'Horrified': L.A. City Council members call for action on overcrowded animal shelters

A dog waits to be adopted in a cage at the Chesterfield Square Animal Services Center in Los Angeles. “Angelenos deserve the services we pay for,” said City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, whose South L.A. district includes Chesterfield Square Animal Services Center. Animal Services lost more than 20% of its workforce through a program that encouraged older city employees to retire. Today, staff at Animal Services are frequently absent because of COVID-19-related issues, staff and volunteers told The Times. Animal Services' interim general manager Annette Ramirez said in an interview last month that a new website will launch soon.