By Jorge Garcia and Mike Blake
LANCASTER/DOWNEY, California (Reuters) - Los Angeles County has a new task taking care of dogs and cats after their owners were detained or deported in immigration raids that picked up this summer under the Trump administration.
From June 10, the county has taken in 28 animals, 22 of whom are dogs. Eleven dogs and two cats have been placed with homes since then.
In the Downey shelter, two cats come in together in a carrier and some dogs come in boxes and plastic bins. Then they are placed in cages waiting for adoption, and the barking and meowing can get loud.
“The animals have become sort of a victim in this situation because, to no fault of their own, they're finding themselves in the care centers," said Christopher Valles, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control.
"But that's why it's important for this message to go out so that to have a family who has an animal, if they think that they're gonna be in a situation where they may self-deport or be deported or detained, whatever it may be: Get that plan in place so that your animal can be cared for by a close friend or a family member."
While the dogs and cats wait to be placed in homes, the county will give pets a health check and have them groomed if that is needed, Valles said.
“So the only approach that we changed on how we operate when it comes to the deportation operations in our region is how can we better assist the community, because this is something that we have never seen before," Valles said.
Valles gives advice to families that believe they might be detained or deported.
“During these challenging times, with the deportation operations that are going on, we are monitoring it closely, but [we] have a plan. Create a bio for your dog, reach out to your neighbor, your family, who can be an alternative to surrendering your pet at the care center," Valles said.
"We know these are challenging times, but if we can keep that animal with the owner or with the family or out of the care center, that's our goal.”
(Reporting by Jorge Garcia in Lancaster and Mike Blake in Downey; Writing by Mary Milliken; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
