Controller audit finds LA animal shelters operating over capacity with too few staff
City shelters took in 48,132 animals in FY 2025 and had 75 day-shift care staff where the audit says at least 90 are needed.
City animal shelters have run above kennel capacity for years, with crowding that the audit links to unsafe conditions for animals, staff and volunteers. Controller Kenneth Mejia recommends limiting owner surrenders when shelters are full, a hiring and funding plan, and stronger dog license enforcement, with a second report on animal care to follow.
What happens next
The Controller's Audit Services Division will publish a follow-up evaluation of animal care protocols, systems and facilities with a veterinary consultant.
Named in this record
Kenneth Mejia
Photo: Brion VIBBER, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
