Alison McBeth-Featherstone Elected President of LAAS Board

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Alison McBeth-Featherstone was elected president of the Los Angeles Board of Animal Commissioners Tuesday, filling the spot left open when former President James Johnson departed the board after chairing just one meeting.

McBeth-Featherstone, who was also re-appointed to the board through June 2029 by the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday, was approved 3-0 by the commissioners. The five-member board currently has two open seats following the departure of Johnson and previous board President Larry Gross, who voluntarily stepped down in July.

Olivia Garcia was elected board vice president on Tuesday, also in a 3- 0 vote.

The board sets policy and conducts oversight of Los Angeles Animal Services and the city's six animal shelters.

A community advocate who has worked on projects as a business and property owner in South Los Angeles, McBeth-Featherstone has been involved in the city's animal rescue community for more than 10 years, and has volunteered with Take Me Home Rescue and GRFF Rescue, and collaborated with organizations including PMHCC and Watts Project, according to the board's website.

Mayor Karen Bass' office and City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who chairs the council's Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee, have not provided further details related to Johnson's departure nor the status of General Manager Staycee Dains, who is on an unexplained two-month leave of absence.

Acting General Manager Annette Ramirez is leading LAAS in Dains' absence. Ramirez previously led the department on an interim basis for a year and half prior Dains' appointment as the general manager last year.

Dains, who formerly led Long Beach's animal services department, has not responded to attempts to reach her for comment.

Johnson was appointed to the board by Bass in 2023, and was elected its president by the board July 9 after Gross announced his departure.

The first meeting chaired by Johnson on July 23 was rocky, as Johnson clashed with a member of the public who criticized Dains, and made a failed attempt to pass a $25,000 contract for "safety and engagement" services, then offered to raise the funds himself after commissioners opposed the effort.

The shakeups came as city shelters continue to suffer a worsening overpopulation crisis, with too many unwanted animals and not enough space, staff members, volunteers or adopters. According to the LAAS website, 1,386 dogs were in the city's six shelters as of Tuesday, far over the capacity of 737.