City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday to help residents recognize and report illegal animal sales, and find shelter adoption resources through clearer, multilingual public notices.
If approved by the City Council, the motion would direct the Department of Animal Services to report on a notification and posting campaign communicating the city’s restrictions on buying, selling and bartering live animals in public places.
“Protecting animals requires both clear information and the staff to respond,” Jurado said in a statement. “Angelenos deserve clear information on how to report illegal animal sales and where to access adoption resources. This motion lays the groundwork for our departments to develop a practical strategy, identify the costs, and plan to reach the communities that need this information.”
City staff would examine the feasibility of permanent and temporary signs in public rights-of-way and on city property, priority locations identified via complaints and citation data, recommendations from the Los Angeles Police Department and the MyLA311 system.
Jurado’s motion requests proposed notice language with reporting instructions, including MyLA311, an Animal Services hotline, and a QR code for online reporting, alongside shelter locations and adoption resources. It also seeks estimated costs, funding options, staffing needs, a proposed timeline and opportunities for outreach with community and animal welfare organizations.
Los Angeles already restricts street animal sales. In 2011, the city added a prohibition on purchasing, offering to purchase, bartering for or receiving live animals without cost on streets, sidewalks and other public places. The proposed campaign would help explain existing rules; it would not create a new ban.
Earlier this month, Jurado introduced a separate motion calling for an additional animal control officer and management analyst dedicated to Skid Row in the Department of Animal Services’ proposed budget for fiscal year 2027-28. That motion also requests a report within 30 days on costs and the feasibility of authorizing the position in the current fiscal year.
According to Jurado’s office, the two proposals address staffing and public awareness through separate council processes. The campaign motion only requests a report. It does not approve funding or begin installation of signs.
Both matters are expected to be heard by the Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee, and Budget and Finance Committee, respectively.