Dogs spotted living in deplorable conditions at a South LA homeless encampment

LOS ANGELES - When we heard about homeless encampments abusing dogs at East 95th Street between Laurel Street and Kalmia Street in South Los Angeles, we decided to check it ourselves and try to get a video, which was very difficult.

The encampment is guarded by a large group of men. We saw drug sales in the open and maneuvered around them, managing to get some images of dogs in horrific circumstances, which match those we were given by the animal rescuers who’d come forward.

Sharyn Johnson, who works with rescues like Doggie Bonez and the Dexter Foundation, is used to dealing with homeless encampments. But she says she has never been as scared as she was at this location.

It is scary and sad for both humans and animals.

Johnson says she reached out to LA County Animal Control, which did assign someone from the Carson Station to go and check out the situation, but she was told that they couldn’t find the conditions she described.  

It is possible, if one drives up in a government truck, it is very likely the lookouts we saw could give enough warning to at least get some water near the animals. We reached out to animal control to ask about the situation and await their response.

More importantly, we hope for some action, for the conditions of humans and animals at this location are worthy of immediate action.

The neighborhood around this location has worked hard to revitalize itself, building duplexes and coffee shops, just blocks away from some of the worst conditions we’ve seen in Los Angeles.