LA Animal Services Introduces a New $14 Million Initiative to Help Animals in Need
Animal Welfare Initiative Launched in Los Angeles
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Best Friends Animal Society, in collaboration with Los Angeles Animal Services, announced a significant investment on Monday aimed at enhancing the city’s animal shelter operations. The initiative, totaling $14 million, marks the largest joint funding effort by the organizations dedicated to a municipal shelter system.
Spanning three years, this initiative will focus on key areas including reducing shelter intake, improving in-shelter care, and increasing adoptions, fostering, and reunifications.
Each organization will contribute $7 million, providing the necessary funding to support over 20 staffing roles. This will include teams dedicated to adoption and fostering, as well as operational assistance with embedded staff to aid in training, program development, and animal care.
Mayor Karen Bass emphasized the initiative’s importance in strengthening the city’s animal welfare system. "This historic investment will enable LA Animal Services staff to place an even greater emphasis on those positive outcomes and position the department at the forefront of accountable, transparent sheltering—all to support pet owners and help animals find loving homes," Bass stated.
In addition to the initial funding, Los Angeles Animal Services has committed to maintaining key staffing positions and program enhancements beyond the three-year period. "If we can help LA Animal Services—one of the largest shelter systems in the country—build a future where every animal receives the care, compassion, and safety they deserve, we won’t just be helping transform one city; we’ll be showing communities across the country what’s possible," said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President and CEO.
Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, expressed optimism regarding the partnership’s potential to enact lasting change in Los Angeles’s animal welfare landscape. "This will be a moment in history we look back on, knowing animal welfare in Los Angeles was forever changed by this groundbreaking partnership," Castle noted.
Los Angeles Animal Services operates six shelters and supports approximately 50,000 animals each year, while also responding to over 20,000 emergency calls annually.
