ADLLA Owes the Commission an Apology-AMMENDED AND EXPANDED

Since I first posted this yesterday, I have been contacted with many addtional (12 items) that were passed by the Commission during the past two-years. This update is 2:00 pm, May 16, 2006.

The latest ADL post criticizes everyone on the LAAS Commission as being Do-Nothings. They say:

But, being a fair and sincere Animal Rights group, we WILL happily retract our criticism of the Commissioners as being ineffective milquetoasts if any one of them will give ADL-LA a detailed list of every program, policy, and protocol they have set up in the past two years - and some accompanying statistics on the number of lives saved as a consequence. If we have misspoken, then we will make it right - but we're not holding our breath. Again, being on the LAAS Commission is NOT about being nice or caring for animals - it's about being effective in saving thousands of lives.

RESULTS are what count for the animals who will be shaking in fear this very evening as they are being killed. If LAAS were a private shelter system with the Commission and General Manager accountable to stockholders making money on LIVES SAVED, do you honestly think the results of this Commission and the General Manager would be acceptable to them? WE THINK NOT! Their lack of results in lives being saved is certainly not.


RESPONSE FROM SOME COMMISSIONERS:

Much of what the Commission did during the two years before Ed Boks came was reactive, trying to fix the messes created by multiple General Managers that did not know what they were doing, didn’t care, or who were deliberately obstructionist.

During the past six years the Commission:

Voted in a breeders' ordinance and impounds decreased by 17 thousand. This was five years ago but there has been a more strict enforcement at out request over the past two years, and impounds decreased by 17,000!!!

Spay/neuter Van: not sure who brought it to the table but Riordan and Brunson (not a commissioner then) helped make the mobile van a reality. They both lobbied the mayor and Council for it

24 hour hold: introduced by Riordan

Shelter signs warning of fate of impounds.-introduced by Riordan...signs never seemed to have materialized

Voted for a microchip contract...not sure whose idea that was.

Vaccination clinics...Riordan supported research that lead to more free vaccination clinics. A member of thehumane community was subcontracted to look into obstacles to complying with the newly passed Pet Overpopulation Ordinance (aka The Breeders' Ordinance, now called the License Differential). One deterrent to going to vet for the free or low cost sterilization was a person would have to pay for vaccinations. The free vaccination clinics alleviated that cost at the vet offices.

Not a policy but, for the record, Riordan lobbied Rocky for an animal abuse unit.

DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS THE COMMISSION PASSED:

1- Wildlife rehab policy...versus past practice of killing....introduced by Riordan

2 Dropping of 100 dollar fee...introduced and written by Riordan

3 Fee waivers for rescuers..introduced and the first draft was presented by Riordan. This is a code amendment to LAMC 53.11. Initially this was passed by Riordan and Heisen. Then Phyllis ensured rescuers were removed from the code change. A one year "battled" took place and Riordan finally proved it could include rescuers. The commission passed it.

4 TNR introduced by Riordan- the comission voted for the department to bring back a proposal in support of TNR -It is being drafted by members of the rescue community

5 Lifting of kitty limit-introduced by Riordan pending commission vote-presently members of the humane community are trying to get Council to support the concept of no limit and no permit.

6 Riordan Voted to continue not killing coyotes as a means to manage the population.

7 Voted for neo natal care education/assistance and rescue-introduced as part of Part Shelter policy supported by the commission. The policy was drafted by Sue Freeman with the aid of other bottle feeders. Now it seems to be its own policy.

8 Allowing volunteers to drive to mobiles and do the paperwork-already introduced by Riordan years ago as a result of the practice being discontinued for some unknown reason. Reintroduced by Knaan and Riordan after the GM insisted the unions won't allow it. It was then discovered that was not an issue so it was made policy.

9 Shelter signs warning people of the impounds' potential fate of being killed...first introduced by Riordan four yrs ago. It never seemed to materialize. Knaan reintroduced it with Riordan. Riordan, Knaan, and Brunson paid for the signs.

10 Voted in extended shelter hours-introduced by Knaan

11 Shelter transfers within city shelters-introduced by Knaan and Khero

12 Directed Gm to not allow staff to feed live prey to reptiles in shelters....in particular...rabbits that conveniently disappear. Dept admitted to this practice and this commission nixed it

13 Riordan supported Dianne Lawrence in her quest to have an anti tethering law. It was voted in last year.

14 Removal of medical info from front of cage cards to back since it discouraged adoptions...Riordan introduced this

15) Customer service training-introduced by Knaan. She managed to get a no kill shelter to donate their time for a seminar on this and other topics. I think it was free or at a very low price.

16 Ordered staff to discontinue practice of discouraging adoptions to public. Introduced by Riordan

17 Start adopting evidence animals introduced by Knaan

18 Start employee training on a proper recording of abuse cases -introduced by Knaan.

19. Shelter Animal Grooming- GM to allow vounteers to groom the animals. The only way to ensure an end to shelter overcrowding is to place the animals. This is a valuable tool in marketing.-introduced by Knaan

20 Veterinary compilation of forensic evidence training-introduced by commissioner Knaan

21 NO KILL POLICY Demanded by entire commission. Originally introduced by Hahn around three or four years ago. It was challenged by Riordan and Heisen who saw they were going to rely on temperament testing to fudge the numbers. Both Heisen and Riordan insisted every animal must be counted and cannot be thrown in the "unadoptable abyss." The commission has continued to request a true no kill plan. The most recent request was on 11/14. The rejection of Stuckey's plan was met with boos from the union. Only four members of the humane community were present to support the commission in their demand for a true no kill plan..

From Ed Muzika:

This is a whole heck of actions taken by the Commission during the past two years. If any of the Commissioners would like to post additional responses, please send a comment to this posting and I will post them.

This abbreviated list of polices alone, as well as the results posted below, prove that the ADLLA just does not check the facts. Their vaunted research capability is directed only towards personal attacks and destroying their targets, not to get the facts straight as they usually disprove their allegations.

RESULTS:

As to performance, given the past 12 months, May 2005 through April 2006, compared May 2003 through April 2004, 7,539 fewer animals were killed, adoption were up almost a thousand, and New Hope placements were up 550. Another statistic of note, during the four month period of January 1, 2005 until April 30, 2006, 1,964 fewer animals were killed than during the first four months of 2004.

This means that of the 7,539 lives saved compared to two years ago, a full 38% of those lives saved occurred during the past four months, the time since Ed Boks took over and the Commission has its present configuration.

Almost 40% of the lives saved have happened during the past four months under Ed Boks and the current LAAS Commission.Using the private shelter model suggested by the ADL, if a business increased its profit by 38% in two years, its stock value would dramatically increase as the public can see the trend.

I think the ADLLA has misspoken and now needs to make it right as they promised by apologizing. But as the ADL said about the Commission, they will not hold their breath and neither will I. Well, ADL, you got the Commissions' answer and I outlined the results. Apologize.