An Echo Park Animal Alliance member posted today this photo of wet puppies at the North Central shelter, taken when it rained last week. According to list-server commenters, miserable kennel conditions are common at L.A. shelters.

The same person forwarded to me the following, which contained more info:

Please share the frustration my friend and I felt as we had to witness the shivering, totally wet puppies at North Central the day it was raining. The "inside" area that supposedly is "heated" was also completely soaking wet. There was no blanket or raised area for the puppies. ALL the dogs except the few cages on the "walk wall" side were soaking wet and utterly miserable.

And from the EPAA list serve:

This is not a weather problem, this is a personnel problem. and it starts at the top with Ed Boks. No dog in the LAAS system should be cold or wet and we should not stand for it.

If you haven't already, please call Mr. Boks [head of the L.A. animal shelters system] and email the Commissioners to rectify this problem immediately. Blankets may be a temporary fix , but it seems that in Carson [where a dog named Zephyr died in the cold], they couldn't be bothered to keep the blankets dry or even distribute them to the kennels.

Boks' email: Ed.boks@lacity.org

Villaraigosa: mayor@lacity.org

The following contacts courtesy "Johnny," who posted on the Echo Park Animal Alliance's list serve:
LAAS Commissioners:

Tariq khero: tariqkhero@gmail.com
Marie Atake: lacity@atake.net (Resigned in protest over shelter
conditions and departmental incompetence, corruption and cruelty).
Glenn Brown: knightsplay@aol.com
Kathy Riordan: Ninekitties@aol.com

Ross Pool, L.A. Animal Services Commission Secretary: 213-482-9501;
ross.pool@lacity.org