Why Help

Every year more than seven million unwanted, stray or lost animals end up at the five thousand animal care and control shelters across the United States. Most are cats or dogs, but there are also many rabbits, birds, lizards and other animals. Roughly 60% of dogs and 70% of cats are euthanized, partially because only an estimated 20% of Americans adopt at their local shelters. Despite robust adoption programs and the crucial assistance provided by rescue organizations to increase life saving, both shelters and rescuers have limited space and resources available to house cats and dogs. Consequently, shelters euthanize many of the animals in their care. Shelters who provide animal care and control for cities are required by law to take in every animal who arrives on their doorstep. The overwhelming number of animals they take in exceeds their financial and physical capacity to care for them and keep them healthy.

The Help Shelter Animals campaign believes in providing people with opportunities to adopt, volunteer and donate to assist local shelters, rescue groups and homeless animals. Our campaign knows that most people love cats and dogs and are willing to help living beings in need but can only do so if they have the opportunity. Commit yourself to helping local animals in need and feel the satisfaction of helping animals and saving lives NOW! You can make a difference!

How Can We Fix the Problem?


The Help Shelter Animals campaign is founded by the Los Angeles Animal Alliance. Our region's challenges are representative of the hope and hurdles other humane communities have. We have tools on this website for those who want to help from anywhere in the United States. Browse this site to see where, by just entering your zip code, you can find local shelters and rescue groups where you can adopt, volunteer, foster, and donate in your own local community. Or join us in one of our national or regional projects. Sign up for emails and we'll let you know of upcoming projects and opportunities.

If you are in Los Angeles, we have and will have many opportunities and projects you can participate in in your own backyard. Transforming Los Angeles into a region where all healthy and adoptable animals are guaranteed loving homes poses tremendous challenges to the people and organizations who are committed to life saving. But it is a goal that is attainable, and well worth the effort for the thousands of cats and dogs whose lives will be saved. The Los Angeles Animal Alliance believes that our central goal is to connect more people with opportunities to help the animals who bring us so much joy and love.

Euthanizing healthy and adoptable animals will end only when many more Los Angeles residents and dedicated community organizations, including our schools, religious congregations, and businesses, embrace their local animal shelters and rescue groups. We need to connect more people with homeless animals and spay and neuter services.

How we reach our no kill goal is up to our imagination, values and will. How we connect ourselves to helping animals will make all the difference. For example, if our region of 10 million people committed to adding just 2,000 new people fostering one or more homeless animal per year, increasing adoptions 15% each year over the previous year, and expanded the availability of very low cost spay and neuter to stabilize pet populations, our region would likely get to the point of saving 90% or more of its healthy and adoptable cats and dogs in just a few years. You can make a difference!

So yes, it is true, Los Angeles loves their animals. Commit yourself to helping local animals in need and feel the satisfaction of helping animals and saving lives NOW!