A Dogfight Over Animal Voters

LOS ANGELES HAS LONG HAD its share of single-issue voters: There are preservationist-minded NIMBYs, who live and breathe slow growth; and voters on both sides of the policing divide, who are uniquely concerned with whether the city is spending enough — or too much— on its police force.

But amid the ongoing travails of the city’s beleaguered animal services department, another class of single-issue voter has become increasingly vocal this election cycle. Meet the animal welfare voters: people for whom the suffering of animals trump concerns about crime, housing, or traffic.