The History of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department

Animal stories tend to come with high emotions.  Human cruelty to animals is common, but so are stories of human morality about what is right and wrong in the world of animals.  Throughout the archive there is evidence of how LAAS has dealt with hot button issues—both as the agency that must intervene, and also as the agency sometimes blamed for the suffering of animals.   It’s clear from the large number of press releases, press clippings, and internal memos that the LAAS has spent a lot of time thinking about how to deal with polarizing issues ranging from dog fighting and dog breeding, to wildlife attacks on pets, to managing owners with aggressive pets, to the politics of race around animals in LA.