Are you tired of seeing your community hustling in panic through social media to “save” dogs and cats lives from overcrowded Los Angeles animal shelters and subsequent death? Sign to make all rentals in Los Angeles pet-friendly so renters who want to foster or adopt CAN foster and adopt! Los Angeles animals are in crisis and Mayor Bass has the power to remedy this now. Pet Ownership should be a universal right and not one exclusive to or at the mercy of the richest.  

PLEASE SIGN & SHARE PETITION. 

THE SHORT VERSION (of letter sent to Los Angeles and State reps Mayor Bass, Rep. Adam Schiff, State Senator María Elena Durazo, State Rep. Rick Chavez Zbur, and L.A. City Council rep Nithya Raman):

I urge you to declare a state of emergency in LA Animal Services, where shelters are at 212% capacity, leading to severe animal suffering and overwhelming the public volunteer response. In my 23+ years in LA, I have never seen it this bad. Overcrowded conditions, lack of resources (that Mayor Bass erroneously deemed sufficient), and impending euthanasia of 800 animals make “no kill” make “no kill” L.A. the most killing city in America. I propose declaring a state of emergency and pre-empting the passage of Assembly Bill 2216, and going one step further given the citywide crisis, by temporarily banning all pet bans in all rental units of one or more units. Those willing to foster and adopt - and save animals - are currently curtailed by pet-unfriendly landlords. Putting a moratorium on the banning will also relieve human housing issues and mental health issues, especially ones of isolation. It will also take the unfair burden off the community who has had to pick up the slack on this issue. Here is a typical social media post about just ONE dog and the frenzy to save it:

**See video I made of a post about the dog HOPE** 

https://vimeo.com/demiloca/hope

THE FULL VERSION (of letter to Los Angeles and State reps Mayor Bass, Rep. Adam Schiff, State Senator María Elena Durazo, State Rep. Rick Chavez Zbur, and L.A. City Council rep Nithya Raman:

Dear Honorable Mayor Bass:

I am writing to you with an urgent request to address the STATE OF EMERGENCY facing Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) – as well as a meeting to discuss same.

Our city shelters are operating far beyond capacity (212% currently), leading to severe suffering among the animals. Volunteers and staff describe animals confined in inhumane conditions, lacking clean water, proper food, and adequate space to relieve themselves. These inhumane conditions are not only distressing but also pose significant health risks, including the potential for disease outbreaks. Many animals are deteriorating to the point where they become less adoptable, exacerbating the overcrowding crisis. It is so severe that LAAS Manager Stacee Dains announced plans to euthanize 800 animals, mostly pitbulls and kittens. Meanwhile, Mayor Karen Bass has shorted LAAS’ requested budget by millions. Per the LAT, Bass’ budget proposed $31.7 million for Animal Services for the fiscal year starting July 1, far less than $42 million requested by Animal Services.

Personally, I have never witnessed a more dire animal control situation in Los Angeles (where I’ve lived for 23+ years in total). Every day, my social media is dominated by news of the massive efforts by the community to try and wrangle fosters, adopters and rescuers with only hours to spare before being euthanized. Among them - all unpaid volunteers - are good-hearted people who have taken in multiple pets to foster. The burden ends up falling on too few people and this is often because others who are willing to help, like me, live in rentals that are not pet friendly.

However, there is a way to help remedy this crisis immediately.

I propose declaring a state of emergency for animal control in Los Angeles and implementing a temporary moratorium on landlords' ability to ban pets from rental units. With Assembly Bill 2216 soon to be passed in the Senate, which would make this permanent (for buildings with 16 units or more), Los Angeles can take the lead even sooner and bring help to the animal shelter crisis we face now - but only if extended to ALL rental units of one or more units.

Allowing all willing Los Angeles residents the ability to foster or adopt pets will significantly reduce the shelter population and mitigate the risk of pet abandonment. This temporary measure (that could be made permanent) will provide much-needed relief to our shelters, giving us the time to address longer-term solutions, such as eradicating illegal breeding operations. 

The inevitable increase of pet fostering and adoptions will also address another major issue facing us today: mental health and isolation crisis, which the Surgeon General has named as the number one crisis facing Americans today. Pets provide companionship and can significantly alleviate feelings of loneliness among residents, which benefits mental health. It would also alleviate the stress and time on so many Angelenos currently volunteering around the clock to coordinate efforts to save animals. 

**See video I made of a post about the dog HOPE**  

https://vimeo.com/demiloca/hope

The video of this post is unfortunately a typical post of another dog needing saved amid an absolutely DIRE OVERCAPACITY EMERGENCY at our city's shelters. It is time to declare a state of emergency and address this sickening state of Los Angeles animal control where the responsibility of their welfare has been shifted to residents to tackle.**

The current state of our animal shelters is a crisis that reflects broader systemic issues. By acting now, we can protect the lives of countless animals and set a precedent for humane and responsible animal care across the state. Your support in declaring a state of emergency and enacting a temporary moratorium on pet bans in rental units is crucial to achieving this goal.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your support in making Los Angeles a safer and more compassionate city for all its inhabitants.