Proposed LA Budget Ignores Animal Welfare System at Its Breaking Point
Failure to invest in spay/neuter is driving preventable animal suffering and escalating public costs
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass’s proposed 2026–27 City budget increases Los Angeles Animal Services’ (LAAS) budget by just $465,640 (+1.6%) and the City’s spay/neuter fund by less than $1 million. These are marginal adjustments that leave a chronically underfunded system without the resources needed to function effectively.
As access to spay/neuter services declines, shelters are taking in more animals than they can humanely manage. This is creating a cycle of unaltered animals, unplanned litters, rising intake, and reliance on euthanasia to manage limited resources. These same failures are driving public costs, with animal-related liability payouts surging 65-fold in six years and annual sanitation costs tied to overpopulation in the millions.
A targeted $3.5 million investment in spay/neuter services this budget cycle is the minimum needed to meaningfully reduce intake and stabilize the system. New LAAS General Manager Gabrielle Amster has the experience to improve outcomes, and recent philanthropic commitments will support staffing, training, and new programs within shelters. But without City investment in upstream solutions, this momentum will not translate into sustained improvement.
The following is a statement from Jennifer Naitaki, Senior Advisor to Michelson Center for Public Policy:
“Maintaining the status quo is not cost-neutral. Los Angeles is already paying for this failure in dollars and animal lives. Unaltered animal populations are growing, shelters are operating beyond capacity, and too many animals–including kittens, puppies, and healthy animals–are being unnecessarily euthanized because we are not addressing the problem upstream. As City Council revises the budget, leaders must prioritize targeted investments in spay/neuter access, or continue to pay for the consequences of this escalating crisis.”
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Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization affiliated with Michelson Philanthropies, a 501(c)(3) foundation devoted to expanding equity and access across medical research, animal welfare, education, and intellectual property. MCPP advances policy and legislative solutions that support these priorities. In collaboration with policymakers, advocacy organizations, and civic leaders, it works to expand opportunity for underserved communities across California and beyond. Learn more at michelsonpolicy.org.
