieving the best possible outcome for every animal. The question is not if LA can rise to this challenge, but whether we will act before it’s too late—for the animals and the communities we share.
Ed Boks is a former Executive Director of the New York City, Los Angeles, and Maricopa County Animal Care & Control Departments, and a former Board Director of the National Animal Control Association. His work has been published in the LA Times, New York Times, Newsweek, Real Clear Policy, Sentient Media, and now on Animal Politics with Ed Boks.
Excellent summation of the problem with LAAS shelters and what needs to be done. If the companion animal loving community become more aware of this they could actively canvas their local administrations to find more money and to tailor support for every individual animal with far better care in the future.
Agree, we need to move away from the one size fits all, because anyone who spends any amount of time in a animal shelter, who truly cares about these animals can see that that does not work. These are living, breathing, feeling creatures all created differently with different needs. They are not a statistic!! Stick your numbers where the sun doesn't shine and do things for these animals based on what is best for the animal.