Pets end up in LA shelters after owners detained in immigration raids

A man drops off two stray kittens in a clear plastic backpack at the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control as the shelter struggles with overcrowding caused by pets abandoned during recent ICE raids, in Downey, California, U.S., July 29, 2025. REUTERS/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.