Brief

The Mayor has nominated Gabrielle Amster to serve as the permanent General Manager of the Department of Los Angeles Animal Services. The nomination was referred to the Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee in April 2026 and is currently scheduled for committee consideration on May 26, 2026. The appointment requires City Council confirmation.

Full summary

Mayor Karen Bass submitted a nomination on April 17, 2026, to appoint Gabrielle Amster as the permanent General Manager of the Department of Los Angeles Animal Services, invoking Charter Section 508(b). The appointment would take effect upon City Council confirmation. The General Manager role oversees the city's animal care and control operations, including shelters, adoptions, animal welfare enforcement, and related public health and safety functions. Amster brings nearly two decades of animal welfare leadership experience. Most recently she served as Director of the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Los Angeles from 2021 to 2025, where she managed a $10 million annual operating budget, increased adoptions by 60%, and grew staff retention from 30% to 70% in two years. Before that she was Executive Director of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter from 2018 to 2021, running an open-admissions municipal shelter where she increased adoptions by 46%, reduced average length of stay by 35%, managed a multi-million-dollar city contract, and secured over $3 million annually in private revenue. Earlier roles included director-level positions at animal welfare organizations in New Mexico and Texas. She holds a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator credential and a Best Friends Executive Leadership Certification. The nomination was referred to the Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee, chaired by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, on April 20, 2026. The committee scheduled the item for its meeting on May 26, 2026. Full City Council confirmation is required before the appointment becomes effective. The file remains open with a two-year expiration window running through May 2028.

Activity (3)

• 2026-05-21 Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 26, 2026.
• 2026-04-20 Mayor document(s) referred to Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee.
• 2026-04-17 Document submitted by Department of Animal Services, dated April 17, 2026.

Documents (3)

• 2026-05-20 Communication from City Ethics Commission · other
• 2026-04-29 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2026-04-17 Report from Mayor · report