LOS ANGELES — When Sabrina Maharaj walked into the No-Kill Los Angeles Pet Adoption Center in the summer of 2022, all she intended to do was volunteer.
Months later she walked out with a new addition to her family in 10-year-old dog Elf.
“Elf came into the shelter and I’d heard his story. I knew that he was originally adopted from the shelter 10 years ago and then came back and was not in great shape and was really very scared,” Maharaj said.
Some staff members at No-Kill Los Angeles remembered Elf from his original stay. Covered in ticks and having a rough time, the entire staff had his back, including Maharaj, who would try to take him out for walks first thing in the morning before the summer heat.
When a loss in her family left an open space in Maharaj’s heart and her home, she knew Elf belonged with her.
“When we lost our Boxer, we just couldn’t resist trying to find a home for Elf (because) he kind of had a special place in my heart,” Maharaj said. “When we had a chance to bring somebody home, it made sense for him to be the one.”
While Elf and Sabrina’s story ends sweetly, Elf’s situation is not unique.
The Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that runs the No-Kill LA adoption center, estimates approximately 473,000 animals entered California’s shelters in 2021.
California’s shelters may euthanize animals for lack of space or resources — a fact that Best Friends marketing manager Peggy Kennedy said they are fighting to change by 2025.
“California is No. 2 in terms of animals at risk, second only to Texas,” Kennedy outlined. “The national recognized save rate of 90% is the benchmark for no-kill and that factors in that about 10% entering our shelters have medical or behavioral circumstances that would warrant humane euthanasia,” Kennedy said.
California has made great progress in reaching this goal — the state has jumped up to about an 82% save rate.
When Best Friends launched the No-Kill Los Angeles initiative in 2012, only 56% of the dogs and cats in the city’s shelters were making it out alive. The city reached a sustained save rate of 90% for 2020, but there is a looming threat in Los Angeles — particularly for dogs.
“The dog intake rate has gone up a little over 10%, whereas adoptions have only increased by about 5% — so that’s creating a bottleneck and an overcapacity,” Kennedy explained. “They don’t want to kill for space, but it’s putting a lot of strain on them.”
Funded almost entirely by donors, Best Friends pulls animals from LA kill shelters and provides programming encouraging adoption. The shelter looks and feels homey and inviting to encourage people to take animals home, but for those who can’t adopt, there are other options to pitch in.
“We always need people to walk dogs, help with cleaning, feed baby kittens, even marketing,” Kennedy said. “If you are a photographer, a lot of shelters need help taking good pictures of animals because a good picture will go a long way in helping a pet get adopted.”
As for Maharaj, she hasn’t looked back and encourages adoptions, especially of senior pets like Elf.
“If you’re thinking about bringing a dog into your home, please. It’s so worth it,” she said. “There are so many wonderful dogs of all types, all sizes, all personalities — I guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
An adoption from any shelter brings the state closer to that 2025 no-kill goal. You never know, you could meet your new best friend.