First, a new general manager<\/a>, Gabrielle Amster, will now oversee the shelter and care of the 60,000 cats, dogs, rabbits and other critters that come through the L.A. Animal Services every year, either through its animal control efforts or the six shelters strewn around the city. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a tall order, even for a 19-year veteran of animal welfare. Her first challenge will be getting approved by a key City Council committee, which has yet to schedule the vote.<\/p>\n The last permanent general manager, Staycee Dains, was fired in 2024 after about a year on the job, she told The Times<\/a>. An interim general manager has filled the post since then. <\/p>\n Among Amster\u2019s other challenges will be dealing with the aftermath of a bacterial outbreak<\/a> that left sick dogs in their kennels for weeks and no way to track daily cleaning; an overcrowded shelter system that has only exacerbated higher dog euthanasia numbers compared to last year; and several high-cost lawsuits from shelter dog<\/a> bites.<\/a> <\/p>\n What critics say about the agency<\/p>\n But critics of the department say her biggest challenge will be changing the culture of the massive animal care system. <\/p>\n Volunteers who do much of the physical labor in caring for the animals often speak out at Animal Services Commission meetings to voice their concerns with the department, including what they describe as needless euthanasia deaths for healthy, adoptable dogs when open kennels are available to house them. <\/p>\n Former volunteers say whistleblowers in the department have reason to worry about their positions: After raising their own concerns, some said they were fired<\/a> for minor infractions. <\/p>\n Unlike her predecessors, Amster is not taking on the challenge alone. Two massive nonprofits, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Best Friends, have each pledged $7 million to the shelter system over the next three years.<\/p>\n The money will fund almost two dozen new staff positions and keep four advisers from the nonprofits on full-time.<\/p>\n Deep cuts in the mayor\u2019s budget<\/p>\n The $14-million grant<\/a> was announced Monday, around the same time Mayor Karen Bass released a budget that critics say <\/a>will impose deep cuts to the animal food and medical supplies budget, making the department too reliant on its donated and grant funds.<\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s budget also cut a canine enrichment program and two positions \u2014 an animal control officer and an animal care technician supervisor, moves that could limit the department\u2019s functions if not amended, according to a budget document that the Board of Animal Services Commission filed with the City Council<\/a>. <\/p>\n Still, some activists seem cautiously optimistic about the changes at Animal Services. <\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s hope they put [the donations] to good use,\u201d said Cathy Serksnas, a former volunteer and frequent critic of Animal Services and its management. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to change the culture from within, and that\u2019ll be a tough one.\u201d<\/p>\n Today\u2019s top stories The National Weather Service says Los Angeles could soon experience more rain as early as Saturday.<\/p>\n (Eric Thayer\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n More rain is on the way for Los Angeles this weekendLight rain is expected Saturday<\/a> morning through the evening.There\u2019s a slight chance of morning rain Sunday, but the departing storm system will likely leave behind clearing skies and warming temperatures, according to the weather service.California jet fuel stockpile hits a two-year lowThe controversial $111-billion Paramount takeoverWhat else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning\u2019s must-readOther must readsFor your downtime Shaka Smith, left, of West Hollywood and Harrison Baum of Santa Monica sing in a private karaoke room at a family and friends preview event at the new glamorous karaoke bar Mic Drop in West Hollywood.<\/p>\n (Gary Coronado\/For The Times)<\/p>\n Going outStaying inA question for you: What\u2019s your favorite California-themed book?<\/p>\n Deb says, \u201cWhere I Was From\u201d by Joan Didion and \u201cThe Dreamt Land\u201d by Mark Arax.<\/p>\n Jean says, \u201cThere are so many I love but the quintessential one for me is Thomas Pynchon\u2019s \u2018Inherent Vice.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.<\/p>\n And finally … your photo of the day Leigh McDaniel, a radical well womb and pelvic care practitioner, holds a bowl of coconut and castor oil that she uses often with her clients.<\/p>\n (Dania Maxwell\/For The Times)<\/p>\n Today\u2019s photo is from former Times photographer Dania Maxwell at the studio of the so-called Womb Witch of L.A. Here\u2019s why her clients keep returning<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n Jim Rainey, staff reporter How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>. Check our top stories<\/a>, topics<\/a> and the latest articles<\/a> on latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"L.A. has one of the largest animal shelter systems in the country, and it\u2019s going through a major…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":283798,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,2299,1085,891,2300,2297,340,2303,63,2302,1086,1459,2301,2298,74,225,315,688],"class_list":{"0":"post-283797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-california-headlines","10":"tag-california-news","11":"tag-civic-revolt","12":"tag-covid","13":"tag-covid-19","14":"tag-days","15":"tag-essential-california","16":"tag-israel","17":"tag-l-a","18":"tag-los-angeles-times","19":"tag-may","20":"tag-pandemic","21":"tag-part","22":"tag-president-biden","23":"tag-red-county","24":"tag-san-diego","25":"tag-state","26":"tag-time","27":"tag-years"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Downtown](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777038848_732_.jpeg\")
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Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n