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politics4h ago
Longtime animal welfare executive named to lead L.A.'s Animal Services
- Gabrielle Amster was named by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as the new general manager of Animal Services, with City Council confirmation awaited.
- Amster previously led the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace from 2021 to 2025 and is credited with increasing adoptions and improving access to spay and neuter services.
- If confirmed, Amster will oversee one of the country's largest shelter systems, with six shelters and about 60,000 animals handled yearly.
- Bass criticized ongoing shelter issues, including overcrowding and concerns about animal welfare, which Amster will confront in her new role.
- Amster said she looks forward to providing the 'highest standard of care' for animals in a statement released by the mayor’s office.
- Staycee Dains resigned as Animal Services director in 2024, with Annette Ramirez serving as interim general manager prior to Amster’s appointment.
- The department faces a rising euthanasia rate, with 284 dogs euthanized in the first two months of this year, a 39% increase from the previous year.
- Volunteers and community members have voiced concerns about kennel stress and animal welfare inside the shelters.
- Bass’s appointment aims to bring steady leadership and a forward-looking vision to strengthen the department and improve services for animals and communities.
- The mayor’s office noted Amster’s background includes leadership at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and California Animal Welfare Assn.
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