The CEO of the embattled Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is taking a two-month leave of absence and the department's board president is out following a tumultuous board meeting last month.
At the same time, a new internal report on conditions at two shelters found some “lapses in appropriate care” that are “deplorable and inexcusable by any reasonable standard.”
The developments mark the latest drama for Animal Services, which is underfunded and understaffed to cope with the growing number of animals passing through its six shelters.
According to the department's records, there has been a marked increase in dog euthanasia this year. In total, 140 dogs were euthanized in June, an increase of 82% compared to the same period last year.
General Manager Staycee Dains did not respond to a message left Thursday. She previously worked for the city of Long Beach.
A spokesman for City Comptroller Kenneth Mejia told The Times that Dains’ leave began Aug. 13 and that the office had no further information about her absence. An internal city document reviewed by The Times stated that Dains’ leave would last until mid-October.
Deputy Chief Annette Ramirez will serve as the department's interim chief executive during Dains' absence, according to a memo she sent to staff Friday. Ramirez previously served as chief executive on an interim basis before Dains was hired by Mayor Karen Bass last year.
Upon taking office in 2022, Bass promised to turn around the Department of Animal Services, which has long faced staff shortages and overcrowded conditions. The department runs public shelters and relies heavily on volunteers to care for dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals.
Bass appointed James Johnson to the Animal Services Commission in spring 2023. He told The Times on Friday that he left the commission on July 31 and declined to elaborate on his departure.
“The bottom line is that when you’re a commissioner, you serve at the pleasure of the mayor,” Johnson said. “I’m no longer a commissioner.”
Johnson, a former union worker, chaired his first meeting as commission chairman last month, but the proceedings quickly turned into a spectacle.
First, Johnson angrily rebuked a public speaker who criticized Dains, and the meeting was temporarily suspended. Then Johnson unsuccessfully tried to convince his fellow commissioners to approve a $25,000 contract for “security and engagement” services backed by Dains, offering to raise the funds himself after commissioners raised concerns about the spending.
Meanwhile, a new assessment offers a stark look at how shelters operate.
Best Friends Animal Society’s National Shelter Support Team conducted an assessment of the Chesterfield Square/South LA and East Valley shelters in July and August at the request of senior department staff.
The Times reviewed the assessment, which found “a failure to incorporate no-kill policies and in some cases a failure to meet minimum humane standards of care.”
Among other things, the report highlighted staffing problems and a lack of leadership. Representatives for Bass and Animal Services declined to comment on the report.
“During our time there, we witnessed a high volume of residents coming to adopt, volunteer or foster residents,” the assessment said. “Unfortunately, staff distrust of residents was evident and that distrust led to many people leaving when their offers of support were not accepted.”
The report notes that most dogs are let out of their cages only once every 10 to 14 days. The cages are cleaned with water hoses, but the dogs are not taken out during the cleaning process, according to the assessment.
The report concluded that “the lack of human interaction, the daily torment of being sprayed with a hose and 24-hour confinement cause what would be the [dogs’] normal behavior that deteriorates rapidly.”
Asked about shelter conditions, Johnson told The Times that Animal Services faces “significant challenges” and is “underfunded.”
“As a city, we need to support the department and our shelters and do what we can to get these animals adopted,” she said.
