No Kill Los Angeles reports shelter deaths continue decline

NKLA (No Kill Los Angeles),

which is leading the effort

to take Los Angeles animal

shelters no kill, has continued

to make progress in July, as

well as during the first seven

months of 2013.

Statistics from Los Angeles

Animal Services indicate

that animal shelter deaths

decreased at the six L.A. City

Shelters by 777 in July of 2013

versus July of 2012. In addition,

through the first seven

months of 2013, shelter deaths

decreased by 2,516 compared

to the same time period in 2012.

The NKLA has been successful

enough that the death

rate in L.A. City shelters has

consistently declined every

month since the 2012 inception

of NKLA, a coalition of animal

welfare organizations, city shelters

and passionate individuals

led by Best Friends Animal

Society.

“We are heartened to see

this life-saving trend continue,”

General Manager of Los Angeles

Animal Services Brenda

Barnette said. “Our thanks

go to the many animal rescue

organizations working together

to make NKLA an achievable

goal.”

NKLA is dedicated to ending

the killing of healthy and treatable

pets in L.A. shelters by

providing targeted spay/neuter

services so fewer animals enter

shelters, and increasing adoptions,

resulting in more animals

exiting the shelters alive. The

NKLA campaign includes two

dedicated facilities, the Best

Friends Pet Adoption

Center in Mission Hills and

the NKLA Pet Adoption Center

in West Los Angeles, both

which help to increase adoptions

of city shelter animals.

In 2012, the coalition’s first

year of existence, L.A. shelter

deaths decreased by 4,200 compared

to the previous year. That

same year, the NKLA Coalition

group of organizations

facilitated 23,421 adoptions and

4,458 spay/neuter surgeries

were performed.

Best Friends – L.A. Executive

Director Marc Peralta credits

the life-saving results to the

hard work from many different

local rescues and shelters

working together within the

coalition to help these animals.

“We are grateful for the

opportunity presented by this

public-private partnership with

more than 60 local animal welfare

organizations, the City of

Los Angeles and L.A. Animal

Services,” Peralta said. “Our

collaboration continues to succeed

and we are optimistic

about reaching our no-kill goal

for the city.”

But Best Friends and the

NKLA Coalition cannot do it

alone, Peralta said.

“Whether it’s volunteering,

donating, adopting, or making

sure pets are spayed and neutered,

everyone can play a part

in helping the animals,” he said.

“If you love animals, we invite

you to be a part of this incredible

NKLA movement.”

Persons interested in participating

with this animal-rescue

can visit: www.nkla.org for

more information and to get

started.

About Best Friends Animal

Society Los Angeles

*Best Friends Animal Society

Los Angeles

bestfriends.org/> is working

collaboratively with animal rescue

groups, city shelters and

passionate individuals who are

all dedicated to the mission of

making Los Angeles a no-kill

city. As part of this mission,

Best Friends hosts adoption

and fundraising events, runs

the Best Friends Pet Adoption

& Spay Neuter Center at

15321 Brand Boulevard in Mission

Hills, and leads the NKLA

Initiative.