The troubled Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is facing an audit from the city controller’s office.
"Our audit aims to give L.A. 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.
The announcement comes just days after the department’s general manager, Staycee Dains, resigned. Dains had been on paid leave since August.
Elizabeth Oreck with Best Friends Animal Society told KNX News’ Karen Adams the audit is a step in the right direction.
“The fact that they're willing to do an audit says that they've recognized or identified that there are some things that they could be doing more efficiently, more effectively,” she said. “And hopefully if there are findings that identify opportunities for improvement, they'll act on those.”
A recent analysis found that the number of dogs euthanized at city shelters jumped 72% compared to last year. According to Best Friends Animal Society, the dogs in shelters can go weeks without a walk, leading to behavioral problems that make them even less likely to be adopted.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Oreck said that while overcrowding and understaffing are major challengers for the city’s shelters, the problems are fixable.
“It's about doing more with the shelters that you have and the programs that you have, so that the animals not only get out of the shelter faster and into homes faster, but also that we prevent animals from coming into the shelters in the first place,” she said.
She said there needs to be more public awareness about resources that can help keep pets with their families, like pet food pantries and vouchers to have animals spayed or neutered.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok