On Saturday, Los Angeles-based pet products company Dogswell was one of the sponsors behind the Homeward Hound Hike, a benefit event held in Griffith Park to raise money for Friends of Animals. The organization is a no-kill dog and cat shelter that has been around since 1983. They are a volunteer-only group who rely on private donations for support, and who focus on helping as many animals as they possibly can. At the event were dog enthusiasts and hikers, as well as their furry four-legged friends, including several available for adoption. Although you may have missed out on the hike, you can still help Friends of the Animals; make a donation online via Dogswell or contact Friends of the Animals. more ›

Ed Boks, the seventh General Manager in ten years at the city's Animal Services department, is now the focus of the latest animal controversy regarding the department heading towards a no-kill animal shelter policy, something that everyone wants except the dwindling city budget. A large group of employees gathered last week at city council asking for him to be removed from his post. "In the past we were divided about past general managers. Today we are united," one employee said during public comment last Tuesday. more ›

The 11-part no-kill animal shelter workshop series has gotten quite a buzz around town already, so we decided to talk to the man who is helping to facilitate the dialogue at these workshops, Rabbi Allen Freehling. For a little background, Rabbi Freehling was first asked to serve as the Director of the Human Relations Commission by then-Mayor Jim Hahn in 2002 and was asked to remain in this position by existing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Rabbi Freehling said that the role of the Human Relations Commission is to try to bring different viewpoints to the same table. more ›

A Report on Last Night's Humane LA Workshop, Submitted and Authored by Prabhat Gautam more ›

Tomorrow is the first public workshop of an 11-part series called "Creating a Humane LA," which seeks to help people better familiarize themselves with LA Animal Services’ efforts to achieve “No-Kill” in their shelters. Currently, with the high volume of animals, shelters euthanize them to make room for more. To that end, tomorrow's topic explores high volume, low-cost, spay/neuter programs. The 6:30 p.m. meeting is in at the Constituent Service Center in the South LA Neighborhood of Manchester Square. More details here. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed one of the country's most stringent pet sterilization laws yesterday, requiring dog and cat owners to spay/neuter their pets or face hefty fines. more ›