The CEO of the Seattle Humane Society will become general manager for Los Angeles Animal Services.

Brenda Barnette said she will work to help carry out the Los Angeles city mandate to transform its shelter system into one that can pledge that no healthy animals will be euthanized for lack of space.

In 2009, the Seattle Humane Society had the best year in its 113-year history with the placement of 6,091 animals and a Live Save Rate of 91.4 percent. Much of this success was due to a robust foster care program that allowed more than 4,300 animals to benefit from home care while they waited for homes of their own.

The Los Angeles City shelters serve more than 50,000 dogs and cats annually, and 36 percent of those animals were euthanized last year.