Coronavirus: Staffing Shortage Shuts Down North Central, West Valley Animal Shelters
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The city of Los Angeles is closing two of its animal shelters during the coronavirus pandemic.
Animals will be moved out of kennels at the North Central and West Valley animal shelters Monday and into the four shelters that remain open and into foster homes.
The four shelters that remain open are East Valley, Harbor, Chesterfield Square and West Los Angeles. The closures are due to staff losses seen throughout the agency, according to Los Angeles Animal Services General Manager Brenda Barnette. Of the agency's 348 employees, 80 are off due to COVID-19 and non-COVID 19-related matters, she said.
Workers displaced from the West Valley and North Central shelters will be temporarily assigned to one of the other four shelters.
The shelters were closed to walk-ins in March, but Mayor Eric Garcetti said that since that time, many Angelenos have stepped up. In the last month, the LA Animal Services placed 307 animals in foster care, found new homes for 919 others, returned 254 to their owners and placed 752 with rescue partners.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
