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LA Becomes No Kill City, Becoming Largest In Country To Protect Shelter Animals

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Animal lovers rejoice! Los Angeles has officially become a no-kill city.

According to Best Friends Animal Society, the move makes L.A. the largest no-kill city in the country.

"After many challenging, inspiring, grueling, heartwarming, tear-jerking, life-changing years of working to take the city of Los Angeles from a place where only 57% of dogs and cats were making it out of shelters alive to the biggest no-kill city in America, the NKLA (No-Kill Los Angeles) Coalition and animal lovers throughout the city have succeeded in boosting the city over the no-kill threshold," said Best Friends Animal Society Chief Executive Office Julie Castle.

"The 2020 save rate in the city of Los Angeles was 90.49%. L.A. is now NKLA," she said.

NKLA Retrospective: Making Los Angeles A No-Kill City by Best Friends Animal Society on YouTube

NKLA was launched in April 2012. According to Castle, the year prior, Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) took in more than 56,000 dogs and cats.

Of those animals, about 18,000 were killed, over one-third of which were neonatal kittens.

"Since 2012, more than 70,000 dogs and cats have come through NKLA programs alone," Castle said.

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