Wee soccer players squeal past a cluster of seniors practicing tai chi. The Metro rumbles by. Joggers crunch along gravel paths. A man on a bench eats a burrito.
“We chose this place for the distractions,” says Priscilla Johnston, who, along with her foster dog, Simon, and a group of 12 other dogs and their handlers, has assembled at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown.
The leash walking class helps dogs and humans learn together.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
They’re at the park on this overcast Sunday morning to learn leash skills. Despite the smorgasbord of sights, sounds and smells, the dogs remain impressively on task, calmly walking beside their humans until Simon — a sleek, young Black Mouth Cur mix with a white-tipped tail — unexpectedly steps into a puddle and leaps skyward. “Water excites him,” says Johnston, with a laugh.
Los Angeles is a dog town, no bones about it. In this weeklong series, we dig into the obsession.
Simon and friends are a subset of Los Angeles Animal Services shelter dogs being fostered through an innovative, volunteer-run nonprofit called Dog Coalition Los Angeles. This organization supports fosters with guidance, training classes and a community of peers on the same foster journey.
Dog Coalition’s Sunday leash classes help the dogs build confidence by exposing them to new experiences in a positive, controlled way. While socialization is beneficial for any dog, it also greatly improves a shelter dog’s chances of adoption, which is a matter of survival. Amid L.A.’s ongoing animal overpopulation crisis, healthy and adoptable pets are at constant risk of euthanasia for lack of space. Dog Coalition’s efforts to free up kennel space and ensure successful adoptions improve the odds not just for dogs in the program, but for all city shelter dogs.
The program’s process begins by thoughtfully matching dogs (who are more than 35 pounds — the demographic in greatest need) with fosters. All seven Dog Coalition team members are also city shelter volunteers, so they run playgroups and get to know the dogs at North Central shelter in Lincoln Heights, where the program is based. At the same time, they build relationships with fosters, interviewing applicants to learn about their lifestyle, household and dog experience.
The dogs learn social skills and fosters get to meet others in the program, also tapping into their social skills.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
Once a dog and foster are paired, the team guides the foster in creating a calm, structured environment in which the dog can relax, then introduces some basic training and socialization. Ultimately, the dog is matched with an adopter using the same considered rubric, and the happily ever after ensues.
While the idea of placing shelter dogs in private foster homes is not new, this program enhances the foster experience for both its human and canine participants. Since its formation in 2022, the program has partnered with over 80 fosters to help more than 270 shelter dogs. Impressive numbers for a small organization, but only a partial solution considering the city shelter system’s “Dog Occupancy Meter” reported 1,541 dogs in early July — more than double the city’s capacity.
“Their support of our foster community ensures fosters have the assistance they need, while their work to match shelter dogs with loving families contributes to the welfare and successful adoption rates of our animals,” Animal Services Interim General Manager Annette Ramirez said in an emailed statement.
Pairing fosters and so much more
Dog Coalition team member Bismark Padilla guides a foster at a leash walking class.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
Despite the discouraging statistics, it’s a lighthearted scene around the water bowls during a break at the Sunday leash class.
One foster regales the group with a tale of stolen focaccia. “But he’s a great dog,” he says, affectionately scratching behind the thief’s ears.
“We need to work on that counter surfing,” responds team member Soyoung Kim.
Another foster affects a Southern drawl, providing entertaining commentary from the perspective of a low-slung beagle mix named Loreta.
A third group discusses the merits of using a “nose band,” a leash technique inspired by equestrian tack. “It’s like a bra — not comfortable at first, but good support,” says Johnston.
Team members offer extra guidance to newer fosters, and experienced fosters often step in to help.
“We love our repeat fosters!” says team member Carter Goffigon. “Don’t get me wrong, we love new fosters too, but our experienced fosters already learned the foundations, so they are trained themselves.”
Goffigon estimates that at least a third of the program’s participants return to foster again. One couple has fostered 11 dogs in just three years. The coalition’s team members also foster, like Goffigon and her husband, Tim Maher, who maintain a household comprising “three permanents and one rotating dog.”
Originating under the name Foster For Life, the program came to be when a group of shelter volunteers and two rescues — Blue Man Dog and A Purposeful Rescue — created a model for a foster support program rooted in thoughtfulness and education to address the shelter system’s overpopulation issues.
The rescues have since moved on to implement a similar model at the South L.A. shelter. Meanwhile, remaining team members, sensing the potential for broader impact and inspired by a growing community of dog-loving Angelenos, rebranded themselves as Dog Coalition Los Angeles.
Fostering remains the group’s focus, but Goffigon says there’s a push to document and share their educational materials with a wider audience. A free adoption guide is available to the public on the program’s website.
But community, above all else, sets this program apart. Fosters get to know one another during weekly training classes and Zoom meetings. Playgroups and adoption events, often hosted at convivial spots— like Creature’s Plants & Coffee in Eagle Rock or the Hermosillo, a bar in Highland Park— are another chance to connect in person. They also follow each dog’s progress via updates on the coalition’s Instagram.
Bismark Padilla with his foster El Roy.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
Friendships among fosters often form organically, but team member Bismark Padilla says they sometimes pair people based on geography or dog play style, or they might match an apartment dweller with someone who has a yard. It can be social or an opportunity to help each other. Thomas Hinkamp often travels for work, but connecting with other fosters who can watch his dog Zamora when he’s away has made fostering possible for him. “Everyone’s looking out for the dogs, and for the fosters as well,” he says.
Dog Coalition’s educational approach makes fostering accessible for first-timers, commonly attracting people new to town. This was the case for Gretchen Craig, who, after a year of living in L.A., fostered a spotted husky mix named Lilac. Ultimately Craig “foster failed,” a term used in dog circles to indicate the happy outcome when a foster decides to adopt their dog. “I do miss the ritual of Sunday leash class,” she admits, but both she and Lilac made lasting friendships.
The program also appeals to Angelenos who desire dog companionship but aren’t ready to commit — whether they’re grieving a beloved pet, unable to take on the financial responsibility or uncertain about their future plans.
Then there’s the breed of human who sees fostering for Dog Coalition as a chance to hone their dog skills among an experienced group of handlers.
Priscilla Johnston and her foster, Simon. Dog Coalition focuses on dogs like Simon who are more than 35 pounds because they are least likely to get adopted.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
Outside the park, Padilla runs into program “alums” — Jack Goodman and his “foster fail” Felisha, an amber-eyed shepherd mix.
“We told Jack we needed a special person to handle this dog,” says Padilla, referencing Felisha’s fear-based reactivity. “We’re very careful — we never want to put a dog in a wrong situation. But it sparked something in Jack. He was up to the challenge.”
“Some people have pottery class, but this was the best extracurricular I could have found!” says Goodman.
Monique Boudreaux, Dana Greenawald and their dog Velcro, who is Priscilla Johnston’s previous foster.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
Echoing this sentiment from an adopter’s standpoint, Monique Boudreaux chose an energetic working-breed dog because she wanted to learn more about behavior and training. “I knew I wanted a dog that would be a challenge,” she says, “but I also wanted a support system.”
Boudreaux and her partner, Dana Greenawald, adopted Johnston’s previous foster, a long-limbed Doberman mix named Velcro. With a small dog already at home, they appreciated having Johnston’s insights into Velcro’s personality and the chance to introduce the dogs before committing.
While Dog Coalition’s official process culminates with adoption, the relationships formed along the way often continue. Johnston, for instance, handled the inevitable bittersweetness of sending a foster dog on to its forever home by befriending Velcro’s adopters.
“It was love at first sight,” says Boudreaux, referring to Velcro and also her friendship with Johnston. “This community makes it so easy to create strong bonds. Everyone wants to help dogs, so they’re obviously good people, but they are also driven and willing to work so hard for something they love.”
Dog Coalition L.A. fosters and “alums” gather at a backyard playgroup.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
At a playgroup hosted in a City Terrace backyard, humans — fosters, adopters and others — crowd into thin slices of shade along the garage to beat the afternoon heat, fondly watching dogs delight in chasing and being chased.
Each of these dogs is a common denominator for several people, a source of their connection and shared joy.
“It’s amazing to see everyone working together to advocate for these dogs,” says Craig, who plans to foster again once she and Lilac move into a bigger apartment. “It creates an incredible sense of belonging.”
How to participate in Dog Coalition L.A.
Fosters, adopters and others gather at a playgroup in City Terrace.
(Yuri Hasegawa / For The Times)
Foster, adopt, view educational materials or donate via the website.
Attend an adoption event. “We like the community showing up to say hi to the dogs, which helps them have positive experiences in meeting new people,” Johnston says. Updated events are posted on Instagram.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
