Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Feline Figures: An Estimated 12,000 Feral Cats Roam the Los Angeles ZIP Code 90037

feralcats.jpg
Photo by lucyrk via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Try to wrap your brain around these numbers: it is estimated that 12,000 feral cats are roaming the streets of the ZIP code 90037 — a two-square mile of South Los Angeles that's roughly centered on Vermont Avenue and Vernon Avenue.

The reasons are many, rescue groups say: the city's Animal Services Department is stretched too thin and in a bum economy, residents can't afford to get their cats neutered, according to The Los Angeles Times. The story unfortunately does not explain where it got these mind-boggling feline figures from.

The Stray Cat Alliance is targeting 90037 and aims to trap and neuter at least 7,000 cats in the neighborhood — in the hopes of at least stopping the population from growing even more. They nonprofit is using a grant from a private unnamed company.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist