Animal Services needs to go to the dogs

Los Angeles' Department of Animal Services is losing millions of dollars in potential revenue because of lax dog-licensing, fine collection and financial procedures, according to an audit released Tuesday by the City Controller's Office.Daily News.

In a sharp rebuke to the department, Controller Laura Chick estimated that the department is losing $600,000 to $1.2 million a year by failing to aggressively ensure that dogs in the city are licensed. Chick estimated that the agency has lost an additional $2 million in uncollected fines.

"What my audit has found is a department struggling to move forward," Chick said at a City Hall news conference in the first of a series of new reviews of animal service operations planned for this year.