Landmark partnership with LA Animal Services moves forward to expand care, support staff and drive more lifesaving outcomes
LOS ANGELES, July 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In collaboration with LA Animal Services (LAAS), the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) and Best Friends Animal Society® today announced that the Los Angeles City Council has approved a transformative, multi-year $14 million funding and operational support initiative to strengthen and enhance services across the City's six animal shelters. This grant will reinforce and enhance the work LAAS does every day, handling over 50,000 animals last year; a placement rate of 90% or greater for dogs since 2017; and a save rate of 85% for cats and kittens in 2025.
With Council approval secured, this first-of-its-kind collaboration—representing the largest combined investment by the ASPCA and Best Friends in a single municipal shelter system—will now move forward, delivering immediate resources while building long-term, sustainable improvements for animals and the Los Angeles community.
The initiative focuses on three core priorities:
The ASPCA and Best Friends will support LAAS over an initial three-year period, with LA Animal Services committing to best efforts to sustain key positions and programmatic advancements for an additional three years to ensure lasting impact well beyond the initial investment.
"This is a transformational moment for LA Animal Services and for the animals and families who depend on us," said Mayor Karen Bass. "This historic investment will strengthen our shelters, expand support for pet owners, and create more lifesaving opportunities for animals across Los Angeles. I'm deeply grateful to the ASPCA and Best Friends Animal Society for their visionary partnership and extraordinary investment."
"With this approval, Los Angeles is making a powerful statement about the importance of animals and the people who care for them," said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President and CEO. "Together, with these much-needed additional resources, we will strengthen services across LA Animal Services, better positioning the city's shelter system to support the Los Angeles community, keeping pets and people together and helping more animals find loving homes and brighter futures."
"From the outset, the animals and people of LA Animal Services have been at the heart of this collaborative vision," said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. "This initiative will create transformative outcomes for pets in the shelter system, while honoring the commitment of the employees and volunteers who serve them."
"In the field of animal welfare, partnership is vital, and we are grateful for the continued support from the ASPCA and Best Friends Animal Society," said Gabrielle Amster, General Manager for LA Animal Services. "Such significant support will bolster our efforts to continue striving for a high standard of care for the animals in our shelters, while providing our staff with training needed to elevate pathway planning, and dedicate more resources to adoption and foster programming. This will allow us to better engage our community and serve the pets and people of Los Angeles."
Through the approved initiative, LAAS will receive $7 million each from the ASPCA and Best Friends to support more than 20 essential staffing positions, including expanded adoption and foster teams and specialized roles for community cat programs. In addition, four experienced consultants from the organizations will be embedded within LAAS facilities to provide hands-on support in training, program development and implementation, and animal health and safety.
The initiative will also expand foster care capacity, strengthen return-to-owner efforts, including field-based reunifications, and introduce enhanced customer service protocols and supportive resources designed to keep pets and their families together at the point of admission. In collaboration with LAAS leadership, comprehensive training will be provided to LAAS staff across key areas such as animal care, shelter medicine, adoption services, data management, volunteer engagement and community outreach.
As one of the largest municipal shelter systems in the country, LA Animal Services serves approximately 50,000 animals annually and responds to more than 20,000 emergency calls involving animals and people in danger. In recent years, LAAS has made significant progress reducing overcrowding and increasing placements through community partnerships, adoption initiatives and expanded access to the resources pet owners need to care for their animals.
This initiative builds on decades of commitment from both the ASPCA and Best Friends to improving animal welfare across Los Angeles. By combining funding, expertise and on-the-ground support, the partnership is designed to deliver immediate, measurable improvements while setting the foundation for a more effective, humane and sustainable shelter system.
About the ASPCA®
The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) believes every animal deserves to live free from suffering. For 160 years, we've been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect millions of lives in the fight against animal cruelty. As the nation's first and leading animal welfare organization, we assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal relocation and placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary communities through research, training and resources. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than 2 million supporters nationwide, our commitment to eliminating animal cruelty is unwavering. For more information, visit aspca.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
About Best Friends Animal Society®
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 6,000 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.
About LA Animal Services
LA Animal Services promotes and protects the health, safety, and welfare of animals and the people who love them, and is one of the largest municipal shelter systems in the United States. With six Centers across the City, LA Animal Services serves approximately 50,000 animals annually and responds to 20,000 emergency calls involving animals or people in danger. For LA Animal Services, there's no place like home so the Department provides resources to keep pets and families together; helps lost pets get home quickly without having to enter the shelter system; provides pet food assistance; and continues to build on a strong adoption and foster program so pets find loving homes or are placed in foster care. Visit our link.tree for helpful links to the services and resources available to you and your companion animals. Connect with LA Animal Services and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
SOURCE ASPCA®
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