Make Your Self-Isolation More Fun: Foster or Adopt a Homeless Dog or Cat

LOS ANGELES

VOICES-The City of Los Angeles’ six animal shelters are closed to the public because of Coronavirus and Mayor Garcetti’s “Safer at Home” orders.

However, Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) and its shelters continue to care for the homeless dogs, cats, and other animals of the City, and they need your help. 

The shelters are still taking in lost and stray animals brought in by Animal Control Officers. The current animal residents of the shelters need to be fostered or adopted, to make room for new arrivals. 

Foster A Dog or Cat. They Make Staying at Home Easier 

To foster an animal: 

  1. Visit LAAS’ website here. Put the cursor on the drop-down menu for “Adopt,” then click on “Adoptable Pet Search.” Or you can go directly to the Adoptable Pet Search page.  Fill in the attributes of the animal you would like to foster, click the “Search Now” button, and then choose a pet that you are interested in. In the right column, you can choose the animal shelters that are close to you. Note the Animal ID number (like A1683136 for Shelby). You may want to list a few alternatives in case your first choice is not available for foster. 
  1. If you have not done so before, fill out a Foster Application, which can be found here.  
  1. Email the completed Foster Application to the volunteer liaison at [email protected] with the Animal ID numbers of the pets you want to foster. 
  1. Schedule an appointment by calling 888-452-7381. 

Or If You’re Ready, Adopt. . . 

To adopt a dog, cat, rabbit, or other animal: 

  1. Go to the Adoptable Pet Search page as set forth in paragraph 1 above. Get the Animal ID number of the animal you would like to adopt, call 888-452-7381, and LAAS will share with you all the information they have regarding the animal. 
  1. If you want to go forward with the adoption, LAAS will obtain the information about you to complete the paperwork for the adoption and schedule an appointment for you to meet your new pet. 

If You Can’t Foster or Adopt, Please Make a Donation 

If you are interested in donating money to LAAS, please click here.

You can also donate a Kuranda bed online and have it sent directly to one of the shelters by clicking here.  

  For more information on donations, please visit the LAAS website here.  

Thank you from the Shelter Animals.

 

(Jeffrey Mausner (see https://mausnerlaw.com/ ) is the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils Liaison to the Los Angeles Animal Services Department, a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate, 2nd Vice President of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council and Chair of its Animal Welfare Committee, and a Volunteer at the West Valley Animal Shelter. He is a retired attorney and law school professor and was formerly a Federal Prosecutor for the U.S. Justice Department.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.