Los Angeles Animal Services says it's saving more than 90% of the animals that enter its shelters. But the city's own data tells a different story.

According to LA Animal Service statistics, 2,172 cats, kittens, and dogs were killed through May of this year — up 33% from the same period in 2025. Euthanasia rates jumped 27% between May 2025 and May 2026 alone. Yet the department claims its live release rates have stayed the same.

That math doesn't add up.

When asked directly why euthanasia numbers had risen while live release rates held steady, LA Animal Services did not respond.

This isn't a minor discrepancy. Los Angeles shelters are housing about 910 animals in a system built for roughly 737. Healthy, adoptable dogs are being placed on kill lists because there's no room. Rescue volunteers are running around-the-clock campaigns to pull dogs hours before their euthanasia deadline — and some, like Tiberio and Gotham, don't make it.

Meanwhile, Mayor Karen Bass's budget has moved away from high-volume spay-and-neuter programs that sterilize large numbers of animals quickly. The Michelson Center for Public Policy, one of LA's leading animal welfare organizations, says the city is "already paying for this failure in dollars and animal lives."

Angelenos deserve to know the truth about what is happening inside their publicly funded shelters. Contradictory statistics, unanswered questions, and a worsening crisis demand an independent, third-party audit of how LA Animal Services counts and reports animal outcomes.

Sign the petition to demand a full, transparent audit of LA Animal Services — and real answers about why so many animals are dying.