June Shelter Intervention Numbers Are Here!

The numbers are in for the South LA Shelter Intervention Program for the month of June. Drumroll please…we assisted 126 pets, keeping them in their first, forever home, instead of watching them be surrendered to the shelter. That’s 126 more lives saved and safe.

SLA-harley10% of the cases we assisted in were redemptions, meaning that somehow the family dog got out of  a yard, jumped over a fence, or wandered away from home.  In order to redeem their pet, families must pay shelter fees. In most cases, the family had some money but could not afford to pay the entire cost.  Our SIP program was able to pay any remainder fees, support these families, and send dogs home. But not without first addressing the reasons why their pet had gotten out of the yard in the first place!

4% of the 126 dogs we helped had behavioral issues, and the dog needed some form of training.  Despite our counselor Amanda’s best efforts to keep all pets with their families, sometimes it didn’t work out. When behavioral issues escalate to a certain point, or a family is unwilling or unable to commit to necessary management protocols, behavioral issues can be deemed too severe.  5% of the cases we focused on in June needed help rehoming their dogs, like 4 month old Luz.  Good news – she has already been adopted!

Luz2

2% of our families reported that their landlord had changed the rules and they could no longer keep their pet in the home. 12% needed our help spaying/neutering their dog or cat, and thanks to a grant from the ASPCA, we are able to offer this service free of charge. Lastly, 3% of the people we helped had senior pets with terminal illnesses requiring humane euthanasia.  These families did not know about any other option other than to surrender their pet to the shelter in order to end their suffering. Euthanasia can be quite an expensive veterinarian service, one many families cannot afford. However, we are so grateful we were there to intervene and give them a more humane alternative. They were able to hold their beloved pets in their arms as they slipped away.

sla-broken paw

All in all, the biggest reason that South LA families brought in their pets to surrender them to the shelter was because of financial reasons. 63% could not afford to pay for medical care.  We see a range of people entering those doors, some in tears because they spent their “last savings” on vet care that didn’t cure the dog or only treated part of the health problem. Others have no money to contribute and know their pet is suffering.  Many times we’ve heard, ” I love my pet, but he is sick. I would rather put him in the shelter so he can get well and get adopted.”  The sad reality is that in most cases this would never happen at the South LA Shelter, which is known for it’s high intake and low adoption rates.  This means many more animals are coming in than going out. It is one of the busiest of the six City of Los Angeles shelters, on top of being located in the most underserved and under-resourced area in LA. Just imagine how many pets would not be in the shelter right now if we could afford to provide preventive care as well as crisis care to this community.

You can help prevent a pet from entering the shelter by making a donation here! Our Shelter Intervention Program is the preventative care and crisis care they need, and one animal at a time, we are making a difference. We want to thank Found Animals Foundation, our major funder, and LA Animal Services for allowing us to run this program at the South LA Shelter.  By working together we can keep more pets in their first, forever home. Here’s to the next 126 (or more) we can support!

2017-05-24T08:44:02+00:00
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