![]() He said he could not say for certain when the procedures were carried out in specific cases.ĭepartment records also show the two Antelope Valley shelters failed to follow their own department's process to enlist help from rescue groups before putting a dog down. The number of euthanasias performed during those hours at the Baldwin Park shelter could not be determined because many of its time stamps were missing from records.Īnimal Care and Control Deputy Director Raul Rodriguez said that veterinary staff often update computer records after completing all procedures, so the time stamp may not accurately reflect the time of euthanasia. Palmdale and Lancaster, in particular, consistently entered time stamps that appear to show animals were being put down during public hours - some months, dozens of times - since the shelters reopened for walk-ins in May of last year. Time stamps on records reviewed by The Times appear to show that euthanasias were performed during those hours for nonmedical reasons at most county shelters. Under department policy, euthanasia cannot be performed while the facility is open to the public without explicit permission, unless the animal is injured or suffering. The two shelters each took in more than 330 dogs a month on average through August this year, making them the highest-intake county shelters. ![]() Last year, it put down 738 of the 3,718 dogs impounded. Lancaster has surpassed last year's figures, having euthanized 811 of 2,895 dogs that came in through August of this year. ![]() The Palmdale shelter euthanized 981 of its 3,429 impounded dogs last year, and is on track to reach those numbers again this year: Through August, the shelter had put down 765 of the 2,694 dogs that had entered. Some of the many dogs that have been euthanized at the Palmdale shelter amid overcrowding and other issues. The reasons cited for killing the dogs were that they were too sick or injured to treat, or too dangerous to be safely adopted that there was not sufficient kennel space to house the animals and that there was no interest from potential adopters. The Times analyzed documents obtained through public records requests on more than 14,600 dogs euthanized since 2018 in the seven shelters operated by the county - which has contracts with 45 cities to provide animal care andcontrol services. The time from when dogs enter the shelter until they're euthanized for lack of space or interest is briefer than at other shelters, The Times found. People wanting information about dogs available for adoption can view a corkboard pinned with the animals' photos, but those are often dark or of poor quality. Most dogs are kept in an area that the public can visit only with a staff or volunteer escort. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles TimesĪt the Palmdale shelter in particular, limited public access to kennels may be a factor. "They're both really suffering."ĭepartment records show that more dogs are being euthanized across the entire county shelter system because space is limited and there aren't enough being rescued or adopted to compensate for those coming in.įliers describe dogs available for adoption at Palmdale Animal Care Center. "We're so understaffed at both care centers that I can't say that one is markedly better or worse than the other," Mayeda said in an interview. The Palmdale and Lancaster shelters euthanized 1,576 dogs in the first eight months of this year, accounting for 60% of those put down at the county's seven shelters. But department director Marcia Mayeda said in a June report to the board that severe staffing shortages were hampering efforts to provide basic animal care and bring down euthanasia numbers. County Board of Supervisors has pressed the Department of Animal Care and Control to reduce euthanasia at its shelters. Read more: 'We’re inundated': Animal shelters across the U.S. The Palmdale and Lancaster statistics are especially striking compared with those in the city of L.A., which has six shelters with dog euthanasia rates that range from 3% to 11%. A lucky pooch is led out of the Palmdale shelter's kennels to meet a new foster.
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