LOS ANGELES – A controversial new policy at LA animal shelters has volunteers and advocates sounding the alarm, as some are calling it a death sentence for dogs.
The new transfer initiative from LA Animal Services will take dogs who’ve been in one shelter for more than three months and then move them to a different shelter. The idea is to increase their exposure to new potential forever homes.
What they’re saying:
But opponents say it takes an incredible amount of time and work for these already stressed-out pups to feel comfortable and to show their true personalities, and just moving them to new environments with unfamiliar people erases the progress that they’ve made at the shelter they’re currently in.
Opponents also say some shelters euthanize at higher rates than others, putting them at greater risk of going on kill lists soon after they get there.
Now animal rights activists and rescue organizations are taking to social media to call out the new initiative and to highlight the dogs who are being transferred.
“You’re moving a dog that has volunteers, staff that are familiar with that dog that have trained that dog, that dog now is comfortable and you know, is in a place where they can get adopted. And now you’re going to move that dog to another shelter. It’s going to get stressed out. No one there can advocate for him because they just met him, and they are actually putting these dogs on kill lists right away,” said Shira Scott Astrof with Animal Rescue Mission.
The other side:
In an email that was sent to staff and volunteers, representatives from LA Animal Services defended the initiative and said each shelter draws from different communities with varying demographics, therefore expanding the adoption pool.
FOX 11 reached out to LA Animal Services for comment but have not heard back.
The Source: Information for this story came from volunteers and animal advocates who spoke with FOX 11.