Millionaire LA homeowners are spending $150,000 on 'executive protection dogs' to guard their homes after being left terrified by spate of burglaries in the crime-ridden city

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Millionaire LA homeowners are forking out six-figure sums for highly-trained guard dogs after being left terrified by a crime wave sweeping the city.

Top level dog protection trainers have revealed that the city's failure to clamp down on home invasions has led opulent residents to take matters into their own hands.  

Despite charging in excess of $150,000 for their services, California trainers are inundated with requests for intimidating canines while LA crime runs amok. 

It comes as LA has seen an 8 percent rise in violent crime under woke DA George Gascon, which has emboldened criminals and left homeowners terrified. 

Delta K-9 Academy owner Mike Israeli, pictured, has revealed how affluent homeowners are forking out to fend against the west coast's crime wave

Dog trainers regularly charge six-figure sums for their services, which includes instruction on disarming an assailant with a weapon and leaping at attackers

LA resident Ateom Bulgadarian forked out $70K on a protection dog to fend off would-be criminals, a price he said 'not that big' when faced with the region's rampant home invasions

'What's the price that you would put for your family's security?' asked Ateom Bulgadarian, an LA resident who recently splashed the cash for his German shepherd Rocky.

An aerospace manufacturing executive, Bulgadarian has joined a growing list of well-off Californians choosing to pay massive sums for protection dogs.

He felt Rocky's $70,000 cost was a reasonable sum considering the alternative, as his Sherman Oaks home has a history of terrifying home invasions.

The property's former-owner, baseball star Yasiel Puig, saw $170,000 of luxury items stolen in 2018, leading Bulgadarian to fork out to protect his family home.

'Seventy-thousand dollars — you amortize it over 10 to 15 years, whatever the dog's life is, and it's not that big of a price tag,' he told the LA Times. 'Especially when that particular house has been burglarized'.

The growing lawlessness plaguing LA homeowners has been a goldmine for the west coast's protection dog trainers.

Noting the infamous 2021 slaying of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, the outlet claimed two canine trainers reported a huge spike in inquiries in recent years thanks to the regions untamed crime wave.

Los Angeles saw a double-digit increase in break-ins and home invasions last year, a trend that led the areas homeowners to ramp up their at-home security measures.

According to crime statistics tracker Neighborhood Scout, Los Angeles is safer than just 9 percent of cities in the US, and residents have a shocking one in 135 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime. That figure drops to a disturbing one in 41 when looking at the odds of becoming a victim of a property crime. 

Los Angeles has been struck by a terrifying crime wave in recent years, as its crimes per square mile is now far higher than the rest of California

California at large has seen a spate of property crimes, with LA homeowners faced with increasing numbers of terrifying home invasions

LA residents are also much more likely to be targeted in a violent crime than their California counterparts

One LA local who has faced the area's burglary problem is rapper Drake, who's sprawling $75 million mansion was broken into last month. 

As the crisis deepens, Beverley Hills' only gun store has seen business skyrocket as terrified residents stock up on firearms, alongside the region's wealthy occupants now paying top dollar for so-called 'executive protection dogs'.

'To be very blunt, our dogs that were born in 2022 are being sold at a price of $150,000,' revealed Montana trainer Kim Greene.

Her canine security business Svalinn produces just 18 fully-trained dogs each year, which she dubs a 'coveted product' when tasked with stopping criminals.

The post-pandemic crime wave has been good for business, as Greene said she charged $75,000 for a dog just four years ago - until urgent demand from the west coast elite allowed her to double her prices.

'We can't create the assets quickly enough,' she said.  

The high price tags are well earned, however, as the canines are put through rigorous training programs to cater to individual, sometimes high-stress scenarios. 

One particular crime is striking fear into the hearts of LA's mansion owners, as an updated version of a home invasion has now been dubbed 'follow-home robberies'. 

After spotting their affluent victims in public such as in a ritzy restaurant, criminals have been known to follow them home before ransacking their properties.  

Under woke DA George Gascon, the opulent west coast region has seen sharp rises in crime while criminals are routinely released back onto the streets. Alongside an 8 percent rise in violent crime, burglaries also rose 12.5 percent last year while property crimes and robberies rose 10 and seven percent respectively. 

Drake's sprawling Los Angeles mansion was reportedly burgled last month; the rapper is pictured last year

The 36-year-old music star was out of the house when the home invasion is said to have taken place

Canine trainer November Holley, pictured, has seen a rise in inquiries as LA millionaires turn to protection dogs to fight back against rampant crime

Affluent homeowners are increasingly turning to protection dogs as LA officials continue to fail to clamp down on crime

While the dogs are taught to quickly take out impending danger, many of California's millionaires pay the exorbitant price tags as they also end up with a new family member.

'These are good solid companions that take care of their family,' said November Holley, president of German shepherd protection dog trainers Harrison K-9. 

'They're not trained to kill — we don't train killers — they're trained to stop the threat.'

But even if the high-priced companion becomes a cute family favorite, the trainer added that when faced with the reality of LA's rampant crime the dogs are more than useful. 

'Honestly, most people have an inherent fear of being eaten by an animal,' she said, maintaining that the mere presence of a guard dog serves as a 'psychological deterrent to the bad guys'. 

Dog trainer Mike Israeli, pictured, said a 'fully trained protection dog is like a weapon' against would-be criminals 

Harrison K-9 fetches up to $65,000 for its protection dogs, but this number reportedly rises well into the six figures as owners seek specific bloodlines, origins and training requests. 

Mounting requests also saw the company sell 65 canines last year, a company record, as Holley admitted her client base relies on the 'upper 3 to 4 percent financially'. 

Another of the industry's favored trainers is the Delta K9 Academy, the facility that trained Bugadarian's guard dog Rocky. 

The unit's owner Mike Israeli regularly shares details of the training sessions to his 7,500 Instagram followers, where he instructs dogs how to fend off even the most determined home invader with techniques like a 'bite and hold'. 

'A fully trained protection dog is like a weapon', he told the LA Times. 

'People underestimate the value,' the 38-year-old added, noting that the dogs can even be taught to disarm an attacker with a weapon or to leap from a moving vehicle. 

'Hiring a bodyguard yearly, the salary is $150,000 and they're not with you 24/7 — and they're not as loyal.' 

One of Israeli's clients said she only looked to pay for one of the guard dogs after her San Fernando Valley area was struck by the rise in crime. 

'Just with everything going on, I wasn't feeling extremely safe,' said Tammy Parkinson, 47, who said she bought her German shepherd Koda from Israeli to avoid being added to California's frightening statistics. 

'I'm not going to be a victim,' she added. 'The criminals have more rights than we do. They're just being released left and right; there's no consequences. 

'So I'm like, you know what, it's better at this point to have the protection dog in case something was to happen. Trust me, they're gonna want the dog bite rather than the gunshot.'