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Skid Row homeless test drugs on innocent pups as heartless animal abuse runs rampant

Nypost · · 523 words · By Ross O'Keefe
Animal Welfare Crisis in Skid Row Governmental Inaction/Failure
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What to know about Animal Welfare Crisis in Skid Row

Skid Row homeless test drugs on innocent pups as heartless animal abuse runs rampant Heartless users on Los Angeles’ Skid Row are testing their drugs on dogs as part of horrific animal abuse in the notoriously squalid area, a nonprofit group says.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 3
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Skid Row homeless test drugs on innocent pups as heartless animal abuse runs rampant Heartless users on Los Angeles’ Skid Row are testing their drugs on dogs as part of horrific animal abuse in the notoriously squalid area, a nonprofit group says.

Why it matters

“Every day we get another call, saying people are trying to sell their dog for drugs, and this dog is dying on the streets,” Joey Tuccio, a volunteer with Starts With One Today, told KTLA, saying vile abusers have tested their drugs on dogs to make sure…

Common ground

“We try to come every Sunday and all we see are dogs being bred, dogs being abused and neglected.” The group receives frequent calls about animals in need in the area and dogs dying or being sold for drugs.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Anger, Selective Omission: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on-skid-row-as-dogs-al…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Anger 80% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Selective Omission 70% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing selective omission helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 10
schedule Pending 2
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Claim 1: “Bass’ office said that more than 100 LAPD officers have been trained to handle animal cruelty cases.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: ““We had to amputate the black dog’s leg because it was rotten to the bone,” he told The California Post of the Skid Row rescue.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The quote regarding the amputation ('We had to amputate the black dog’s leg because it was rotten to the bone') is attributed to a volunteer in a web search result. This specific quote is not corroborated by multiple independent sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pBh8FQIwAW8
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web search NEUTRAL — He had a wound on his paw, scarring on his face, and an injured back left leg, though Christina didn’t yet know the extent of the damage. Knowing for certain he needed help, Christina scooped up the p…
https://rockykanaka.com/vet-said-stray-dogs-leg-needed-to-be…
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web search NEUTRAL — “We had to amputate the black dog’s leg because it was rotten to the bone,” he told The California Post of the Skid Row rescue. X/@joey_tuccio. The group receives frequent calls about animals in need …
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on…
info
Claim 3: “A photo of a black dog rescued by the group shows the pooch with a cone around his head and a rotten leg.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The description of 'A photo of a black dog rescued by the group shows the pooch with a cone around his head and a rotten leg' appears in a web search result. This specific visual detail is only present in the search results provided and lacks corroboration from other independent sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Fresno Lab rescue group is one of around 50 animal groups nationwide to receive a combined $765,000 from Petco this season. Parker hopes his story about Toby reminds people that rescue dogs ...
https://www.theledger.com/story/lifestyle/pets/2017/12/18/to…
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web search NEUTRAL — A photo of a black dog rescued by the group shows the pooch with a cone around his head and a rotten leg.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 27 "Before And After" Rescue Dog Pics That'll Make You Feel So Good Inside *grabs tissues*
https://www.buzzfeed.com/spenceralthouse/before-and-after-re…
info
Claim 4: “Joey Tuccio, a volunteer with Starts With One Today, told KTLA, saying vile abusers have tested their drugs on dogs to make sure they’re not laced with deadly fentanyl.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim attributes a specific statement ('Joey Tuccio, a volunteer with Starts With One Today, told KTLA, saying vile abusers have tested their drugs on dogs to make sure they’re not laced with deadly fentanyl') to a specific person and source. While web search results mention Joey Tuccio and the topic of drug abuse/dogs on Skid Row, the exact quote and attribution to KTLA are not corroborated by multiple independent sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gambino crime family (Italian: [ɡamˈbiːno]) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwid…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambino_crime_family
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Erik Griffin (born March 12, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster and actor. From 2011 to 2017, he portrayed Montez Walker on television series Workaholics. He also had roles in I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Griffin
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — X/@joey_tuccio. The group receives frequent calls about animals in need in the area and dogs dying or being sold for drugs. A photo of a black dog rescued by the group shows the pooch with a cone arou…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on…
+ 2 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 5: ““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.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “Members of Starts With One Today, which provides supplies to homeless people and animals on Skid Row, said politicians aren’t helping the crisis.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 'Members of Starts With One Today stated that politicians are not helping the crisis' is mentioned in a web search result. While Wikipedia provides general context on political figures and the 'Today' show, there is no direct corroboration from multiple independent sources confirming this specific statement made by the group members.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — One Direction, often shortened to 1D, were an English–Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group consisted of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik (until h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Direction
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Today (also called The Today Show) is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_(American_TV_program)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Today with Jenna & Sheinelle (also known as the fourth hour of Today or simply Jenna & Sheinelle) is an American daytime television talk show on NBC, co-hosted by Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_with_Jenna_&_Sheinelle
info
Claim 7: “The dog’s owner dog was trying to dissect its leg with tweezers while under the influence of drugs, Parker said.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 'Jonathan Parker stated that a dog's owner was trying to dissect the dog's leg with tweezers while under the influence of drugs' is sourced from a web search result. This specific allegation is not corroborated by multiple independent sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The dog’s owner dog was trying to dissect its leg with tweezers while under the influence of drugs, Parker said. A man in a car holding a rescued dog with a cone around its neck.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Subscribe to #PETA: https://bit.ly/2Qu3mOO . Turn on ALL push notifications More than 10 million animals are used for classroom dissection every year....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRcAxVvQrAo
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — She examined the dogs’ reactions under three different conditions: "absent owner," "silent owner" and "encouraging owner." The dogs could earn a food reward by manipulating interactive dog toys.
https://www.thescienceexplorer.com/do-dogs-see-us-as-masters…
info
Claim 8: “LA Mayor Karen Bass announced a plan to investigate allegations on animal abuse on Skid Row in November of last year.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim regarding 'LA Mayor Karen Bass announced a plan to investigate animal abuse allegations on Skid Row in November of last year' is not supported by the provided evidence. The Wikipedia results mention general election information for 2024 and LA's general description, but do not contain evidence of Mayor Bass making this specific announcement in November of the previous year.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 Los Angeles elections were held on March 5, 2024. Voters will elect candidates in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections scheduled for November 5. Seven of the fifteen seats in the City…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Los_Angeles_elections
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hydee Feldstein Soto (born 1958) is an American attorney and politician who is the City Attorney of Los Angeles. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydee_Feldstein_Soto
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Los Angeles (often referred to by its initials, LA) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estima…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles
info
Claim 9: “Heartless users on Los Angeles’ Skid Row are testing their drugs on dogs as part of horrific animal abuse in the notoriously squalid area, a nonprofit group says.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 'Heartless users on Los Angeles’ Skid Row are testing their drugs on dogs' is reported in a web search result citing a nonprofit group's allegation. While Skid Row is confirmed as a location, and the allegation is present in the search results, there are no corroborating reports from multiple independent news organizations or authoritative sources to confirm this specific allegation.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Skid Row is the unofficial name for a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles officially known as Central City East. Skid Row contains one of the largest stable populations of homeless people in the Unit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skid_Row,_Los_Angeles
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Skid Row is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Skid Row, released on January 24, 1989, by Atlantic Records. After signing with manager Doc McGhee, Skid Row signed with Atlantic and be…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skid_Row_(Skid_Row_album)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A skid row, also called skid road, is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people "on the skids". This specifically refers to peop…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skid_row
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 10: “The group’s co-founder, Jonathan Parker, said puppies are being sold on the street, while others are left for dead.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 'Jonathan Parker, co-founder of the group, stated that puppies are being sold on the street and other dogs are being left for dead' is sourced from a web search result. This specific statement is not corroborated by multiple independent sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The group’s co-founder, Jonathan Parker, said puppies are being sold on the street, while others are left for dead. In one instance, rescuers treated a dog with severe injuries to one eye and a leg.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on…
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web search NEUTRAL — C1 is Citroën's version of the Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo.
https://www.parkers.co.uk/
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web search NEUTRAL — That was the reality for a pregnant mother dog named Solari. When her puppies failed to sell, the breeders simply put her out. From that moment on, Solari was left exposed to harsh weather and constan…
https://www.pupvine.com/mother-dog-was-cast-aside-when-her-p…
info
Claim 11: “In one instance, rescuers treated a dog with severe injuries to one eye and a leg.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The detail that 'In one instance, rescuers treated a dog with severe injuries to one eye and a leg' is found in a web search result. This specific instance is not corroborated by multiple independent sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — hybrids) because these particular dogs cause a disproportionate rate of bite incidents.[16] Dog bite severity varies by the breed of dog, and studies have found that pit bull–type dogs have both a hig…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull
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web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/18/us-news/animal-abuse-horror-on…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thankfully, rescuers got the call just in time and were able to step in.After enduring such cruelty, this brave little mother was now under protection and care. Suzette brought her to a veterinary hos…
https://www.pupvine.com/mother-dog-hides-in-the-bushes-with-…
info
Claim 12: “The group receives frequent calls about animals in need in the area and dogs dying or being sold for drugs.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 'Starts With One Today receives frequent calls regarding animals in need, including dogs dying or being sold for drugs' is mentioned in a web search result referencing the group's activities. However, this specific detail is not corroborated by multiple independent news sources, although the general theme of animal rescue calls in the area is present.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Today (also called The Today Show) is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_(American_TV_program)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Today with Jenna & Sheinelle (also known as the fourth hour of Today or simply Jenna & Sheinelle) is an American daytime television talk show on NBC, co-hosted by Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_with_Jenna_&_Sheinelle
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — archive.today (also known as archive.is, among other domains) is a web archiving website that saves snapshots on demand. It has support for JavaScript-heavy sites such as Google Maps and X. archive.to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archive.today
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.