To the editor: As someone who has rescued and owned cats and dogs all my life, I am beyond upset and disgusted by the lack of services for dogs and cats at several animal shelters in the city of Los Angeles. (“Top management is in crisis at troubled Los Angeles Department of Animal Services as CEO takes unexplained leave,” August 16)
It's unbelievable that some shelters can't even meet minimum standards of humane care and end up euthanizing an animal just to make room for a new dog or cat. How can staff turn down offers of support from residents who volunteer? It's clear that employees don't want anyone telling them what needs to change.
There are many wealthy people who support animal welfare organizations. Hopefully, they will donate a lot of money to shelters so that they can hire experienced, compassionate and innovative managers to keep them going.
People should ask themselves how their personality and attitude would change if they lived in one room, were never allowed to go out, and barely had enough to eat. Don't blame the cat or the dog for getting scared and angry; change the system.
Judy R. Martin, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Carol Mithers' article on the role poverty plays in pet abandonment in Los Angeles was enlightening and informative. After reading the article, I feel a little more compassion for those who must make the heartbreaking decision to give up a beloved pet.
Just look at images from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where pets are seen perched on rooftops waiting to be rescued. Many residents were forced to leave their dogs and cats behind because shelters would not accept pets.
Now, homeless shelters are starting to take in pets from displaced families. I'm grateful to Downtown Dog Rescue for all they do to keep homeless people and their pets together.
There are too many issues underlying the problem of overpopulation in our animal shelters, but I don't believe poverty is the root of the problem.
One example of this is a separate article highlighting our mayor’s failure to improve conditions in Los Angeles’ animal shelters. When she took office in 2022, she promised to fix this problem, but two years later, many shelters are at 200% capacity and dogs are dying every day on her watch.
Oh, by the way: I am one of those people who would definitely “sleep on the street rather than abandon my dogs” if I had to face that choice.
Romero Chiaverini, Sherman Oaks
