Injured Geese Left Vulnerable - LA Wildlife Rescue Fails…

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A troubling incident at Westchester Recreation Center and nearby Westchester Golf Course is raising questions about Los Angeles County’s wildlife rescue response after a resident says a call for help was ignored, leaving two injured geese at risk of being killed by predators.

At around 8 a.m. on Monday morning, a local resident spotted four geese wandering dangerously close to the road that runs through the Westchester Recreation Center. Fearing the birds would be struck by oncoming vehicles, the witness stepped in.

“I guided them away from the street,” the witness said. “Two flew off, but the other two couldn’t. Their wings were badly damaged — one looked like it had been attacked by a dog or maybe a coyote. Its feathers were torn, and it couldn’t fly at all.”

The geese were herded toward the adjacent Westchester Golf Course, a city-owned public facility, where the witness hoped they'd be safer. However, with off-leash dogs known to frequent the park area and coyotes often seen at night, the resident knew professional intervention was needed.

After speaking with a golf course staff member who offered to alert a colleague, the witness took further steps and called Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors Animal Rescue, using a phone number provided by the golf club. That’s when the experience turned from hopeful to frustrating.

“The person at animal rescue kept dodging my request,” the witness said. “He asked for the address, and when I told him I was at Westchester Golf Course — which is a public course — he claimed they couldn’t come because it was private property.”

A golf course employee was quick to reject that claim, saying animal rescue teams had responded there before. When the witness attempted to let the two parties speak directly, the call was abruptly disconnected by the rescue center.

“I handed the phone to the staff member, but the person from animal rescue had already hung up. It felt like they just didn’t want to be involved.”

With no help from county services, the witness left the scene hoping the staff would take care of the geese — both still grounded and highly vulnerable to nighttime predators.

“They won’t survive the night if no one helps. Coyotes come through here after dark, and those birds can’t protect themselves.”

This isn’t the first time the witness has experienced unresponsiveness from the county’s rescue program. They recalled a previous incident involving a mother duck and her ducklings trapped near a water feature, in which animal rescue staff similarly declined to intervene.

“These people are getting paid — possibly even using county resources and donations — and yet they dodge their responsibility,” the witness alleged. “It’s part of a larger issue. There have been reports that some nonprofits take animals in just to euthanize them quietly, all while claiming they’re rehabilitating them.”

While Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors Animal Rescue has not yet commented on this incident, calls for oversight are growing. Concerned residents are demanding transparency, accountability, and an investigation into the practices and response protocols of public wildlife rescue services.

“It’s not about blaming one person,” the witness added. “It’s about making sure someone shows up when these animals are suffering. That’s supposed to be the whole point of having a rescue service.”