Shocking Skid Row Scandal: Dogs Allegedly Used in Drug Testing Sparks Outrage

In a disturbing revelation, a nonprofit organization has reported that drug users on Los Angeles’ infamous Skid Row are engaging in appalling acts of animal cruelty by testing narcotics on dogs. This alarming trend is occurring in one of the city’s most impoverished areas.

Joey Tuccio, a volunteer with the nonprofit Starts With One Today, shared with KTLA that they receive daily reports about individuals attempting to trade their pets for drugs, with many animals left to suffer or die on the streets. According to Tuccio, some abusers are using dogs to test whether their drugs are contaminated with lethal fentanyl.

“Every Sunday, we witness a heartbreaking scene of dogs being bred, mistreated, and neglected,” he said, highlighting the grim reality faced by animals in Skid Row.

The organization is inundated with calls about animals in distress, often finding dogs that are either severely ill or being exchanged for narcotics. A poignant image shared by the group shows a black dog they rescued, fitted with a protective cone and suffering from a severely decayed leg.

“We were forced to amputate the dog’s leg as it had deteriorated beyond healing,” Tuccio recounted to The California Post, detailing the harrowing conditions these animals endure.

Jonathan Parker, co-founder of Starts With One Today, noted that while some puppies are being sold on the streets, others are heartlessly abandoned, left to fend for themselves.

In one instance, rescuers treated a dog with severe injuries to one eye and a leg. The dog’s owner dog was trying to dissect its leg with tweezers while under the influence of drugs, Parker said.

Members of Starts With One Today, which provides supplies to homeless people and animals on Skid Row, said politicians aren’t helping the crisis.

“I mean, it’s crazy,” Tuccio said. “We’re coming out here, risking our lives to help these dogs with no support from the government.”

LA Mayor Karen Bass announced a plan to investigate allegations on animal abuse on Skid Row in November of last year.

But advocates say elected officials aren’t doing enough.

“Absolutely not,” Tuccio told The Post. when asked if the program has had an impact.

“We have called the police and animal services countless times after this ‘initiative.’ They literally see dogs being illegally bred and do nothing besides give the breeders crates to imprison the dogs.

The group still wants to help, even in the most dire circumstances.

“It is frustrating,” Parker told KTLA. “But at the end of the day, if we don’t do it, no one will.”

Bass’ office said that more than 100 LAPD officers have been trained to handle animal cruelty cases.

“Since then, animals have been rescued, multiple citations and arrests have been made, and potential animal abuse or cruelty cases have been referred to the District Attorney and City Attorney,” a spokesperson said.

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