The Los Angeles Animal Services shelters are at 203% capacity across the city, meaning they don’t have enough space to house all their dogs.
There are about 1,500 dogs spread across the 6 city run shelters but there’s only room for about half. They tell NBC4 they do not euthanize for space and are urging people to help by fostering, adopting or volunteering.
Video taken inside of the Chesterfield Square South LA Animal Shelter by volunteers and rescue groups showed the overcrowded kennels and some dogs living in filthy conditions.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
“Most of these dogs have been in homes, and now they sit in their own feces kenneled up with other dogs, who may not be very friendly because there is no space, and the volume of barking is such stressful environment, it’s really awful,” said animal trainer Mia Gyzander.
Mia Gyzander runs the animal rescue group Blue Man Dog and has teamed up with volunteers, rescuers and trainers to create Foster South LA to help alleviate the strain on overcrowded shelters. They are focusing specifically on Chesterfield Square where Gyzander says there are more than 500 dogs but only space for 220.
“Adopt or foster, is the immediate thing to do, clearly, spread the word, talk to other people, and be aware of what’s going on in our shelters today because this is a crisis,” said Gyzander.
Gyzander recently rescued an 11-month-old Malinois named Fergie from the South LA shelter to foster. She along with a team of volunteers visit the shelters weekly to check on the animals and help whenever possible.
Right now there are 104 dogs on the LA Animal Services Red Alert List, set to be euthanized between now and June 2. About half are from the South LA shelter and many of these are placed on the list due to behavior or medical issues. Gyzander says the key is to reduce the volume of dogs because shelters don’t have the resources to manage the problem.
“Because then the rescue groups and shelter staff and volunteers can focus on the more challenging dogs but as long as we have this extreme overpopulation. It’s like everybody is running around and you cant even get to all the dogs, it’s just too many,” said Gyzander.
Gyzander is hoping to spread the word to get the help LA Animal Shelter’s desperately need.
“We really need people to step up and take dogs out. Because there is no space, so what are we going to do, unless we get dogs out with foster or adopt this is not going to end,” said Gyzander.
LA Animal Services is working with more than 300 rescue groups to help foster dogs. They tell NBC4 that 90% of the dogs on the Red Alert List are usually rescued or adopted before they are euthanized.
The dogs on the Red Alert List at the shelters can be found here.
For more information on available dogs at the LA Animal Services shelters visit their website. For information on how to foster or adopt through the Blue Man Dog group click here.
