Whether they’re socialized or feral, all cats are domesticated and depend on humans for food, shelter, veterinary care, and protection.

Los Angeles’ spay/neuter law means that fewer cats will be born only to end up struggling to survive on the urban jungle’s mean streets. Speeding cars, cruel humans, attacks by predators, scarce food and water, poisons, contagious diseases, and untreated injuries are just a few of the deadly dangers cats face—and often die from—when they’re abandoned to live outdoors. When left on their own, their lives are harsh and short—a constant struggle to survive, followed by an early and often painful death. The life expectancy of cats who live outdoors is just one to five years, compared with 12 to 20 years for cats who live indoors.

Groups and individuals who sterilize cats and then put them back on the streets prevent them from breeding but sentence them to terrible hardship, suffering, and a terrifying death. Cats who are allowed to roam outdoors take a massive toll on vulnerable wildlife species who are already struggling to survive habitat loss and other challenges. One study estimates that free-roaming cats kill up to 14.7 billion birds and mammals every year in the U.S. Cats rank second for bird mortality behind only natural causes.

Instead of forcing cats to once again live outdoors, we can work to end feline homelessness at its root by ensuring that all of them are spayed or neutered and kept indoors.

Stray dogs are as much a fixture in Los Angeles as palm trees and celebrity sightings, but the city’s spay/neuter law is helping to change that situation. Many homeless dogs are unneutered males who have slipped out of homes or yards in search of a mate, and they’re often hit by cars or injured in fights with other dogs.

If you see a stray dog, always stop and help—you may be that animal’s only chance of survival. It’s also vital to get strays off the streets before they can mate and create even more unwanted animals. Be sure not to let the animal out of your sight, and call Los Angeles Animal Services right away at 888-452-7381 to ask for help.

Carry an emergency kit containing a towel, a slip leash, water, a bowl, smelly treats, and a pop-top can of wet food (to entice skittish animals to come to you). Stray dogs are usually frightened, so speak in a soft voice and avoid chasing them or making sudden movements.

Once the animal is secured, check for injuries and identification tags. The dog may have a microchip from which their guardian’s information can be retrieved, so ask your local veterinarian’s office to do a scan if there are no tags. If they have tags or a microchip, call the number that’s listed on it and arrange a reunion. Encourage the dog’s guardians to have the animal spayed or neutered if they haven’t already done so, and direct them here for more information. If the dog has no tags or appears to be injured, abused, or neglected, rush them to the nearest shelter. Remember: If you don’t stop to help, who will?

Rabbits are the third most frequently abandoned animals, but—just as with dogs and cats—they should be spayed or neutered to help bring down the number of homeless animals flooding into shelters.

Rabbits are social creatures with gentle natures and individual personalities, and they need just as much attention as a dog or cat would. Although most rabbits don’t like to be held or cuddled, they love to exercise and play. They can become withdrawn and depressed if they’re not provided with plenty of love and companionship.

Rabbits are also complex animals. They’re often purchased on a whim, especially in the spring, and potential caretakers rarely understand their specific needs. Once the novelty has worn off, many rabbits are neglected, relegated to outdoor cages, left at shelters, or simply turned loose outside—where they have little chance of surviving. In addition to often living up to 10 years, rabbits require specific foods, stimulating environments, and care from veterinarians who have specialized knowledge of their species. If, after careful consideration, you decide to welcome a rabbit companion into your home, remember to adopt—not shop! Visit your local open-admission animal shelter or rabbit rescue group and save a life.

In the city of Los Angeles, all cats and dogs over the age of 4 months must be spayed or neutered unless certain conditions are met or a breeding permit is purchased and renewed annually. Fines for noncompliance can reach $500 per animal, and repeated failure to comply by having the animal sterilized is a misdemeanor. Animals who are impounded will be sterilized and microchipped at their guardian’s expense.

All dogs over the age of 4 months must be licensed by law, and their guardians must have proof of their anti-rabies vaccination. Licenses must be renewed every one to three years, and spayed or neutered dogs qualify for a lower license fee. Puppy certificates are available for dogs under 4 months of age and must be replaced with a regular dog license within 45 days after the puppy reaches 4 months.

Licensing helps ensure that you’re quickly reunited with your animals if they become lost. Plus, a portion of the fee goes to the Animal Sterilization Fund, which provides funds to enable low-income residents to have their animals fixed. Apply for a dog license online—it’s easy!

It’s unlawful to chain a dog to any stationary object except in very specific circumstances and for a limited amount of time. If you see a dog chained or tethered outside, call Los Angeles Animal Services at 888-452-7381 to report it so the department can investigate and rescue the dog or inform their owner about proper care.

Keeping dogs outside deprives them of companionship, exercise, and mental stimulation. Many chained animals are terribly neglected, including being denied proper food, water, shelter, and veterinary care—not to mention exercise, love, companionship, and respect. Female chained dogs who aren’t spayed have no way to escape roaming males, so countless puppies have been born to mothers who are trapped at the end of a chain. Always take action if you see a chained dog. For that animal, your intervention could mean the difference between a lonely, miserable existence and a happy life in a loving home.

It’s illegal to have a dog off-leash on a public street, in a park, or in any other public area. Anytime dogs are off private property, they must be on a leash that doesn’t exceed 6 feet in length. L.A.’s leash law keeps your dog, other animals, and humans safe. Keeping dogs leashed while in public helps protect them from getting hit by cars, attacked by other dogs, and being stolen or harmed by humans. Leashes longer than 6 feet are dangerous to your dog, as they make it more difficult to reach the animal quickly. Want to help multiple animals at once? Why not purchase a leash and other canine accessories from the PETA Shop? All profits from merchandise sales go directly to supporting our vital work for animals, so you can help all animals while keeping your pup safe.

Yes! Every kind person wants to see a day when no healthy, behaviorally sound animals must be euthanized in shelters due to a lack of good homes. That’s one of the reasons why Los Angeles passed its spay/neuter law—to help stop the cause of cat and dog homelessness.

Becoming a “no-birth” community by ensuring that all cats and dogs are sterilized is the key to becoming a “no-kill” community. “No-birth” is humane, effective, and sustainable, unlike anti-euthanasia polices at taxpayer-funded shelters. When shelters declare themselves “no-kill” before the animal birth rate is controlled, they quickly fill up and start turning animals away—leaving them in the hands of people who can’t or won’t care for them—or on the streets, where they can suffer and face a painful death from starvation, traffic accidents, weather extremes, or another cruel fate.

Some “no-kill” facilities are in fact run by hoarders who warehouse animals in cages for years and deny them veterinary treatment, attention, adequate care, and the opportunity to exercise. That’s why it’s so important to take stray animals (or your own if you can no longer care for them) only to well-run open-admission shelters that never turn animals away or hoard them in cages. The solution to animal homelessness is ending the runaway birth rate. Together, we can lower the number of animal births by complying with Los Angeles’ spay/neuter law and taking advantage of the many resources that are available to help.

A big one! Just one unsterilized female dog can have more than 100 puppies during her lifetime, and males can father thousands. In just 18 months, a female cat can give birth to 36 kittens, who can begin reproducing in just four months. Even if you manage to find loving, permanent homes for all the puppies or kittens your animal brings into the world, there will be that many fewer homes for animals in shelters who desperately need to be adopted. Unless you ensure that all the puppies and kittens you place are spayed or neutered before going to their new homes, they can go on to produce litter after litter of offspring themselves. Every single surgery spares a life.

Drop everything. Put up as many “missing” ads as you can, showing a clear photo of your animal, your contact information, and a mention of a reward. Post them on telephone poles, in veterinarians’ offices, in newspapers, on social media, and on bulletin boards. Notify local shelters and visit them daily to search for your animal. Scour the neighborhood, sign up with a professional lost-animal service, and follow all leads. See our full list for more tips.

Shelters across Los Angeles are full of animals of all ages, sizes, and personalities who are waiting for loving homes. If you have the time, money, and ability to care for an animal for life, please visit Los Angeles’ animal companion search page, Los Angeles County’s animal adoption page, or Pasadena Humane to view adoptable animals.

Stay calm and don’t leave the animal unattended. For domesticated ones, take your animal rescue kit, if you have one, and approach them very slowly and quietly. Avoid eye contact and stay as low to the ground as possible. If the animal is injured, stop any bleeding by applying direct pressure with a clean towel or bandage, and then apply a bandage. Rush the animal to the nearest veterinarian, emergency animal clinic, or animal shelter.