The head of the city's LA agency that oversees animal shelters is stepping down, according to a city email sent Monday to animal volunteers and advocates.
Staycee Dains resigned effective Nov. 30, assistant general manager Annette Ramirez wrote in an email, viewed by The Times. Ramirez wrote that he was appointed interim general manager by Mayor Karen Bass.
Dains, who earned about $272,730, did not immediately respond to an email and phone message.
He had been on paid leave since August. Officials refused to explain why he took a leave of absence, which led to uncertainty about the organization's leadership.
Bass, when asked about Dains' future in October, declined to tell The Times he was looking for a new general manager. Bass added that Ramirez, who was tasked with leading the organization in Dain's absence, “has done an excellent job.”
Bass announced Dains' hiring in June 2023, touting his arrival as part of the mayor's efforts to transform Animal Services, which has faced chronic problems including overcrowding and understaffing. Agnes Sibal, spokeswoman for LA Animal Services, said earlier this year that the overcrowding has reached critical levels “there is no place to house the dogs that come in.”
During his tenure, Dains helped expedite the approval of new volunteers, who help care for the animals.
At the same time, he faced criticism as many dogs and cats were euthanized by the city. From January to September, 1,224 dogs were killed in the city's six shelters – a 72% increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report by the Times.
About 1,517 cats were euthanized in September—a 17% increase over last year.
In overcrowded shelters, dogs can go weeks without a walk and may live in feces-covered houses, and some animals begin to misbehave and “degenerate mentally and emotionally,” according to a report by Best Friends Animal Society, a rescue group that has been shaken. for a long time working with the city's shelters.
Animal welfare coordinator Kristen Hassen, whose firm was recently hired to audit shelters, described the high levels of euthanasia in dogs as “overcorrection” by the department.
Dains previously worked as director of Animal Care Services in Long Beach and as operations manager for the shelter at San Jose's Animal Care and Services, according to her resume.
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