LA Animal Services volunteer speaks out after dog attack – NBC Los Angeles

Many LA Animal Services volunteers are calling on the organization to do more to ensure animal and human safety after one of their longtime employees was brutally attacked by a dog at the Harbor Shelter in San Pedro.

Volunteers say the attack highlights an ongoing problem caused by a lack of staff and underfunding, as well as an inability to provide adequate care for the animals.

Leslie Corea, manager of the LA Animal Services Kennel, was seriously injured by a dog at the Harbor Shelter last Friday. Corea has been with the shelter for 24 years. She told NBC4 that she was at the kennel with Brie, a 63-pound dog, when the dog suddenly attacked.

“She immediately attacked my leg and started fighting me like crazy. And I was screaming like mad,” Corea recalled. “She jumped up and grabbed me by the chest next to my left breast. I went to close the door. And I fell, and she came – the door didn’t close all the way – and she charged at me again, grabbed my left leg, pierced it and then she went back to my right leg, my thigh, my thigh is – half of it is gone.”

Brie was placed on the “Red Alert List” on May 9th after showing signs of fear, agitation and stress. Brie was found to be unwell at the shelter and was scheduled to be euthanized on May 31st. That day, Brie was scheduled to be evaluated by a rescue group and that day she attacked Corea.

“They redlist dogs for every little thing. We’ve had perfectly fine dogs that were dog-friendly and people-friendly, and they still get redlisted,” said a volunteer at the Harbor shelter. “And then there are these dogs that are aggressive and attack other dogs, and they get redlisted.”

A volunteer at the Harbor shelter asked NBC4 to keep his identity private because he feared retaliation from LA Animal Services if he spoke about conditions at the shelter. He said since there is no explanation from LA Animal Services as to why these dogs were redlisted, there are also no clear guidelines on how to handle them.

“Everyone is worried about Leslie, and this should not have happened. This should not have happened. I think a lot of volunteers will now think twice before taking dogs out with these symptoms,” said one volunteer.

An LA Animal Services employee says she was brutally attacked by a dog while on the job. Robert Kovacik reports for NBC4 News on June 5, 2024.

They say the attack could have been avoided, but because the shelter was understaffed, there was no one nearby who could have heard Corea’s screams.

“We’ve talked about maybe getting panic buttons or something like that,” the volunteer said. “(Or) the city gives everyone a whistle, but a whistle doesn’t help if you’re being attacked by a dog.”

According to the volunteer, this also shows the ongoing overcrowding crisis; the dogs do not receive the care they deserve and are exposed to a stressful environment, which affects their physical and mental well-being.

“It affects the dogs when they are confined like this, without exercise, movement, stimulation or human contact,” said the volunteer. “Living like this is not natural for them. It is inhumane.”

Volunteers hope LA Animal Services will provide guidance and safety measures following this brutal attack and address the lack of resources and staff, as many fear something like this could happen again.