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Practical Issues >
Things To Do >
Activism
The overpopulation of homeless cats and dogs,
puppies and kittens in the city of Los Angeles, along with a
cesspool of mismanagement and incompetence within the Department of
Animal Services (DAS), has brought on a crisis of conscience. The
public is more aware than ever of the horror inside the City’s
Shelter system. The false promise a year ago by Mayor Hahn and
ex-General Manager Jerry Greenwalt to make Los Angeles a “No Kill”
city was a scam, perpetrated on the public to “take the heat off”
and allow them to keep their high-paying jobs. Their plan was to use
“unfair, subjective and inhumane protocols” to falsely declare more
than three-quarters of shelter animals “un-adoptable” thus allowing
the city to kill them without counting them.
Overpopulation is not a one-time event; there
is a constant influx of homeless, lost and owner-surrendered
companion animals into the City’s shelter system. Any long-term
solution requires that the supply dry up, while adopting must
increase. It also requires a sweeping reorganization of the DAS and
new leadership. We must face this crisis by implementing sound,
creative and proven methods to stop the killing and change the
paradigm from “pets” as disposable accessories, to companion animals
who have feelings, needs and unique personalities; individuals whose
lives are important to them and to us. The Department of Animal
Services is truly an embarrassment to the citizens of LA as innocent
cats, dogs, puppies, kittens, bunny rabbits as well as wildlife like
Pelicans and songbirds are being murdered by the tens of thousands
every single year.
The DAS, due to a lack of competence,
dedication, creativity and accountability, is implementing NONE of
the progressive solutions below. Not one
of these solutions would require more money than the DAS was
allotted last year. Some do, however, require a redistribution of
funds into high priority areas; which would not only save the
taxpayers millions of dollars, but also save the lives of shelter
animals. The DAS, city council and Mayor must begin to work
cooperatively and openly with the humane community in Los Angeles.
While Animal Defense League-LA will continue to expose the truth of
what goes on currently inside these modern day Death Camps, it’s
time for the department ofanimal services and the city to implement
these solutions to . . . . . . . STOP THE KILLING.
 Low cost, easily accessible and truly mandatory
spay/neuter laws for every resident residing in the city of Los
Angeles
Free spay/neuter services to all low income
residents
A city-wide policy allowing free trap, neuter and return
(TNR) programs for feral cats
Open all shelter spay/neuter clinics sitting idle
immediately and enlist veterinarians to volunteer and “give back” to
their community by doing a certain amount of free spay/neuters every
month at these clinics (physician/surgeons are expected to do this
by operating and then following up on the patients who don’t have
health insurance; why shouldn’t veterinarians?)
Higher fees imposed on owners who “dump” their companion
animals at a city shelter
Require pet shops to offer animals for “adoption” rather
than selling puppies from puppy mills resulting in the death of
thousands of innocent animals every year.
LA City to outlaw the purposeful breeding of animals for
profit; it’s a disgrace and results in thousands of healthy, loving
animals (many of whom are purebreds) being executed in our shelters
every week.
Require a complete, outside volunteer peer-review audit of
DAS finances, policies and practices
Clearly outline and have an independent volunteer council
witness the DAS policies and procedures, then publish the TRUE
number of animals taken into the shelters every month and all
adoption, rescues and number of executions; including holding
periods and the reasons for execution. (This will prevent the DAS
from lying about the true number of animals being killed and
why.)
Investigations regarding animal cruelty and neglect inside
and outside the city shelters to be done by an independent,
competent committee who, unlike Commander David Diliberto, do not
involve his friends, fellow union employees or drinking buddies who
are allegedly perpetrating the crimes.
The General Manager and the commissioners who sit on the
board are to be appointed by an outside committee made up of several
501c3 rescue groups in Los Angeles (this will prevent the power to
appoint to rest in the hands of a corrupt, uncompassionate and inept
Mayor like the current James K. Hahn (see Hahn page on
www.HahnSucks.com)
Change city code to allow more than three animals per
household (if an LA city resident is allowed to have more than three
children, they ought to have the right by law to have more than
three dogs or cats. Human over population is far more devastating to
our natural resources, our living conditions and the spread of
disease, than having four, five or even more dogs/cats living in a
household
Landlord and builders be required to allow tenants to have
a pet(s). Landlords cannot discriminate against tenants with
children, (and children do MUCH more property damage than pets!) So
they should NOT be allowed to discriminate against tenants who live
with a companion animal.
Establish policies and programs to actively place
companion animals in retirement and HUD housing
Increase DAS staff and shelter employees knowledge base,
professionalism and outreach
Mandatory training of shelter employees (including
supervisors) to require they be courteous, knowledgeable and to meet
a minimum set of standards for aiding the public in adopting a pet.
(This will prevent the staff, many of which are unprofessional and
nasty to the public, from sitting on their butts, drinking a 7-11
Big Gulp and chatting with fellow kennel workers, instead of doing
the jobs they are being paid the highest in the Nation, to
do.)
Require that shelter employees allow all animals up for
adoption to be seen by the public; this includes but is not limited
to those with treatable conditions like sprains, sniffles, fleas,
etc. Furthermore, every single employee is to be required to inform
the public about Shelter Care insurance policy, which covers the
treatment of these conditions for free; and to offer every adopter
an application form.
Shelter employees are required to allow all animals to be
seen and photographed by volunteers and rescuers seeking to help
them get adopted by advertising them on web sites, etc.
Volunteers must be allowed to counsel people who are
“turning in their pet” or seeking to adopt a pet
The six LA city shelters must be educational and helpful
environments, where volunteers and the public can come in and
interact with the animals outside their desolate, filthy cages.
Currently the shelter staff don’t even allow the volunteers, who
take a training course, to walk the dogs around the block giving
them the exercise they so desperately need; and the staff NEVER
takes the time to do this. So our shelters currently feel like
depressing, unfriendly and disorganized “pounds”, where the smell of
fear, misery and “death” permeates the air.
The Public Relations officer is to be required to have
previous experience in adoption and rescue of shelter animals and to
have expertise in advertising, public relations and be
bilingual
Replace the current “paid” volunteer staff with
enthusiastic, caring animal people, who will establish an aggressive
volunteer recruitment program and increase the mobile pet adoption
venues, to reach out to the millions of residents who want a
companion animal.
The entire LA City Department of Animal Services web site
and any educational information available at the shelters be
bilingual. A ten minute educational and welcome “loop” video in both
Spanish and English is required to be watched by potential adopters
and those “giving up” their pets, before they speak to a volunteer
or employee.
Part of the requirement of the paid “volunteer” staff and
Public Relations officer is to give at least one school assembly
lecture per week or neighborhood council lecture per week, talking
about the importance of spay/neuter, adoption, caring for and
respecting companion animals, including feral cats and wildlife.
They should also be required to go on local news shows (both Spanish
and English) at least once per week to advertise the shelters and
encourage the viewers to adopt.
Require that some of the departments budget be spent on
bilingual TV and radio advertising to encourage adoption, give the
locations, hours open for adoption and information on spay/neuter.
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