Los Angeles city animal shelters are desperately overcrowded with nearly twice as many dogs crowded into kennels stacked in hallways. In an effort to address the problem, CD 1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez sponsored a measure to impose a temporary moratorium on new dog breeding permits. On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously 13-0 with members Katy Yaroslavsky and Monica Rodriguez absent.
LAist reported that Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said there are simply too many animals in city shelters — and too few being adopted.
“It is unacceptable for the city to continue issuing breeding permits while thousands of animals are suffering from overcrowded conditions in our shelters,” Hernandez said during Tuesday’s council meeting.
“They’re overwhelmed with animals and the conditions are completely unacceptable,” NBC LA reported that Hernandez said prior to the vote. “This is both an inflow and outflow problem.”
A representative of the American Kennel Club, who opposed the ban, told LAist the “measure would punish dog breeders who follow the rules while encouraging unlicensed “backyard” breeders, who can potentially produce animals with health problems that also wind up in shelters.”
Meanwhile, local rescues are doing their best to pull dogs out of the shelter to live with foster families until they can be adopted.
“There are so many adoptable dogs and every time a dog is bought from a breeder, it means one less shelter dog gets a chance at new life,” Emily Simon, a Larchmont Village resident and organizer of Dog Coalition of Los Angeles, told the Buzz. Her all-volunteer organization helps support and train volunteers who want to foster dogs.
Simon and fellow organizer Soyoung Kim were interviewed on Spectrum News with two adorable dogs who are currently being fostered by the program. According to news reports, city officials are also in the process of considering a proposal to provide a stipend to encourage more people to foster animals in shelters.
Tailwaggers on Larchmont Blvd which hosts adoption events every weekend at their Larchmont location also supports dozens of rescues through the Tailwaggers Foundation providing grants that offset the cost of medical treatment.
Simon told us that Hailey and Juana who are featured in the Spectrum News story are both adoptable! If you’re interested, you can learn more about them and the other adoptable dogs in the program at dogcoalitionla.org and follow them on Instagram.
