Does L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Hate Animals?

ANIMAL WATCH - Twice a month, animal welfare activists, shelter volunteers, rescuers, and even a few brave employees of the Animal Services Department, Zoom in or appear in person at the meetings of the Animal Services Commission. During the public comment portion of the meeting, they report to the Commissioners and the General Manager on conditions at the Los Angeles City animal shelters and across the City. Speaker after speaker details the terrible conditions at the six City shelters.

The Commissioners and the General Manager listen, knowing that there is little they can do to significantly improve conditions, because of the anti-animal administration of Mayor Karen Bass. Mayor Bass has been decreasing the budget of the Animal Services Department, despite an increase of dogs and cats coming into the shelters. She has been cutting the budget requested by the Animal Services Department for spay and neuter, which is the only way to decrease the influx of dogs, cats, and rabbits coming into the shelters. Today, the Dog Occupancy Meter for the six shelters stands at 136%, thirty six percent over capacity. THIS IS DESPITE THE FACT THAT DOGS ARE BEING KILLED AT THE CITY SHELTERS FOR LACK OF SPACE.

This is what I said at the Animal Services Commission meeting on October 14:

“I think everyone who speaks during public comment at these meetings should be profoundly thanked and carefully listened to. The person who needs to listen is Mayor Bass. The Animal Services Department simply does not have the resources to deal with the problems that we bring up time and again in these meetings.

“The shelters are very seriously overcrowded. The Department and the Commission are now publicly admitting that dogs are being killed for lack of space. Healthy adoptable dogs are being killed because they don’t have anywhere to put the new ones coming in.

“Spay/neuter vouchers for the Community Cat Program are running low so monthly allotments to organizations that do trap/neuter/return are being cut back.

“There has to be more funding and more enforcement of spay and neuter. Failure to adequately fund spay and neuter programs is the very definition of being penny wise and “pound” foolish. In the long run, this short-sighted approach will cost the City far more — in both taxpayer dollars and suffering of dogs, cats, and rabbits. It already has.

“The Department is understaffed. Kristen Hassen, the consultant hired by the City to assess the animal services department, stated that there is a lack of staff assigned to get animals out of the shelters by adoption, foster, or rescue.

“URI, Upper Respiratory Infection, is rampant at the South L.A. Shelter and spreading to other shelters. More than a hundred dogs at South Shelter have gotten URI. They come into the shelter healthy, catch URI at the shelter, and then they are killed for medical. There is no money to hire contractors to properly clean and sanitize the kennels and water bowls.

“There just are not enough resources for the Animal Services Department, and everything is falling apart. That all comes back to Mayor Bass. The Mayor’s Budget Development letter which just came out does not even mention animals, or dogs, or cats.

“And if you think this is just because the City can’t get together enough money to humanely care for shelter animals, consider this. Mayor Bass is still blocking the Sister City Project to End Dog and Cat Meat In Vietnam, City Council File 25-0193. Over 50,000 people have submitted public comment in support in the Council File, sent emails to the Mayor in support, and signed petitions in support, but she is still blocking it. That doesn’t cost the City anything, in fact it is economically beneficial for the City, so explain that one. Mayor Bass hasn’t explained it.”

The Los Angeles Primary Election for Mayor is coming up in June. Austin Beutner has announced he is running; he hasn’t yet made a statement I am aware of regarding the Animal Services Department or animals. We are waiting to see if Rick Caruso will enter the race for Mayor, which will certainly be a major event if he does. FOR THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT ANIMALS, CIRCLE THE DATE OF JUNE 2, 2026 ON YOUR CALENDARS!

For further details on Mayor Bass blocking the Sister City Project to End Dog and Cat Meat in Vietnam, see:

Five Million Dogs and Cats Desperately Need Saving in Vietnam

L.A. Demands Hanoi Ban Dog and Cat Meat to Secure Sister City Status

Mayor Bass Strikes Out On Animal Welfare

Ignored by Biden and Bass - A Plea to President Trump to End the Dog & Cat Cruelty in Vietnam.

For further details on funding for spay/neuter, see:

Failure To Provide Adequate Funding For Spay/Neuter Is “Penny Wise And ‘Pound’ Foolish.”

Crucial City Funding: Spay and Neuter Saves Money and Lives

For further details on the budget for the Animal Services Department, see Budget Advocates Report on the Animal Services Department, 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.

(Jeffrey Mausner (www.mausnerlaw.com/) is on the Executive Committee of the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC) where he serves as the Liaison to the Los Angeles Animal Services Department; he is 2nd Vice President of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council and Chair of its Animal Welfare Committee. He also volunteers at the West Valley Animal Shelter. A retired attorney, law professor, and former U.S. Justice Department Federal Prosecutor, Jeff has received numerous awards, including the 2023 Guardian of the Animals Award and a 2024 Special Commendation from the California Legislature. He co-founded the Global Anti-Dog Meat Coalition. This article is written in his private individual capacity, not on behalf of the Animal Services Department.)