Records Obtained by PETA Undercut Mayor Bass’ Claims of Skid Row Animal-Abuse Crackdown

For Immediate Release:
September 24, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Los Angeles –

Public records recently obtained by PETA and released today during a press conference with local rescue organization Starts With One Today show a stark gap between Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ claims that a major crackdown on cruelty to animals was underway on Skid Row and the enforcement documented by city agencies. Photos and video distributed at today’s news conference are here and here.

Faced with growing outrage over the city’s failure to address reports of unchecked animal abuse on Skid Row, Bass announced an LAPD task force in November 2025 that promised specialized investigators, coordinated enforcement, accountability, and “prompt relief,” including referrals for prosecution. Yet records provided to PETA covering Nov. 6, 2025, through April 1, 2026, show no animals removed because of cruelty or neglect, and no citations for cruelty or neglect by Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS)—as animals continue to be illegally bred, sold, abused, and neglected in plain sight.

In an April statement to KTLA, Bass’ office said more than 100 Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Operations-Central Bureau officers had received “intensive training” and that “animals have been rescued, multiple citations and arrests have been made, and potential animal abuse or cruelty cases have been referred to the District Attorney and City Attorney.” Yet the city’s actions over five months, according to the records PETA received, included only:

· Mayor’s office: 75 bags of food, 40 bowls, 30 leashes, 20 harnesses, 10 sweaters, and performing 35 spay/neuter surgeries for animals on Skid Row.

· LAPD: Calls for service log with scant details beyond whether cases were closed, referred, transferred, or null.

· LAAS: 10 calls to 311 requesting help, none of the records reported animals removed for cruelty or neglect or owners cited for cruelty or neglect.

Starts With One Today documented that this dog was used for breeding on Skid Row. According to the group, the man selling her puppies refused to allow her to receive veterinary care for the burns on her skin and reported that he was withholding water from her to “teach her a lesson.” Starts With One Today reports that it persuaded Animal Services to check on the dog. The responding officer said the dog’s owner had an expired breeding license, yet the officer refused to remove the injured dog and her puppies and did not obtain veterinary care for the dog’s chemical burns.

“While Mayor Bass pats herself on the back, the city’s own records show little enforcement as sick and injured dogs continue to suffer and illegal breeding fuels the crisis on Skid Row,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “Cruelty, spay/neuter, and tethering laws were enacted to help animals, and they apply to everyone, whether their address is 90210 or Skid Row.

Under Los Angeles law, dogs must be spayed or neutered. The city also has a breeding moratorium that is triggered whenever animal shelters exceed 75% capacity—a provision that has been in effect continuously since its passage in 2024. Yet police officers have reportedly told advocates that the Mayor’s office has instructed that certain laws—including spay/neuter requirements—not be applied to unhoused people, allowing the homeless animal crisis to worsen and leaving animals living in the area with no protection.

Illegal activities and abuse/neglect that continue on Skid Row include:

· Illegal breeding

· Illegal tethering

· Illegal sales of puppies

· Unlicensed ownership

· Dogs suffering from emaciation, open wounds, injuries, and ailments

· Dogs tethered, crated, and penned in the hot sun

· Dogs with no access to fresh food or water or protection from the elements

· Dogs abandoned and hit by cars

· Reports of dogs being raped and sexually abused

PETA is urging the public to contact Mayor Bass and demand enforcement of Los Angeles’ animal-protection laws.

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.

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.