Mayor Bass Announces Permanent Partnership Between LA Animal Services and LAPD to Target Animal Abuse on Skid Row, Launches Monthly Spay and Neuter Clinics

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today announced a permanent partnership between LA Animal Services (LAAS) and the LAPD to investigate allegations of animal cruelty, including illegal breeding and animal sales, on Skid Row and surrounding areas while providing necessary support and resources to responsible pet owners. This permanent partnership formalizes the pilot Mayor Bass launched in November 2025 that has provided intensive animal cruelty investigation training to more than 100 officers to date.

Mayor Bass also announced that, in partnership with leading animal welfare organizations, there will be monthly clinics on Skid Row to provide spay and neuter services, vaccines, microchipping, and more. Mayor Bass visited Skid Row last week with Animal Services General Manager Gabrielle Amster, an Animal Control Officer representative, and members of Women United for Animal Welfare (WUFAW). Watch a video from the visit here. Photos and b-roll available here.

"Our message is clear: if you abuse or neglect an animal, you will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said Mayor Bass. "Over the years, I have adopted multiple rescue dogs. I currently have two, and a third just passed away after 12 years. I understand the special place that animals hold. The formalization of this partnership is about targeting animal abusers while ensuring responsible pet owners have the support they need to care for the animals they love. Not only are we making our pilot program permanent, we're bringing regular spay and neuter services to Skid Row and building strong partnerships with non-profit groups to deliver real solutions. We know there is more work to do - we are committed to doing the work and grateful for our partners in those efforts."

"I want to thank Mayor Bass for leading these efforts. The Animal Services and LAPD initiative combines enforcement with compassionate outreach," said Animal Services General Manager Gabrielle Amster. "Partners like WUFAW are already providing the spay and neuter access communities like Skid Row need, meaning fewer animals born into crisis, and more pets staying with the people who love them instead of in our shelters."

Since its launch, the partnership has led to the rescue of dozens of animals, multiple citations and arrests, and the referral of potential animal abuse and cruelty cases to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for review. The City has also distributed pet food and essential supplies to over 200 pet owners while connecting them to veterinary care and spay/neuter resources. The formalized partnership includes:

• Dedicated Personnel: LAPD officers and investigators have received intensive animal cruelty-focused training and are assigned to work directly with a dedicated Animal Control Officer. Investigations are supported by Central GIT, an LAPD specialized unit with extensive experience in coordinating comparable initiatives.

• Strategic Investigation: A variety of investigative methods, such as electronic and physical surveillance and the execution of search warrants, are utilized to ensure the efficient and thorough collection of evidence.

• Uniform Enforcement: LAPD and Animal Services operate a consistent, unified approach to investigating potential animal cruelty and neglect on Skid Row.

• Accountability: LAPD and Animal Services personnel escalate incidents to the City Attorney and District Attorney for prosecution.

• Immediate Relief: Alongside enforcement efforts, trained officers partner with local organizations to identify and act on opportunities to provide immediate relief, expanding current efforts by LAPD and Animal Services to proactively support pet owners in need by offering essentials like food, leashes, bowls, and beds.

In June, the LAPD Operations Central Bureau arrested two suspects, Jefferson Valdivia and Rebeca Sarai Rodriguez, in connection with the illegal sale of animals in Santee Alley, located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles just south of Skid Row. Valdivia and Rodriguez were taken into custody during a coordinated enforcement operation involving Central Vice officers, the Central Gang Enforcement Detail, Central RESET officers, and Northeast Vice officers.