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Cracking down against animal abuse on Skid Row

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Published  September 3, 2025 11:30pm PDT
Skid Row
FOX 11
Cracking down against animal abuse on Skid Row

Cracking down against animal abuse on Skid Row

FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff walked along Skid Row to survey the neighborhood for possible animal abuse concerns.

The Brief

    • Animal advocates and law enforcement recently worked together to check on and rescue dogs on Skid Row.
    • The group, Starts With One Today, has been working on Skid Row for years and is hopeful about a new federal task force targeting animal abuse in Southern California.
    • The advocates say illegal dog breeding and trading is rampant on Skid Row, but they won't give up on their efforts.

LOS ANGELES - FOX 11 walked exclusively across Skid Row with animal advocates Wednesday evening to check on dogs, only hours after the group did the same walk with federal agents and Los Angeles police.

"Every time I come down here, I usually come on the weekends; the next weekend the dogs are gone," said Joey Tuccio from Starts With One Today. "The dogs are dead, the dogs are pregnant, it just never ends."

For about 10 years, Starts With One Today has targeted Skid Row as a place to locate, feed, and rescue dogs in need. According to the group, dogs are often bred illegally and traded for money or drugs, while abuse and neglect run rampant.

"People from all over the city are coming to Skid Row to buy dogs, drugs, and sexual favors," Jonathan Parker said. "It’s just a known fact."

"They do their business here," Tuccio said. "There’s so much money on Skid Row, and people think it’s just homeless people down on their luck, but there’s so many Mercedes and Teslas. It’s an ecosystem."

"We do have animal control down here, but still no one seems to care or do anything about it," Victoriah Parker said.

On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced a new federal animal abuse task force focused on finding and charging people with serious crimes against animals across Southern California. Within hours on Wednesday, the task force rescued an abandoned dog from Skid Row.

"It’s great we’re finally seeing other people caring," Victoriah Parker said. "That’s the way to really get animal control and LAPD to step up and do their part."

Starts With One Today is run through donations. The group plans to continue its efforts while hoping the new task force is successful in helping pets across Los Angeles.

"We’re not going to give up," Jonathan Parker said. "That’s the thing about it. They want to run us off, but all you’re doing is making us come back with a bigger force."

Skid Row