LA Animal Services audit announced days after general manager resigns

The Los Angeles City Controller’s Office is preparing to conduct a performance audit of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services in an attempt to identify solutions to years-long issues.

The audit is expected to determine whether the city is providing its animals with humane care; whether programs maximize the department’s ability to save animals; and whether sites have capacity to manage the current demand. The controller’s Audit Services Division will conduct the audit with assistance by a consultant specializing in animal shelter operations and veterinary care.

“Our audit aims to give LA Animal Services, the public, and policymakers a detailed understanding of LAAS’ struggle to provide adequate care, and the audit will identify ways the system can be improved, both at current funding levels and with additional funding,” Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a statement.

“We hope the city can use our audit’s findings to improve the lives of our city’s pets,” he added.

The controller’s announcement comes just days after Staycee Dains formally resigned as general manager of LAAS after being on paid leave since August. No reason for her departure was given, and Dains could not be reached for comment.

Annette Ramirez, who led LAAS on an interim basis for a year and half prior to Dains’ appointment in 2023, again began leading the department in September.

Dains addressed issues related to volunteers during her tenure but still faced overcrowding and other challenges at the department’s six shelters, most of which had plagued the department long before her arrival.

A recent Los Angeles Times analysis found that about 1,224 dogs were euthanized, an increase of 72%, from January to September compared to the same period last year. Some 1,517 cats were euthanized, a 17% increase from 2023.

Mayor Karen Bass’ office noted that about 25,000 animals were adopted or rescued from the city’s six shelters, representing a 17% increase compared to 2023.

LAAS has alerted elected officials about the challenges to its funding and staffing levels. Reports have also showed that dogs in the shelters sometimes go weeks or months at a time without walks.

According to the controller, the city’s six shelters took in approximately 39,000 dogs and cats in 2023.

“Its mission is to provide care for L.A.’s animals, and it strives for a 90% save-rate, which are nearly impossible tasks given that the city recently reduced the department’s operating budget by $1.4 million to $30.3 million this fiscal year — a fraction of the $5.9 billion total operating budget for all city departments,” Mejia said in a statement.