Los Angeles temporarily freezes new dog breeding permits

Los Angeles City Council has unanimously voted in favor of placing a temporary moratorium on dog breeding permits until the city’s dog population in shelters is controlled.

The measure was implemented after the Los Angeles Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee highlighted the “dire crisis” of overcrowding in the Department of Animal Services’ animal shelters for over a year. 

According to the municipal shelter system, Los Angeles’s shelters are running at a +213% capacity. Officials aim to maintain the restriction on approving new dog breeding permits until shelters consistently reach or fall below 75% of total kennel capacity for a period of 3 months. However, the moratorium can be reinstated if capacity crosses the threshold again.

Committee concerns

The city issues an average of 2,000 dog breeding permits annually—due to a requirement set by the LA Municipal Code to administer a breeding permit program for unsterilized dogs—contributing to the overpopulation.

It highlighted that overpopulation has necessitated doubling and tripling the number of dogs in single kennels or placing them in temporary hallway crates for months at a time.

In addition to animal welfare concerns, the overcrowding “escalates the cost of animal care and control” and “causes an increase in threat to public health and safety,” officials add.

Industry reactions

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has praised the passage of LA’s “dog-breeding ban.” Senior Vice President Lisa Lange called the decision the “first decisive action” to curb the “ballooning homeless-animal overpopulation crisis.”  

In addition, she also called on Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Animal Services to enforce the existing spay/neuter laws, “requiring shelters to offer refuge to everyone in need.”

The American Kennel Club (AKC) “vehemently” opposed the moratorium, calling for the city to enforce the “current law properly” first. It drew attention to the need for all dog owners to hold a breeding permit despite not being engaged in the practice. 

The organization notes that “improper enforcement has inflated the perceived number of dog breeders in the city, which is the impetus behind this current proposal.”