May Shocker

After the May disaster re number of neonates killed, we should all rededicate ourseleves to the unfinished work which the rescue community and LAAS have struggled so hard to attain: to reach a time where the only animals that will be killed are the terminally injured and dying, and LAAS’s services will be devoted to finding owners, adoptions and stopping animal cruelty.

FROM CRAIGS LIST:

Date: 2006-06-16, 9:52AM PDT

It is physically impossible to just stop the killing in LA instantly. The shelters and streets would fill up with animals quickly. Ed Boks has implemented many new and wonderful programs since he came to LA. Things are improving. He is the best General Manager we have ever had. Take a look at all the things he's done here in his reports:

http://www.laanimalservices.com/GMReports.htm

We've never had a GM who has written and posted reports about his progress. We've never had a GM be so honest about his numbers. We've never had a GM who was willing to talk to and work with the animal community. ADL asked to have a "competent, dedicated, educated, compassionate" GM. We have one, Ed Boks. Yes, the shelters are still full. Would you rather have the shelters empty and the freezers full?

He's giving the animals every chance he can. We just can't adopt our way out of this problem. We need to turn off the faucet. We need more spay/neuter. We need money for mores pay/neuter programs and spay/neuter education. A lot of the animals killed in May were kittens and puppies. Do you think the employees enjoy killing kittens and puppies? Of course not. If only ADL would use their money and efforts on spay/neuter, LA couldbecome lo-kill more quickly.

Attacking the Department, City, employees, volunteers, donors and commissioners will not make the City lo-kill. Those attacks actually kill more animals. If you're not part of the solution ADL, you are part of the problem. Just stoptheyelling and start helping. Re: LA NO KILL & LO KILL

Date: 2006-06-16, 10:55AM PDT

I totally agree with the person who posted this. I am a volunteer atSouth L.A. animal shelter. The staff and volunteers who work at that shelter are incredibly dedicated, caring and hardworking. They are the ones who put the work in for animals day in, day out, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone who posts on this board complaining and criticizing better haveFACTS and SOURCES to back up their whining, because I have seen with my own eyes how caring and hard-working the shelter people are.

You nitpickers and complainers ought to be ASHAMED of yourselves. I don't see you in the shelter cleaning up puppy vomit and talking topeople about alternatives to surrendering their pet. How about taking Spanish classes so you can at least communicate with half the people Who come into shelters.

Do you know how many people hate to give up their pets because their landlords found out, or they got evicted and have to find someplace to live and don't have the luxury of time and money to find housing thatwill accept their pet? Landlords are a HUGE reason people have to give up their pets. Howabout working with the city to get a law passed requiring a percentageof housing to allow pets? How about a law requiring all landlords to accept at least a cat? Come on, let's all support the new G.M. and all the shelter workers andwork together for the animals. Anything less is egoistic. RE: LA NO KILL/LO KILL

Date: 2006-06-16, 12:31PM PDT

Yes a large part of why there are SOOOOOO MANY animals in the shelter system is that we have a very large immigrant population who do not know or understand the importance of spaying and neutering their pets. The bottom line is without education and the ability to CONSTANTLY REINFORCE the importance of spay and neuter (economic asstistance etc), we will NEVER start to make progress!! We can't just throw up our armsand give up--- as a community we must figure out a plan and get going!!! I was in South LA shelter last night and "counseled" a sweet familyabout their new adoptee...right down to explaining the importance ofregistering their information with AVID etc.

They were so happy just tohave someone to help them and give them some information. The ACT wasSUPER sweet but they ARE SO BUSY and UNDERSTAFFED; I was just happy to help a family (I even gave them my phone # to call if they had questions or needed help). There are people out there that want to do the right thing (as well as the many who are not doing the right thing by their animals!!!). We all just need to get on the same page and help those that need toget on that page as well!!! LA & NO KILL or LO KILL

Date: 2006-06-16, 10:21AM PDT

Somehow all the name calling, finger pointing, personal agendas need tobe redirected to what we all really want---the progress towards a lowkill/no kill shelter system in LOS ANGELES!!!!

The fact that the cityspends $20.0 million euthanizing adoptable pets is mind boggling andhorrific!!!! Resources must be put towards Public Service Annoucements etc. (ideas to get the message out there) about SPAY & NEUTER!!!!! The public, through ignorance and indifference, is a HUGE part of thepet overpopulation problem!!!! For people to bash a new GM is nuts-give the guy a chance to try to turn it around!! This is not going to happen overnight!!

TME is the bigfactor here!! The rescue community is so disjointed that in the end it is the animals we are all trying to help that are suffering and dying while all thehumans bicker!!!! DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER ANIMALS DIE!!!! ADOPT A HOMELESSPET!!!!

Ed:

Just a note to advise that I am going to submit a note to theCommissioners about Torrie Strawn's DAILY excellence, today being aperfect example. Much of the public's frustration with this department (while FAR fromthe only thing) is that there are far too few Torries and those that wehave have been historically held down...in fact, punished, for being-god forbid - a star.

Moreover, it's frustrating when people like torrie (and the few otherstars) are not elevated to training level authority....to stronglyinfluence who is deserving of jobs at LAAS. I could probably name adozen people who fit that category, and I imagine you know who they are, and that they have been historically held down and punished.

Torrie: thanks for everything today. You took an emergency situationand showed what stars can do.

Daniel Guss