PETA Rally to Call on LAPD to Go Back to Skid Row—For the Dog

For Immediate Release:
October 15, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

 Following a recent large-scale drug operation on Skid Row in which the LAPD and federal authorities seized illegal drugs and firearms, PETA is calling on the department to go back for the dogs, pointing out that illegal breeding and cruelty to animals continue on Skid Row. With Mayor Karen Bass’ office reportedly instructing that certain laws not be applied to unhoused people, PETA and Starts With One Today will gather outside LAPD headquarters on Tuesday to hold a memorial vigil, display enlarged images of some of the dogs who have suffered and died, and demand equal enforcement of the city’s animal protection laws, including spay/neuter requirements, everywhere in Los Angeles—from Skid Row to Bel Air. Photos and videos of animals living on Skid Row are available here, here, and here.

“Authorities just showed that they can mobilize to enforce the law on Skid Row, and the dogs left wounded, wasting away, and dying on the sidewalk deserve that same attention,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “PETA is pleading with LAPD officers to put the law before politics and get the dogs out of there.”

When:            Tuesday, Oct. 20, 12 noon

Where:           Outside LAPD Headquarters, 100 W. First St., Los Angeles

Credit: PETA

Why:              Tuesday’s vigil and rally follow PETA’s recent release of public records that undercut Bass’ promised crackdown on cruelty to animals on Skid Row, showing evidence that city agencies issued only a handful of citations and made few arrests for cruelty, neglect, and illegal breeding on Skid Row during the five-month period reviewed. Meanwhile, animal advocates have continued to document dogs on Skid Row living in states of sickness, injury, and neglect, as well as being illegally bred and sold. The recent raids prove that the city can enforce the laws on Skid Row, and it must do so immediately.

Los Angeles has a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance, as well as a breeding moratorium that is triggered whenever area animal shelters exceed 75% capacity—a provision that has been in effect continuously since its passage in 2024. PETA is encouraging Los Angeles residents to demand investigation and enforcement of cruelty to animals and illegal breeding on Skid Row.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Note: PETA supports animal rights, opposes all forms of animal exploitation, and educates the public on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.