Published: 07/16/2026 | Author: Nikki Wisher

Animal rescuers working in Los Angeles‘ Skid Row have spotted a disturbing pattern take hold in one of the country’s largest homeless encampments. There, they see dogs exposed to narcotics, including fentanyl, in an apparent effort to check whether a drug supply is safe before a person uses it.

California offers an abundance of programs to help folks impacted by substance misuse, ranging from inpatient care to local Narcotics Anonymous chapters. Nevertheless, many people continue to slip through the cracks, especially the unhoused. 

Volunteers with the nonprofit Starts With One Today have worked with dogs in the area for years. They note the practice reflects part of a much larger crisis of animal neglect playing out in the same blocks where the opioid crisis and chronic homelessness intersect.

Rescuers Report

Victoriah Parker, co-founder of Starts With One Today, relayed how she and other volunteers have repeatedly seen dogs used this way. “What they also use their dogs for is to test their drugs to make sure there is not fentanyl, they are not laced. So we have had several dogs overdose on fentanyl down here,” Parker observed.

Let’s use caution about how this gets framed. The people involved are, in almost every case, themselves living with substance use disorder and chronic homelessnes. These conditions come with their own unhealthy behavioral behaoviors, mental trauma, and lack of access to care. 

Co-founder Jennifer Sims pushed back on framing this as simply a conflict between homeless people and their pets. “There are drug users and mentally ill people who are using animals for their gain,” she pointed out. Sims distinguished the broader population of people who use drugs from those specifically exploiting animals.

Rescuers describe a range of additional hardships facing dogs on Skid Row. Abuse includes pit bulls confined in wire crates through extreme heat, animals bred repeatedly and exchanged for opioids or small amounts of cash and limited veterinary care. 

Still, pets often form a central part of recovery. A 2024 RAND survey of unsheltered people in three LA neighborhoods, including Skid Row, found that 40% listed having a pet as a top housing-related need. The findings underscore how animals play a central role in their owners’ sense of stability even amid extreme hardship.

A Response Advocates Say Has Fallen Short

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced in May 2025 that his office had filed 25 animal cruelty cases, including 18 felonies, over six weeks. In November 2025, Mayor Karen Bass announced a pilot program pairing LAPD officers with an embedded Animal Services employee. Advocates say the officers rescued dozens of dogs before losing momentum. 

Indeed, in a February 2026 letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, the advocacy group PETA reported the task force might have been quietly disbanded after only a handful of training sessions. At the same time, inpatient and outpatient care options remain limited.

Fentanyl Exposure and Keeping People Safe

Testing an unknown supply on a dog isn’t a reliable way to detect fentanyl, and it puts an animal at direct risk of overdose. You can obtain fentanyl test strips through many harm reduction services, and public health programs offer a far safer way for a person to check a substance before use. 

Another option is Naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose in progress. Naloxone remains one of the most effective tools available to prevent a fatal outcome for both the person who used the substance and anyone nearby.

Addressing what’s happening on Skid Row likely requires progress on more than one front at once. No problem exists in isolation from the others. This means expanded harm reduction resources, consistent enforcement against animal cruelty, and continued access to treatment and stable housing for the people living there. 

Help for Opioid Addiction Begins with NA

Anyone concerned about their own drug use, or a loved one’s, doesn’t need to wait for a crisis to reach out. Narcotics Anonymous meetings remains among the most effective ways to get someone started on recovery. Meetings remain free, confidential, and based right in participants’ home communities.

To begin NA, simply dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) and speak with an expert to browse our directory for chapters listed across the nation.