.
Ed Boks posted his response to an "uninformed critic" (me) about the arrest of Ron Mason on the LAAS website on October 26 as Truth vs. Rumor #12. Boks cited paragraph after paragraph of a complaint I sent out to a wide community.
Concerning my objection that he turned Mason's arrest into a media circus to make him and the Animal Cruelty Task Force look good, Boks responded that it was part of his policy of making his department "transparent," and that critics (me) would have complained of lack of transparency if he did not turn the arrest into a media circus.
But there is more to it that that as I pointed out. Every element of Boks' actions could be viewed as slandering and libeling of Ron Mason.
The first order of business after the judge appoints a public defender is that Ron and I will make sure he subpoenas Dana Bartholomew.
It's not going to look good that LAAS lied to a reporter, particularly when they made such a point of bringing Dana in, which certainly gives the impression that this was intended as much for PR as enforcement. What does it look like to bring in a reporter and have this big photo essay -- which is prejudicial to the jury pool to say the least – with the wide circulation of the Daily News, including website hits, when it turns out they primed the pump by giving false information to the reporter?
Murderers get arrested with a lot less fanfare. I've never seen a photo essay of the arrest of a murderer or rapist. The case should be thrown out just for the pictures.
It seems like a competent public defender should also be able to make hay out of the "breeding stock" crack too. What is Boks basing that on? It wasn't in the Daily News story, and surely doesn't come from any statement Ron made. It's clearly something he made up to inflame a particular group, i.e. the animal rescue community. The email by Boks sent to me and others in the animal community, and is now on an official city website, is overtly aimed at the non-ADL rescue community.
It's a transparent lie intended to manipulate us into disliking Ron -- even the use of the word "stock" rather than cats or animals is intended to be offensive. But adding baseless charges that, even if they were true, wouldn't be criminal, on an official city site has got to be bad form, if not outright libel.
.
Mason Evidence Not Turned Over to Him
.
Mason has made repeated requests to police and Animal Services for the return to the documents seized from his home on October 11. He has been flat out refused or ignored.
He has records of all the visits by Animal Services to his property including all orders to comply including demands to take specific cats in for vet treatment, as well as the actual vet notes and bills that prove he has complied.
He states that with one cat, he was issued orders to take the cat to the vet two times, and both times the vet said nothing was wrong with him, he is just old. Mason had those records. They have not been returned to him.
He was afraid Animal Services would destroy that cat because he was geriatric, and I am quite sure they have done so. When we get the records concerning impound and disposition of these cats we will let you know what happened to "Johny." Johny was the orange cat with the white face held by an officer in one of the photographs by the Daily News.
The vet records of all the treatments his cats have received over the past four years have not been returned to him.These would go to prove how well he has taken care of his cats.
The certificates of spay/neutering through the Amanda Foundation as well as from the vets who performed the S/N have not been returned to him. Records of the City vouchers he has used to get his cats altered have not been returned to him.
These records would go a long way to prove he was not neglecting his cats and although his property was offensive, and may have theoretically posed a health hazard, in fact, the animals were well taken care of medically. All the cats photographed appeared to be in good condition except several kittens in the cage which may or may not have Rhinotracheitis or some other illness Animal Services did not test for. Perhaps Jensen's request for impound photos will better show the cats' conditions.
Mason has not been allowed to see any of the evidence that will used against him. I personally would like to see the original complaint that led to his arrest warrant and see if it mentions panleukemia.
You see, Mason is being railroaded. He has no money or lawyer to defend himself. They will not even let him see the evidence to be presented to the judge on November 6, or allow him to regain access to his own records.
Mason also stated that the list of articles seized by the police that was given to him was incomplete; it did not list many items actually taken such as cages, traps and notes of visits from Animal Services and his compliance to their requests.
In other words, THEY, meaning Boks as their mouthpiece, have all the marbles and THEY are not giving him anything to defend himself.
By the way, Mason has not been told the whereabouts of any of his cats, nor do we even know how many animals were impounded. Dana Bartholomew was told 50 were impounded. Mason was told 39 were impounded and he had surrendered 12 kittens earlier in the week--these were the kittens killed because the parvo kits said they had feline leukemia. This adds up to 51.
Boks said 25 of the cats seized from Mason were killed and all of the kittens. If 25 were killed, what happened to the remaining 26 adults? They are all missing. Do Boks numbers include the estimated 6-12 kittens taken days before the raid and who were killed?
Boks in his official LAAS website post stated 12 healthy adults were seized and apparently were used as a breeding stock. Ed is now accusing Mason of deliberately breeding cats, when it was Mason who was trying to get Animal Services to take the cats away--and they refused. Mason said 3/4 of the indoor cats they seized were altered. Boks says few were altered. Again, the records will tell.
So how many adults were taken? Where are they? Was Johny, the elderly cat Mason has been caring for for three years, killed because he was too old?
What happened to Burt, another orange cat who had been hit by a car three years ago and for whom Mason provided orthopedic surgery which required insertion of a 6" permanent surgical pin and which left him with a permanent limp? And, of course, what happened to Muffin?
Pictures of the cats:
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/flash/cat_slideshow/gallery.swf
Johny is the orange and white cat being held by a woman in a blue jumpsuit in the driveway of Mason's property. He does not look especially old, ill or crippled to me. I would like to see the impound notes and photo of this cat.
.
Mason has made repeated requests to police and Animal Services for the return to the documents seized from his home on October 11. He has been flat out refused or ignored.
He has records of all the visits by Animal Services to his property including all orders to comply including demands to take specific cats in for vet treatment, as well as the actual vet notes and bills that prove he has complied.
He states that with one cat, he was issued orders to take the cat to the vet two times, and both times the vet said nothing was wrong with him, he is just old. Mason had those records. They have not been returned to him.
He was afraid Animal Services would destroy that cat because he was geriatric, and I am quite sure they have done so. When we get the records concerning impound and disposition of these cats we will let you know what happened to "Johny." Johny was the orange cat with the white face held by an officer in one of the photographs by the Daily News.
The vet records of all the treatments his cats have received over the past four years have not been returned to him.These would go to prove how well he has taken care of his cats.
The certificates of spay/neutering through the Amanda Foundation as well as from the vets who performed the S/N have not been returned to him. Records of the City vouchers he has used to get his cats altered have not been returned to him.
These records would go a long way to prove he was not neglecting his cats and although his property was offensive, and may have theoretically posed a health hazard, in fact, the animals were well taken care of medically. All the cats photographed appeared to be in good condition except several kittens in the cage which may or may not have Rhinotracheitis or some other illness Animal Services did not test for. Perhaps Jensen's request for impound photos will better show the cats' conditions.
Mason has not been allowed to see any of the evidence that will used against him. I personally would like to see the original complaint that led to his arrest warrant and see if it mentions panleukemia.
You see, Mason is being railroaded. He has no money or lawyer to defend himself. They will not even let him see the evidence to be presented to the judge on November 6, or allow him to regain access to his own records.
Mason also stated that the list of articles seized by the police that was given to him was incomplete; it did not list many items actually taken such as cages, traps and notes of visits from Animal Services and his compliance to their requests.
In other words, THEY, meaning Boks as their mouthpiece, have all the marbles and THEY are not giving him anything to defend himself.
By the way, Mason has not been told the whereabouts of any of his cats, nor do we even know how many animals were impounded. Dana Bartholomew was told 50 were impounded. Mason was told 39 were impounded and he had surrendered 12 kittens earlier in the week--these were the kittens killed because the parvo kits said they had feline leukemia. This adds up to 51.
Boks said 25 of the cats seized from Mason were killed and all of the kittens. If 25 were killed, what happened to the remaining 26 adults? They are all missing. Do Boks numbers include the estimated 6-12 kittens taken days before the raid and who were killed?
Boks in his official LAAS website post stated 12 healthy adults were seized and apparently were used as a breeding stock. Ed is now accusing Mason of deliberately breeding cats, when it was Mason who was trying to get Animal Services to take the cats away--and they refused. Mason said 3/4 of the indoor cats they seized were altered. Boks says few were altered. Again, the records will tell.
So how many adults were taken? Where are they? Was Johny, the elderly cat Mason has been caring for for three years, killed because he was too old?
What happened to Burt, another orange cat who had been hit by a car three years ago and for whom Mason provided orthopedic surgery which required insertion of a 6" permanent surgical pin and which left him with a permanent limp? And, of course, what happened to Muffin?
Pictures of the cats:
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/flash/cat_slideshow/gallery.swf
Johny is the orange and white cat being held by a woman in a blue jumpsuit in the driveway of Mason's property. He does not look especially old, ill or crippled to me. I would like to see the impound notes and photo of this cat.
.
First Request for Public Records re the Health and disposition of Cats Impounded from Mr. Mason
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In the LAAS official website post, Truth vs. Rumor #12, Ed Boks reveals many details regarding the arrest and charging of Ron Mason for Felony Animal Neglect occuring on October 11, 2007, including the health status of many cats, whether they were spay/neutered or not, and information that as of October 26, LAAS had destroyed all of the impounded kittens due to iremedable suffering as well as having destroyed a total of 25 cats.
Such information issued by Boks on an official City website would obviously tend to prejudice any jury or judge involved in this case against Mr. Mason, a private citizen. Such information was freely posted by Boks despite an ongoing criminal investigation.
With this in mind, Brad Jensen has submitted the following Request for Public Documents. Naturally, I will carefully follow Animal Services responses to this request and post them, or its refusal to respond and any reasons given. You can be assured a general email to this effect is now being sent to City officials and the press.
October 30, 2007
Ed Boks, General Manager
Los Angeles Animal Services
221 N. Figueroa Street, 5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Ed Boks,
This request is being made subject to the California Public Records Act: Government Code §6250-6268.
Under this statute you have 10 calendar days from the date of receipt of this request to respond as to whether you will release the records requested as detailed below. It is preferred your response be made in writing to either the street address or the email address below.
Information Requested
Any and all information on all cats/kittens found at the Ron Mason property located in the 18700 block of Napa Street in Northridge impounded by Los Angeles Animal Services, including but not limited to the following information:
1. Chameleon records of each animal described above and impounded by Los Angeles Animal Services.
Each animal record is expected to contain the following information:
SHELTER_NAME, ANIMAL_ID, SPECIES, BREED, SEX, AGE, IN_DATE, INTAKE_TYPE, IN_CONDITION, OUT_DATE, OUTCOME_TYPE, OUTCOME_SUBTYPE and be provided in a readable format.
2. Copies of any call log, dispatch log and ACO notes related to the animal(s) described above.
3. Copies of any photographs and/or digital images of the animal(s) described above.
4. Copies of any and all notes and records related to physical and/or medical examinations conducted in the “field” for each animal described above.
5. Copies of any and all notes and records related to lab work and disease testing conducted in the field for each animal described above.
6. Copies of veterinary notes and records for each animal described above.
7. Copies of any and all records related to laboratory samples sent out for testing for each animal described above, including those sent to Antech.
8. Copies of kennel notes and records for each animal described above.
9. Date and time of euthanasia for each animal described above.
10. Copy of any euthanasia requests for each animal described above.
11. Copies of any and all Improper Euthanasia Reports related to each animal described above.
Form of Information Requested
The information requested may be electronically imaged and transferred to the email address above.
Denial and Redaction
Should you choose to deny this request, as required by law, please indicate the exact reason for denial and the person and title of the person who made such decision. Should information be redacted from the files, statute requires that you list for EACH record the reason for redaction and type of information redacted.
Fees
I am willing to pay reasonable copying fees, as defined under law, not to exceed $25.00. Should fees run higher, please contact me. Should you have any questions regarding this request, please contact me immediately.
Sincerely,
Brad Jensen
sheltertrak@gmail.com
CC:
Linda Barth
Ross Poole
In the LAAS official website post, Truth vs. Rumor #12, Ed Boks reveals many details regarding the arrest and charging of Ron Mason for Felony Animal Neglect occuring on October 11, 2007, including the health status of many cats, whether they were spay/neutered or not, and information that as of October 26, LAAS had destroyed all of the impounded kittens due to iremedable suffering as well as having destroyed a total of 25 cats.
Such information issued by Boks on an official City website would obviously tend to prejudice any jury or judge involved in this case against Mr. Mason, a private citizen. Such information was freely posted by Boks despite an ongoing criminal investigation.
With this in mind, Brad Jensen has submitted the following Request for Public Documents. Naturally, I will carefully follow Animal Services responses to this request and post them, or its refusal to respond and any reasons given. You can be assured a general email to this effect is now being sent to City officials and the press.
October 30, 2007
Ed Boks, General Manager
Los Angeles Animal Services
221 N. Figueroa Street, 5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Ed Boks,
This request is being made subject to the California Public Records Act: Government Code §6250-6268.
Under this statute you have 10 calendar days from the date of receipt of this request to respond as to whether you will release the records requested as detailed below. It is preferred your response be made in writing to either the street address or the email address below.
Information Requested
Any and all information on all cats/kittens found at the Ron Mason property located in the 18700 block of Napa Street in Northridge impounded by Los Angeles Animal Services, including but not limited to the following information:
1. Chameleon records of each animal described above and impounded by Los Angeles Animal Services.
Each animal record is expected to contain the following information:
SHELTER_NAME, ANIMAL_ID, SPECIES, BREED, SEX, AGE, IN_DATE, INTAKE_TYPE, IN_CONDITION, OUT_DATE, OUTCOME_TYPE, OUTCOME_SUBTYPE and be provided in a readable format.
2. Copies of any call log, dispatch log and ACO notes related to the animal(s) described above.
3. Copies of any photographs and/or digital images of the animal(s) described above.
4. Copies of any and all notes and records related to physical and/or medical examinations conducted in the “field” for each animal described above.
5. Copies of any and all notes and records related to lab work and disease testing conducted in the field for each animal described above.
6. Copies of veterinary notes and records for each animal described above.
7. Copies of any and all records related to laboratory samples sent out for testing for each animal described above, including those sent to Antech.
8. Copies of kennel notes and records for each animal described above.
9. Date and time of euthanasia for each animal described above.
10. Copy of any euthanasia requests for each animal described above.
11. Copies of any and all Improper Euthanasia Reports related to each animal described above.
Form of Information Requested
The information requested may be electronically imaged and transferred to the email address above.
Denial and Redaction
Should you choose to deny this request, as required by law, please indicate the exact reason for denial and the person and title of the person who made such decision. Should information be redacted from the files, statute requires that you list for EACH record the reason for redaction and type of information redacted.
Fees
I am willing to pay reasonable copying fees, as defined under law, not to exceed $25.00. Should fees run higher, please contact me. Should you have any questions regarding this request, please contact me immediately.
Sincerely,
Brad Jensen
sheltertrak@gmail.com
CC:
Linda Barth
Ross Poole
Paper Help vs. Tiger-fanged Punishment
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AMMENDED
.
With regard to hoarding, Boks says:
Health care professionals recognize “animal hoarding” as a form of mental illness. A common result of this illness is that the patient is often unaware that his or her animals are suffering from medical and social neglect. Statistics suggest there is nearly a 100% recidivism rate among hoarders, which explains why the department’s good faith efforts to assist Mr. Mason failed over the past two years. Prosecution and terms of probation will hopefully provide Mr. Mason with the counseling and support he needs and put a stop to the tragic cycle of breeding and suffering occurring on his premises.
First, Boks is all wet when he says "animal hoarding" is recognized as a mental illness. In fact, the term has no legal or medical standing. It is a slur, an attempt to defame.
I am a mental health professional and have been treating and diagnosing patients sine 1987; however, I seriously misdiagnosed Boks as mentally healthy. I even worked as a psych assistant with the Sheriff's Department for a while.
For all forensic, legal and classical treatment uses, diagnoses of mental disorders are defined by the American Psychiatric Association in its 943 page "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version IV" (DSM-IV-TR)
There is no mention of hoarding, animal hoarding, or related syndromes at all. This is just a flagrant attempt to slander a large group of people who Animal Services finds easy prey to show their power. In fact, a great many people in the rescue community might be considered "hoarders" because they might have 10 or more animals they are fostering, trying to place, etc., and they have long been terrified of raids by the department. Guerdon Stuckey was guilty of doing this several times to mainstream rescuer0critics, and Ed Boks did such a raid against former pro-Boks blogger, Mary Cummins. It is Boks' way of trying to be both a cop and a judge.
In this case, the "help" Animal Services provided consisted of giving him paper: lists of rescue organizations, vouchers, and Boks does not mention, numerous orders to comply. They refused to give him actual physical help. He asked them for nine weeks before the bust to take the kittens that he could not deal with them. They refused and gave him bottle feeding kits and told him to bring the kittens in what they were eight weeks old. Is this the "good faith" help given by the department? They couldn't get, as the ADL would say, off their lazy asses and actually do something because Boks was refusing kittens to improve his kill numbers.
The only help the rescue groups provided was TNR, not the removal and placement of cats and kittens. In fact, the kitten problem only emerged for the nine weeks prior to the bust, suggesting someone may have been dumping pregnant females at his house.
Boks goes on to say that there is almost a 100% recidivism rate among hoarders. Now, how does Ed decide to offer more compassionate but tough help to Mr Mason? Maybe the same kind of tough compassionate decision the department vet made when he killed all of the kittens?
Prosecution and terms of probation will hopefully provide Mr. Mason with the counseling and support he needs and put a stop to the tragic cycle of breeding and suffering occurring on his premises.
Prosecution and probation will provide him with the counseling and support he needs? What is this man talking about? This is insane.
Wouldn't "support" have been better provided by taking the kittens nine weeks before the bust as Mason requested, but he was told to keep them and raise them until they were eight weeks old, then he should bring them in?
Notice here that Boks considers Mason guilty until proved innocent. "Prosecution and terms of probation." In his mind, and I assume the entire legal system, Mason's guilt and punishment is a done deal.
Boks goes on to say:
The resident/suspect was booked at Devonshire Jail and after booking he was interviewed by LAPD’s System-Wide Mental Health Assessment Response Team.
Another piece of raw bull.
Mason said he was "interviewed" by a curly blond-headed man in a dress shirt and blue jeans from the other side of his cell bars. This interviewer also had a uniformed cop next to him while he was "interviewing" Mason through the bars. This sounds like they were treating Mason like Hannibal Lector..
Mason said the interview lasted five minutes. The guy (Mental Health Team) asked him questions about what Mason thought about the situation, what he thought about the kittens, and other general questions. I won't tell you Mason's responses, but he had just been arrested and cops, Animal Services and everyone else were tossing his house, garage and yard. They even rifled his cabinet drawers, I assume in a fruitless search for dope or guns to further make him look like a criminal.
This is not a psychological interview in the wildest sense. A real psych evaluation takes much or most of the day, including at least an hour of face to face with a psychologist or psychiatrist, preferably two, the administration of objective psychodiagnostic tests, such as the MMPI-2 or the MCMI-3, as well as review of medical records, personal and employment histories.
The psych evaluation Boks mentions is a joke as is any mention of good-faith "help" being provided by heavy handed legal thugs.
Boks really shouldn't have gone after Mason so publicly, because it tends to raise questions about his own hoarding of animals and the abuse they receive in the shelters with overcrowding, dog fighting, internal disease, especially the upper respiratory infections in cats and kennel cough in dogs. Boks has said both were treatable diseases, yet he killed Mason's cats because of the presence and diagnoses of untested URI.
Remember Mason's arraignment is on November 6.
.
AMMENDED
.
With regard to hoarding, Boks says:
Health care professionals recognize “animal hoarding” as a form of mental illness. A common result of this illness is that the patient is often unaware that his or her animals are suffering from medical and social neglect. Statistics suggest there is nearly a 100% recidivism rate among hoarders, which explains why the department’s good faith efforts to assist Mr. Mason failed over the past two years. Prosecution and terms of probation will hopefully provide Mr. Mason with the counseling and support he needs and put a stop to the tragic cycle of breeding and suffering occurring on his premises.
First, Boks is all wet when he says "animal hoarding" is recognized as a mental illness. In fact, the term has no legal or medical standing. It is a slur, an attempt to defame.
I am a mental health professional and have been treating and diagnosing patients sine 1987; however, I seriously misdiagnosed Boks as mentally healthy. I even worked as a psych assistant with the Sheriff's Department for a while.
For all forensic, legal and classical treatment uses, diagnoses of mental disorders are defined by the American Psychiatric Association in its 943 page "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version IV" (DSM-IV-TR)
There is no mention of hoarding, animal hoarding, or related syndromes at all. This is just a flagrant attempt to slander a large group of people who Animal Services finds easy prey to show their power. In fact, a great many people in the rescue community might be considered "hoarders" because they might have 10 or more animals they are fostering, trying to place, etc., and they have long been terrified of raids by the department. Guerdon Stuckey was guilty of doing this several times to mainstream rescuer0critics, and Ed Boks did such a raid against former pro-Boks blogger, Mary Cummins. It is Boks' way of trying to be both a cop and a judge.
In this case, the "help" Animal Services provided consisted of giving him paper: lists of rescue organizations, vouchers, and Boks does not mention, numerous orders to comply. They refused to give him actual physical help. He asked them for nine weeks before the bust to take the kittens that he could not deal with them. They refused and gave him bottle feeding kits and told him to bring the kittens in what they were eight weeks old. Is this the "good faith" help given by the department? They couldn't get, as the ADL would say, off their lazy asses and actually do something because Boks was refusing kittens to improve his kill numbers.
The only help the rescue groups provided was TNR, not the removal and placement of cats and kittens. In fact, the kitten problem only emerged for the nine weeks prior to the bust, suggesting someone may have been dumping pregnant females at his house.
Boks goes on to say that there is almost a 100% recidivism rate among hoarders. Now, how does Ed decide to offer more compassionate but tough help to Mr Mason? Maybe the same kind of tough compassionate decision the department vet made when he killed all of the kittens?
Prosecution and terms of probation will hopefully provide Mr. Mason with the counseling and support he needs and put a stop to the tragic cycle of breeding and suffering occurring on his premises.
Prosecution and probation will provide him with the counseling and support he needs? What is this man talking about? This is insane.
Wouldn't "support" have been better provided by taking the kittens nine weeks before the bust as Mason requested, but he was told to keep them and raise them until they were eight weeks old, then he should bring them in?
Notice here that Boks considers Mason guilty until proved innocent. "Prosecution and terms of probation." In his mind, and I assume the entire legal system, Mason's guilt and punishment is a done deal.
Boks goes on to say:
The resident/suspect was booked at Devonshire Jail and after booking he was interviewed by LAPD’s System-Wide Mental Health Assessment Response Team.
Another piece of raw bull.
Mason said he was "interviewed" by a curly blond-headed man in a dress shirt and blue jeans from the other side of his cell bars. This interviewer also had a uniformed cop next to him while he was "interviewing" Mason through the bars. This sounds like they were treating Mason like Hannibal Lector..
Mason said the interview lasted five minutes. The guy (Mental Health Team) asked him questions about what Mason thought about the situation, what he thought about the kittens, and other general questions. I won't tell you Mason's responses, but he had just been arrested and cops, Animal Services and everyone else were tossing his house, garage and yard. They even rifled his cabinet drawers, I assume in a fruitless search for dope or guns to further make him look like a criminal.
This is not a psychological interview in the wildest sense. A real psych evaluation takes much or most of the day, including at least an hour of face to face with a psychologist or psychiatrist, preferably two, the administration of objective psychodiagnostic tests, such as the MMPI-2 or the MCMI-3, as well as review of medical records, personal and employment histories.
The psych evaluation Boks mentions is a joke as is any mention of good-faith "help" being provided by heavy handed legal thugs.
Boks really shouldn't have gone after Mason so publicly, because it tends to raise questions about his own hoarding of animals and the abuse they receive in the shelters with overcrowding, dog fighting, internal disease, especially the upper respiratory infections in cats and kennel cough in dogs. Boks has said both were treatable diseases, yet he killed Mason's cats because of the presence and diagnoses of untested URI.
Remember Mason's arraignment is on November 6.
.
Do these kittens look like they were irremediably suffering?"
.
Ed Boks' recent LAAS website post. Truth vs. Rumor #12:
"As of October 26, twenty-five cats have been euthanized because of irremediable suffering."
"All the kittens rescued on October 11th were irremediably suffering and the only humane alternative was euthanasia. The veterinarian had to make the tough but compassionate decision to uphold his oath to end animal suffering and not let these kittens suffer any longer."
These are two of the kittens Boks said were "irremediably suffering." Notice the date of the photograph is October 11, 2007.
Ed Boks' recent LAAS website post. Truth vs. Rumor #12:
"As of October 26, twenty-five cats have been euthanized because of irremediable suffering."
"All the kittens rescued on October 11th were irremediably suffering and the only humane alternative was euthanasia. The veterinarian had to make the tough but compassionate decision to uphold his oath to end animal suffering and not let these kittens suffer any longer."
These are two of the kittens Boks said were "irremediably suffering." Notice the date of the photograph is October 11, 2007.
Thank God that there was a Daily News photorapher at the Mason bust, otherwise the truth would not have come out and Boks exposed for the liar he is.
More photos at http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/flash/cat_slideshow/gallery.swf
.
More photos at http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/flash/cat_slideshow/gallery.swf
.
Boks' lies regarding Mason's alleged failure to provide adequate vet care, which apparently LAAS's own vets could not provide.
.
The central issue regarding the Mason bust and his arrest for animal neglect, was his alleged lack of providing adequate vet care for Mason’s cats/kittens. Then Boks says even LAAS apparently could not provide adequate vet care, therefore the kittens and cats had to be killed.
His conclusion was based on Dr. Rao’s (the West Valley Vet) opinion that the cats/kittens did not “appear to be receiving veterinarian treatment” and were irremediably suffering due to Rhinotracheitis or other upper respiratory infections, and therefore had to be killed.
By the way, one of the main concerns for Boks and the Task Force was that the kittens had Panleukemia and were killed. However, in the next sentence he said that the vet and techs were wrong, they screwed up the testing for Panleukemia, and subsequent professional testing proved the kittens did not have that disease. I certainly would like to know what “field testing” means and why they were wrongfully killed based on an unvalidated diagnosis.
Boks:
On October 9th, 2007, the ACTF initiated an investigation. During this investigation Mr. Mason released six sick kittens to the Task Force. The kittens were field tested and the test showed positive for Panleukkemia. Additional samples were taken and sent to a lab because it is not uncommon for a field test to show false positive results. The results from the lab came back negative on October 12th.
Although the initial test results raised concerns that neighborhood cats may be at risk of a highly contagious and deadly disease, Panleukemia, this information only served to hasten the timing of ACTF’s visit to Mr. Mason’s house. This information had no bearing on the warrants served or the euthanasia of the six kittens. The kittens were humanely euthanized because they were irremediably suffering. The kittens were emaciated when received from Mr. Mason and were suffering with impacted rectums and crusted eyes, along with a respiratory infection. They had pale mucous membranes and were severely dehydrated. The oculo-nasal discharge was symptomatic of feline viral rhinotracheitis.
The kittens were suffering and did not appear to be receiving veterinary treatment. In fact, often, antibiotics such as Amoxi-drops (amoxicillin) are not even effective against viral rhinotracheitis. Twice daily subcutaneous fluid replacement and diligent nursing care is indicated and even then kittens often succumb.
Many of the mature cats and numerous kittens appeared to be suffering from various illnesses.
All the kittens rescued on October 11th were irremediably suffering and the only humane alternative was euthanasia. The veterinarian had to make the tough but compassionate decision to uphold his oath to end animal suffering and not let these kittens suffer any longer.
Let’s take a look at the medical issues Boks brought up.
First, Rhinotracheitis and upper respiratory infections are fancy names for the common cold or flu. The vast majority of kittens in Boks’ shelters have some form of upper respiratory infection. Most are not treated, most are killed by “compassionate” RVTs to keep them from “suffering” the symptoms of the common cold.
All of Boks bull is directed to a general audience not to the LA animal community who knows better.
Even a cursory Internet search revealed three sites dealing with rhinotracheitis:
Site #1
“Rhinotracheitis is a fairly mild condition, even in its most severe form, as long as the cat receives adequate fluids and nutrition. It often runs its course in 7 to 10 days without medical intervention. The infection usually lasts longer when secondary bacterial infections develop. Rarely, FHV-1 causes death in young kittens and older cats.”
Treatment for an FHV-infected cat involves providing supportive care, including the following: Minimize stress (Make sure the room is warm, well ventilated, and well lighted. Some veterinarians recommend that cats are kept indoors while they are sick.); Make sure the cat is eating and drinking enough. (Offer foods that appeal to them.); Keep the cat's eyes and nose clean and clear of discharge."
In other words, most cats/kittens recover within 10 days all by themselves because rhinotracheitis is a cold. They are not irredeemably suffering.
Site #2
“It is very common to obtain a kitten or new cat with a crusty nose, weepy eyes and a sneeze. We call these problems upper respiratory disease (URI) or feline respiratory disease complex and it is the most common infectious disease that veterinarians deal with. These problems usually resolve within a few weeks of good care and low stress but some cases linger. There are several organisms that can cause this disease. The most common is the rhinotracheitis virus.”
Animal Services provided absolutely no supportive care; they killed them. Mason was giving them Amoxi drops to prevent secondary infections as mentioned above, as well as twice daily applications of Terramycin to treat their “crusty” eyes. This is far more than Animal Services provided, and is consistent the Internet recommended supportive care (T.L.C.).
Site#3
"I have found that this disease complex (Upper Respiratory Infections) responds better to simple T.L.C. than all the medications that I can dispense. Chicken soup is an excellent treatment for this disease. It can be fed through a dropper if need be to prevent dehydration and tempt depressed cats into eating. Sometimes pungent foods like sardines and tuna will be accepted when all else fails. Viruses are not killed by antibiotics so only in chlamydial, mycoplasmal and bordatella infections are antibiotics actually curative. I put most cats on antibiotics because I am never sure which pathogens are present and to prevent pneumonia and sinusitis in debilitated patients."
Boks just flat out stated they were irremediably suffering and had to be killed. That is the purist crap as you can see from these three Internet sources above. It is a mild condition, best treated with T.L.C., and which antibiotics are administered to prevent secondary infections, and Terramycin was administered to the kittens’ eyes. Maybe Mason was being neglectful because he did not give them chicken soup.
Did LAAS make even the slightest effort to treat these kittens? There is not one mention of any treatment administered, except killing them. Were any diagnostic tests administered? No!!! LAAS personnel at the arrest site told Dana Bartholomew that the kittens would be taken for treatment and then placement with fosters. Instead they killed them.
Rao’s decision to kill was really based on a lack of space, isolation facilities, and manpower. That is, he did not want to be bothered with them. LAAS refused to treat upper respiratory conditions, but they expected Mason to take them to a vet.
Boks alleges all the kittens were emaciated and dehydrated, but as the websites (All written by vets) above opine, these can be treated relatively easily without the dramatic medical care Boks states would have been necessary. This is hypocrisy at its worst, but very typical of Ed Boks.
Here is a link to all the photos taken at the Mason bust:
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/flash/cat_slideshow/gallery.swf
How many cats and kittens look sick here, even with a mild upper respiratory infection? Two, maybe four or five? There are two very healthy looking kittens in individual photos, and several very healthy adults. Several kittens in the group photos look like thay had some sort of discharge, while others look quite healthy. You must have adobe Flash to see these pictures. Download Flash: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
The allegation that they were irremediably suffering, means they could not be cured. Boks said they often succumb even with the best vet care. That is, the only treatment that could be provided, according to Boks, was killing them. Therefore, what Mason should have done was kill the kittens himself as that was the only treatment possible in Boks’ own words, and the only "treatment" Animal Services provided.
Instead, Mason chose to treat them, which Boks apparently considered to be animal neglect.
NEXT POST: Boks numbers do not add up, the basis for the warrant, and whether there was any animal neglect according to the Boks’ cited California Penal Code 597b.
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The central issue regarding the Mason bust and his arrest for animal neglect, was his alleged lack of providing adequate vet care for Mason’s cats/kittens. Then Boks says even LAAS apparently could not provide adequate vet care, therefore the kittens and cats had to be killed.
His conclusion was based on Dr. Rao’s (the West Valley Vet) opinion that the cats/kittens did not “appear to be receiving veterinarian treatment” and were irremediably suffering due to Rhinotracheitis or other upper respiratory infections, and therefore had to be killed.
By the way, one of the main concerns for Boks and the Task Force was that the kittens had Panleukemia and were killed. However, in the next sentence he said that the vet and techs were wrong, they screwed up the testing for Panleukemia, and subsequent professional testing proved the kittens did not have that disease. I certainly would like to know what “field testing” means and why they were wrongfully killed based on an unvalidated diagnosis.
Boks:
On October 9th, 2007, the ACTF initiated an investigation. During this investigation Mr. Mason released six sick kittens to the Task Force. The kittens were field tested and the test showed positive for Panleukkemia. Additional samples were taken and sent to a lab because it is not uncommon for a field test to show false positive results. The results from the lab came back negative on October 12th.
Although the initial test results raised concerns that neighborhood cats may be at risk of a highly contagious and deadly disease, Panleukemia, this information only served to hasten the timing of ACTF’s visit to Mr. Mason’s house. This information had no bearing on the warrants served or the euthanasia of the six kittens. The kittens were humanely euthanized because they were irremediably suffering. The kittens were emaciated when received from Mr. Mason and were suffering with impacted rectums and crusted eyes, along with a respiratory infection. They had pale mucous membranes and were severely dehydrated. The oculo-nasal discharge was symptomatic of feline viral rhinotracheitis.
The kittens were suffering and did not appear to be receiving veterinary treatment. In fact, often, antibiotics such as Amoxi-drops (amoxicillin) are not even effective against viral rhinotracheitis. Twice daily subcutaneous fluid replacement and diligent nursing care is indicated and even then kittens often succumb.
Many of the mature cats and numerous kittens appeared to be suffering from various illnesses.
All the kittens rescued on October 11th were irremediably suffering and the only humane alternative was euthanasia. The veterinarian had to make the tough but compassionate decision to uphold his oath to end animal suffering and not let these kittens suffer any longer.
Let’s take a look at the medical issues Boks brought up.
First, Rhinotracheitis and upper respiratory infections are fancy names for the common cold or flu. The vast majority of kittens in Boks’ shelters have some form of upper respiratory infection. Most are not treated, most are killed by “compassionate” RVTs to keep them from “suffering” the symptoms of the common cold.
All of Boks bull is directed to a general audience not to the LA animal community who knows better.
Even a cursory Internet search revealed three sites dealing with rhinotracheitis:
Site #1
“Rhinotracheitis is a fairly mild condition, even in its most severe form, as long as the cat receives adequate fluids and nutrition. It often runs its course in 7 to 10 days without medical intervention. The infection usually lasts longer when secondary bacterial infections develop. Rarely, FHV-1 causes death in young kittens and older cats.”
Treatment for an FHV-infected cat involves providing supportive care, including the following: Minimize stress (Make sure the room is warm, well ventilated, and well lighted. Some veterinarians recommend that cats are kept indoors while they are sick.); Make sure the cat is eating and drinking enough. (Offer foods that appeal to them.); Keep the cat's eyes and nose clean and clear of discharge."
In other words, most cats/kittens recover within 10 days all by themselves because rhinotracheitis is a cold. They are not irredeemably suffering.
Site #2
“It is very common to obtain a kitten or new cat with a crusty nose, weepy eyes and a sneeze. We call these problems upper respiratory disease (URI) or feline respiratory disease complex and it is the most common infectious disease that veterinarians deal with. These problems usually resolve within a few weeks of good care and low stress but some cases linger. There are several organisms that can cause this disease. The most common is the rhinotracheitis virus.”
Animal Services provided absolutely no supportive care; they killed them. Mason was giving them Amoxi drops to prevent secondary infections as mentioned above, as well as twice daily applications of Terramycin to treat their “crusty” eyes. This is far more than Animal Services provided, and is consistent the Internet recommended supportive care (T.L.C.).
Site#3
"I have found that this disease complex (Upper Respiratory Infections) responds better to simple T.L.C. than all the medications that I can dispense. Chicken soup is an excellent treatment for this disease. It can be fed through a dropper if need be to prevent dehydration and tempt depressed cats into eating. Sometimes pungent foods like sardines and tuna will be accepted when all else fails. Viruses are not killed by antibiotics so only in chlamydial, mycoplasmal and bordatella infections are antibiotics actually curative. I put most cats on antibiotics because I am never sure which pathogens are present and to prevent pneumonia and sinusitis in debilitated patients."
Boks just flat out stated they were irremediably suffering and had to be killed. That is the purist crap as you can see from these three Internet sources above. It is a mild condition, best treated with T.L.C., and which antibiotics are administered to prevent secondary infections, and Terramycin was administered to the kittens’ eyes. Maybe Mason was being neglectful because he did not give them chicken soup.
Did LAAS make even the slightest effort to treat these kittens? There is not one mention of any treatment administered, except killing them. Were any diagnostic tests administered? No!!! LAAS personnel at the arrest site told Dana Bartholomew that the kittens would be taken for treatment and then placement with fosters. Instead they killed them.
Rao’s decision to kill was really based on a lack of space, isolation facilities, and manpower. That is, he did not want to be bothered with them. LAAS refused to treat upper respiratory conditions, but they expected Mason to take them to a vet.
Boks alleges all the kittens were emaciated and dehydrated, but as the websites (All written by vets) above opine, these can be treated relatively easily without the dramatic medical care Boks states would have been necessary. This is hypocrisy at its worst, but very typical of Ed Boks.
Here is a link to all the photos taken at the Mason bust:
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/flash/cat_slideshow/gallery.swf
How many cats and kittens look sick here, even with a mild upper respiratory infection? Two, maybe four or five? There are two very healthy looking kittens in individual photos, and several very healthy adults. Several kittens in the group photos look like thay had some sort of discharge, while others look quite healthy. You must have adobe Flash to see these pictures. Download Flash: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
The allegation that they were irremediably suffering, means they could not be cured. Boks said they often succumb even with the best vet care. That is, the only treatment that could be provided, according to Boks, was killing them. Therefore, what Mason should have done was kill the kittens himself as that was the only treatment possible in Boks’ own words, and the only "treatment" Animal Services provided.
Instead, Mason chose to treat them, which Boks apparently considered to be animal neglect.
NEXT POST: Boks numbers do not add up, the basis for the warrant, and whether there was any animal neglect according to the Boks’ cited California Penal Code 597b.
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Boks Justifies ACT Strangling Muffin
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Ed Boks sent out a 4 page email response to my general email about the Mason case. Over the next few days I will rebut almost all the points he raises in defense of the department’s action. What is blatantly obvious is that Ed can never admit he or anyone else in his department ever made a mistake or did anything wrong.
Since Boks decided to go public with details about an ongoing criminal investigation, he has opened the door for multiple requests for public records of the details he brought out, such as impound numbers of all cats taken off Mason's property between October 7 and October 11, impound health status, diagnostic tests performed, medical treatments administered (Boks makes a big deal about medical treatment in his letter), and dispositions of the cats, as well as the original complaint that led to the warrant for Mason's arrest. There is no doubt in my mind that no medical tests were performed on any of the cats euthanized except the ones that were found not to have panleukemia—which they killed. I would like to see if any were medically treated or all were deemed to be irremediably suffering or were treatable, without any diagnostic tests.
Regarding Muffin being strangled, apparently Ed thought nothing was wrong with noosing him around the neck and hoisting him into the air.
Boks:
No cats were strangled during this rescue. The cat photographed on the end of a catch pole was found wedged behind a cabinet inside the garage, and was hiding on top of a dead cat’s decomposed body. After many attempts to reach the cat by hand, cat-nabbers (net basket), and a traditional net failed, the cat was finally secured on the end of a catchpole as a last resort. At the time the scene was noisy and not conducive to the kind of quiet, gentle coaxing any one of us might employ trying to persuade a cat out from a narrow space behind an immovable piece of furniture. Once secure the cat was quickly brought out from behind the cabinet and safely placed in a wire cage. It was at the moment the cat was freed from behind the cabinet that the Daily News photographer snapped the picture featured in the newspaper and circulated on the internet. The cat was not being held up in display for the photographer.
Let’s look at the two pictures of Muffin. The first is Muffin being lifted into the air by the neck—strangling. Behind him is a small refrigerator. There is nothing next to the refrigerator.
Photo #1
The other picture shows Muffin hiding behind something on the ground. The mirror reflection of his face suggests it is some reflective appliance or a mirror, not a cabinet as Ed alleges, nor is Muffin behind a cabinet. In fact, I just talked to Mr. Mason, and he said it was a mirror next to a cabinet which he had taken down to repair the wall. These photos were not taken in Mason's garage as Ed alleges, but from inside his house.
Photo #2
As you can plainly see, Muffin is not hiding on top of a dead cat’s decomposed body. This is a pure Boks’ lie to justify a horrendous act. Boks does not state whether the use of a catch pole and strangling the cat (albeit not to death, but definitely a strangling) is allowed or against department policy, but he is saying it was appropriate in Muffin’s case.
If Muffin were hiding next to a cabinet on the ground to the left of the photo #1, he was swung through the air a great distance rather than being walked to a cage along the floor. It is obvious from photo #2 that he could have been carried out without being lifted into the air.
As the commenter below remarks, can you imagine what else happened to those cats that the photographer did not capture.
Ed has responded with 4 pages of lies that just do not hang together and I will expose them all. Ed should also be prepared for a flurry of requests for public records which Brad Jensen is already preparing and which I will post.
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Ed Boks sent out a 4 page email response to my general email about the Mason case. Over the next few days I will rebut almost all the points he raises in defense of the department’s action. What is blatantly obvious is that Ed can never admit he or anyone else in his department ever made a mistake or did anything wrong.
Since Boks decided to go public with details about an ongoing criminal investigation, he has opened the door for multiple requests for public records of the details he brought out, such as impound numbers of all cats taken off Mason's property between October 7 and October 11, impound health status, diagnostic tests performed, medical treatments administered (Boks makes a big deal about medical treatment in his letter), and dispositions of the cats, as well as the original complaint that led to the warrant for Mason's arrest. There is no doubt in my mind that no medical tests were performed on any of the cats euthanized except the ones that were found not to have panleukemia—which they killed. I would like to see if any were medically treated or all were deemed to be irremediably suffering or were treatable, without any diagnostic tests.
Regarding Muffin being strangled, apparently Ed thought nothing was wrong with noosing him around the neck and hoisting him into the air.
Boks:
No cats were strangled during this rescue. The cat photographed on the end of a catch pole was found wedged behind a cabinet inside the garage, and was hiding on top of a dead cat’s decomposed body. After many attempts to reach the cat by hand, cat-nabbers (net basket), and a traditional net failed, the cat was finally secured on the end of a catchpole as a last resort. At the time the scene was noisy and not conducive to the kind of quiet, gentle coaxing any one of us might employ trying to persuade a cat out from a narrow space behind an immovable piece of furniture. Once secure the cat was quickly brought out from behind the cabinet and safely placed in a wire cage. It was at the moment the cat was freed from behind the cabinet that the Daily News photographer snapped the picture featured in the newspaper and circulated on the internet. The cat was not being held up in display for the photographer.
Let’s look at the two pictures of Muffin. The first is Muffin being lifted into the air by the neck—strangling. Behind him is a small refrigerator. There is nothing next to the refrigerator.
Photo #1
The other picture shows Muffin hiding behind something on the ground. The mirror reflection of his face suggests it is some reflective appliance or a mirror, not a cabinet as Ed alleges, nor is Muffin behind a cabinet. In fact, I just talked to Mr. Mason, and he said it was a mirror next to a cabinet which he had taken down to repair the wall. These photos were not taken in Mason's garage as Ed alleges, but from inside his house.
Photo #2
As you can plainly see, Muffin is not hiding on top of a dead cat’s decomposed body. This is a pure Boks’ lie to justify a horrendous act. Boks does not state whether the use of a catch pole and strangling the cat (albeit not to death, but definitely a strangling) is allowed or against department policy, but he is saying it was appropriate in Muffin’s case.
If Muffin were hiding next to a cabinet on the ground to the left of the photo #1, he was swung through the air a great distance rather than being walked to a cage along the floor. It is obvious from photo #2 that he could have been carried out without being lifted into the air.
As the commenter below remarks, can you imagine what else happened to those cats that the photographer did not capture.
Ed has responded with 4 pages of lies that just do not hang together and I will expose them all. Ed should also be prepared for a flurry of requests for public records which Brad Jensen is already preparing and which I will post.
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Mayeda Much Bigger Liar than Boks-AMMENDED
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After Boks/Villaraigosa announced LAAS was the #1 adoption agency in the country, Mayeda issued a press release the next day stating County placed 28,309 animals with included adoption and rescues of dogs, cats and others for fiscal 2006/2007, which beat Boks claim of 25,279.
"Placed" of course, is different from adoptions, and County beats LAAS hands down in that category, despite the fact they adopt out a far lower percentage of live impounds than LAAS.
Linda Barth, as a result of Brad Jensen's Request for Records, stated that some unidentified individual at County told her--or the LAAS statistics person, that County placed 22,290 animals in 2006/2007. This was, according to her, the third set of numbers provided to LAAS by County.
Apparently, according to Barton, County first two sets supplied by County were for 2005/2006, not 2006/2006, set #1 for dogs and cats, set #2 included other animals.
According to Boks, the fourth set of County numbers was released by Mayeda after only after Villaraigosa's press release, and Mayesa claimed that County placed 28,309 animals, which is 6,000 animals higher than the County person supplied Barton.
Although I may not have the whole story, it appears Mayeda blindsided Boks. Even if County had placed 6,000 more animals, the last numbers they gave LAAS were 6,000 lower than Mayeda announced a day or two after Villaraigosa's press release.
If Barton's version is true, and I think it is, Mayeda is a far bigger liar than Boks, and, like her claim that County adopts out 90% of its adoptable animals, is such a flagrant lie that she is #1 in the Hall of Shame.
I stand corrected. A comment sent in below alleges that Boks claimed 100% placement of adoptable animals when he was in Maricopa County. The commenter stated Boks killed 100,000 there, which is more than Mayeda does at County. Right now I am not going back to check Maricopa County's euth record, but I remember it being much lower. Another commenter said Boks used the term "placement." However, he only used that term after Mayeda used that term.
He used the word adopted meaning LAAS adoptions and New Hope adoptions. I hope when Ed goes, we drop the term New Hope and go back to "rescues," or something similar. I'd hate his legacy to live on in our terminology.
Another commenter joked "Placed where, in the grave?" Funny.
I guess they are both equal liars, but in this case, if Linda Barton is telling the truth, LAAS, Boks and Villaraigosa were snookered by Mayeda.
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After Boks/Villaraigosa announced LAAS was the #1 adoption agency in the country, Mayeda issued a press release the next day stating County placed 28,309 animals with included adoption and rescues of dogs, cats and others for fiscal 2006/2007, which beat Boks claim of 25,279.
"Placed" of course, is different from adoptions, and County beats LAAS hands down in that category, despite the fact they adopt out a far lower percentage of live impounds than LAAS.
Linda Barth, as a result of Brad Jensen's Request for Records, stated that some unidentified individual at County told her--or the LAAS statistics person, that County placed 22,290 animals in 2006/2007. This was, according to her, the third set of numbers provided to LAAS by County.
Apparently, according to Barton, County first two sets supplied by County were for 2005/2006, not 2006/2006, set #1 for dogs and cats, set #2 included other animals.
According to Boks, the fourth set of County numbers was released by Mayeda after only after Villaraigosa's press release, and Mayesa claimed that County placed 28,309 animals, which is 6,000 animals higher than the County person supplied Barton.
Although I may not have the whole story, it appears Mayeda blindsided Boks. Even if County had placed 6,000 more animals, the last numbers they gave LAAS were 6,000 lower than Mayeda announced a day or two after Villaraigosa's press release.
If Barton's version is true, and I think it is, Mayeda is a far bigger liar than Boks, and, like her claim that County adopts out 90% of its adoptable animals, is such a flagrant lie that she is #1 in the Hall of Shame.
I stand corrected. A comment sent in below alleges that Boks claimed 100% placement of adoptable animals when he was in Maricopa County. The commenter stated Boks killed 100,000 there, which is more than Mayeda does at County. Right now I am not going back to check Maricopa County's euth record, but I remember it being much lower. Another commenter said Boks used the term "placement." However, he only used that term after Mayeda used that term.
He used the word adopted meaning LAAS adoptions and New Hope adoptions. I hope when Ed goes, we drop the term New Hope and go back to "rescues," or something similar. I'd hate his legacy to live on in our terminology.
Another commenter joked "Placed where, in the grave?" Funny.
I guess they are both equal liars, but in this case, if Linda Barton is telling the truth, LAAS, Boks and Villaraigosa were snookered by Mayeda.
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Mason Preliminary Hearing November 6
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In a nutshell, this is what the Mason bust is all about in a comment left by a reader:
"They want to charge him with a felony to make the ACTF numbers look good, plain and simple. Target a poor hoarder who can't afford an attorney; an easy target. They'll threaten to charge him for animal care, threaten him with jail time and he'll roll over and plead guilty. Slam dunk case. Going after the easy poor hoarders is a lot easier than going after the real abusers, dog fighters.
Ron's preliminary hearing is on November 6 at the San Fernando courthouse. I have no idea that there was one there, and wonder why it is not at the Chatsworth or Van Nuys courthouses.
Get ready to come out to support Ron. Hopefully we will have some banners of Muffin being strangled or even T-shirts.
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In a nutshell, this is what the Mason bust is all about in a comment left by a reader:
"They want to charge him with a felony to make the ACTF numbers look good, plain and simple. Target a poor hoarder who can't afford an attorney; an easy target. They'll threaten to charge him for animal care, threaten him with jail time and he'll roll over and plead guilty. Slam dunk case. Going after the easy poor hoarders is a lot easier than going after the real abusers, dog fighters.
Ron's preliminary hearing is on November 6 at the San Fernando courthouse. I have no idea that there was one there, and wonder why it is not at the Chatsworth or Van Nuys courthouses.
Get ready to come out to support Ron. Hopefully we will have some banners of Muffin being strangled or even T-shirts.
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You Judge Whether Mason was Guilty of a Felony
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Mason was charged with PC 597 b according to the dept. press release. He was basically charged with not providing food, drink or shelter for his animals. He has to provide "ordinary care." He was providing this and a lot more. They had food, water, shelter, vet care. Not all were neutered but that's not mandatory.
597 b is a wobbler, you can charge as misdemeanor or felony. The dept wants to go for felony because it makes their ACTF stats look good.
Obviously, if Mason has a ton of vet bills, had most "fixed," and they looked well fed, as did Muffin and "Sonny" held by Det. Orgetga, then he is not guilty of a PC 507b violation, and definitely not as a felony.
Penal Code 597. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (a) or (c), every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks,
tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills any animal, or causes or procures any animal to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter, or to be cruelly beaten, mutilated, or cruelly killed; and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects any animal to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuses any animal, or fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather, or who drives, rides, or otherwise uses the animal when unfit for labor, is, for every such offense, guilty of a crime
punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=594-625c
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Mason was charged with PC 597 b according to the dept. press release. He was basically charged with not providing food, drink or shelter for his animals. He has to provide "ordinary care." He was providing this and a lot more. They had food, water, shelter, vet care. Not all were neutered but that's not mandatory.
597 b is a wobbler, you can charge as misdemeanor or felony. The dept wants to go for felony because it makes their ACTF stats look good.
Obviously, if Mason has a ton of vet bills, had most "fixed," and they looked well fed, as did Muffin and "Sonny" held by Det. Orgetga, then he is not guilty of a PC 507b violation, and definitely not as a felony.
Penal Code 597. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (a) or (c), every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks,
tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills any animal, or causes or procures any animal to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter, or to be cruelly beaten, mutilated, or cruelly killed; and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects any animal to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuses any animal, or fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather, or who drives, rides, or otherwise uses the animal when unfit for labor, is, for every such offense, guilty of a crime
punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=594-625c
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If Anyone is Guilty of Felony Animal Neglect, it is LAAS and Boks
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Boks lets turtles die of illness from overcrowding in his shelter, and then kills 700. That's okay. Someone has a few too many cats and a cluttered house, that's not okay.
Boks lets animals kill each other in the shelter in vicious dog fights. That's okay. Someone has five dogs that aren't killing each other, that's not okay.
Animal abuse, neglect, hoarding, is whatever the Departments wants it to be. The Department was definitely an animal hoarder last year. The overcrowding caused twice as many animals to die from illness and injury, lack of care. That's animal cruelty, neglect to me. Mason's animals weren't dying, yet they took them, and killed them.
.
Boks lets turtles die of illness from overcrowding in his shelter, and then kills 700. That's okay. Someone has a few too many cats and a cluttered house, that's not okay.
Boks lets animals kill each other in the shelter in vicious dog fights. That's okay. Someone has five dogs that aren't killing each other, that's not okay.
Animal abuse, neglect, hoarding, is whatever the Departments wants it to be. The Department was definitely an animal hoarder last year. The overcrowding caused twice as many animals to die from illness and injury, lack of care. That's animal cruelty, neglect to me. Mason's animals weren't dying, yet they took them, and killed them.
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Know a Lawyer?
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We (a bunch of us) have contacted several lawyers to determine whether there could be a big lawsuit against the city in this case. I/we have been sending particulars about the case to several lawyers, none of whom have responded. There are more we have to contact. If you know any, email me at edwardmuzika@sbcglobal.net.
Brad Jensen, whose website is sheltertrak.com, and who has analyzed numbers that prove LAAS has been in violation of the Hayden Act in over 100 cases (and which Boks has admitted, but excused them as compassionate exceptions), will begin to do what Brad does very well: submit requests for public records.
I will keep you constantly informed if any request is honored. I will send emails regarding compliance. We'll see how transparent Boks still is.
I made a request for records 18 months ago for anyone who had requested records of my emails to Boks when we were friendly. No answer yet. There is a big fat penalty for not responding. We are about to go forward on this too.
Let's see how Brad's requests fair. The same lawyer who defends Mason, has us as research assistants.
Here is what Brad will request:
I'll submit a request for copies of the call log, dispatch log, ACO notes,photographs and/or digital images, veterinary notes and records, kennel notes, date and time of euthanasia and copies of any and all improper euthanasia reports related to each of these cats.-brad
Go for it Brad!!!
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We (a bunch of us) have contacted several lawyers to determine whether there could be a big lawsuit against the city in this case. I/we have been sending particulars about the case to several lawyers, none of whom have responded. There are more we have to contact. If you know any, email me at edwardmuzika@sbcglobal.net.
Brad Jensen, whose website is sheltertrak.com, and who has analyzed numbers that prove LAAS has been in violation of the Hayden Act in over 100 cases (and which Boks has admitted, but excused them as compassionate exceptions), will begin to do what Brad does very well: submit requests for public records.
I will keep you constantly informed if any request is honored. I will send emails regarding compliance. We'll see how transparent Boks still is.
I made a request for records 18 months ago for anyone who had requested records of my emails to Boks when we were friendly. No answer yet. There is a big fat penalty for not responding. We are about to go forward on this too.
Let's see how Brad's requests fair. The same lawyer who defends Mason, has us as research assistants.
Here is what Brad will request:
I'll submit a request for copies of the call log, dispatch log, ACO notes,photographs and/or digital images, veterinary notes and records, kennel notes, date and time of euthanasia and copies of any and all improper euthanasia reports related to each of these cats.-brad
Go for it Brad!!!
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Ron Mason Innocent of Animal Neglect
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As an bit of evidence that Ron Mason was set up, he just called and said he found additional vet records that show that of the 14 adults taken into custody by Animal Services, 12 had been /spay/neutered and all had their shots. The records go back more than 3 years. Records show Muffin needs a booster shot at this time. One cat had a surgical pin inserted in his leg 3 years ago after Ron found him in the street hit by a car.
How is that for felony animal neglect?
Animal Services' rescuers killed 37 kittens, 12 because of botched virus testing and 25 for colds and being neonatal, while they were being weaned and treated by Mason with Amoxi. That is a 73% kill rate for Animal Services.
How is that for "rescue" and how is that for felony animal neglect by the City?
Dana Bartholomew was told the cats would be treated for non-existent diseases and placed with fosters. Instead, they were misdiagnosed and killed.
Felony animal neglect charges must be dropped.
It is not a felony or even a misdemeanor to live in debris and foul odors. It is a nuisance for the neighbors and some intervention by the City or County Health was needed, but not a bust with 5 agencies and 30 people, followed by an arrest and charges of felony animal neglect.
What a city. Rumor has it that Boks has been accused of lying, providing false numbers and responsible for animal abuse for animals in the shelters. Why are they called "shelters" again?
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As an bit of evidence that Ron Mason was set up, he just called and said he found additional vet records that show that of the 14 adults taken into custody by Animal Services, 12 had been /spay/neutered and all had their shots. The records go back more than 3 years. Records show Muffin needs a booster shot at this time. One cat had a surgical pin inserted in his leg 3 years ago after Ron found him in the street hit by a car.
How is that for felony animal neglect?
Animal Services' rescuers killed 37 kittens, 12 because of botched virus testing and 25 for colds and being neonatal, while they were being weaned and treated by Mason with Amoxi. That is a 73% kill rate for Animal Services.
How is that for "rescue" and how is that for felony animal neglect by the City?
Dana Bartholomew was told the cats would be treated for non-existent diseases and placed with fosters. Instead, they were misdiagnosed and killed.
Felony animal neglect charges must be dropped.
It is not a felony or even a misdemeanor to live in debris and foul odors. It is a nuisance for the neighbors and some intervention by the City or County Health was needed, but not a bust with 5 agencies and 30 people, followed by an arrest and charges of felony animal neglect.
What a city. Rumor has it that Boks has been accused of lying, providing false numbers and responsible for animal abuse for animals in the shelters. Why are they called "shelters" again?
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Philadelphia Quadruples Live Save Rate in Three Years
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Third quarter numbers are in from Philadelphia. The save rate has increased from an estimated 15% in 2004 to 60% this year. Notice too, that like everywhere else in the country, kitten intake is up about 25% per quarter, yet they dealt with it.
This is on a budget 1/7th the size of LAAS.
On the other hand, kitten intake in LA is down by 40% due as Boks says, to an anomaly. The only anomaly is that Boks is refusing kittens, such as when LAAS refused to take Ron Mason's kittens when he asked for help three months ago.
http://phillypaws.org/news_events_detail.cfm/news/42.htm
http://phillypaws.org/pdfs/save%20rates%20_%202004-2007_v1.pdf
On the other hand, there was one very negative post about PAWS on Craigslist by a purported rescuer.
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Third quarter numbers are in from Philadelphia. The save rate has increased from an estimated 15% in 2004 to 60% this year. Notice too, that like everywhere else in the country, kitten intake is up about 25% per quarter, yet they dealt with it.
This is on a budget 1/7th the size of LAAS.
On the other hand, kitten intake in LA is down by 40% due as Boks says, to an anomaly. The only anomaly is that Boks is refusing kittens, such as when LAAS refused to take Ron Mason's kittens when he asked for help three months ago.
http://phillypaws.org/news_events_detail.cfm/news/42.htm
http://phillypaws.org/pdfs/save%20rates%20_%202004-2007_v1.pdf
On the other hand, there was one very negative post about PAWS on Craigslist by a purported rescuer.
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Mason Kitten Kill Probably 37 not 25
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When I said a total of 25 kittens were killed, I had not added the 12 that were killed three days previously, the ones who allegedly tested positive for panleukemia. maybe not all of these were killed.Therefore, of the 51 cats and kittens "rescued, 37 were killed for nothing; they were weaned, in the process of being weaned, or had colds. How is that for "rescue?" How is that for telling Bartholomew they were medically treated and placed with fosters?
Is euthanasia considered medical treatment? Were any of the kittens spared? Why did they tell Dana they were placed in fosters? Is the department, like most city government agencies, so conditioned to lying that they are unable to tell the truth?
When I lived in Santa Monica, city officials lied for no reason; it was as if lying was in their blood and they needed constant practice.
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When I said a total of 25 kittens were killed, I had not added the 12 that were killed three days previously, the ones who allegedly tested positive for panleukemia. maybe not all of these were killed.Therefore, of the 51 cats and kittens "rescued, 37 were killed for nothing; they were weaned, in the process of being weaned, or had colds. How is that for "rescue?" How is that for telling Bartholomew they were medically treated and placed with fosters?
Is euthanasia considered medical treatment? Were any of the kittens spared? Why did they tell Dana they were placed in fosters? Is the department, like most city government agencies, so conditioned to lying that they are unable to tell the truth?
When I lived in Santa Monica, city officials lied for no reason; it was as if lying was in their blood and they needed constant practice.
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Task Force Kitten Killers
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This is the story gathered from multiple sources. All kinds of people are calling me and giving new information, including city employees from LAAS and other offices. They say even their inquiries are being stonewalled.
A total of 25 kittens were killed. There was no panleukemia as Daily News reporter Dana Bartholomew was told and which he published.
Mason's cats were initially tested using a parvo kit; they tested positive and were killed. Blood samples for these kittens were also sent to Antech, and tested negative. They were killed for no reason.
I do not know if the warrant was issued based on the assumption of panleukemia, nor do I know how the absense of panleuk would affect any subsequent search or seizure. Someone help me out here. Ron will send me a copy tomorrow. I will post it when I get it.
The other 13 kittens were killed purportedly because they were neonates or because they had upper respiratory infections (colds), which 25% of the animals in the LAAS shelter also have.
Mason said those kittens were 4-6 weeks old and were being weaned. He was putting out soft food as well as hard kibble soaked in warm water. They still had nursing moms. The ones with the runny eyes were being treated with Amoxi.
They too were killed for nothing. The kittens were nursing; they were being weaned, and the ones with colds were being treated. They would be alive now had it not been for the "rescue" by LAAS.
14 adults remain alive at West Valley or SLA. One is an old cat about 14 years old who was abandoned by a neighbor who moved away three years ago. Muffin's whereabouts are unknown.
Of the 39 animals "rescued," 25 are dead and I assume the elderly cat will soon be too. One cat that walked with a limp, was hit by a car three years ago and had its hip and leg repaired through a $1,200 surgery paid for by Ron. That cat was being used as an example by detectives of a sick and injured cat that was not being taken care of.
Ron got a letter today from LAPD giving him an inventory of property taken. Though they took all of his paperwork, they did not list:
This is the story gathered from multiple sources. All kinds of people are calling me and giving new information, including city employees from LAAS and other offices. They say even their inquiries are being stonewalled.
A total of 25 kittens were killed. There was no panleukemia as Daily News reporter Dana Bartholomew was told and which he published.
Mason's cats were initially tested using a parvo kit; they tested positive and were killed. Blood samples for these kittens were also sent to Antech, and tested negative. They were killed for no reason.
I do not know if the warrant was issued based on the assumption of panleukemia, nor do I know how the absense of panleuk would affect any subsequent search or seizure. Someone help me out here. Ron will send me a copy tomorrow. I will post it when I get it.
The other 13 kittens were killed purportedly because they were neonates or because they had upper respiratory infections (colds), which 25% of the animals in the LAAS shelter also have.
Mason said those kittens were 4-6 weeks old and were being weaned. He was putting out soft food as well as hard kibble soaked in warm water. They still had nursing moms. The ones with the runny eyes were being treated with Amoxi.
They too were killed for nothing. The kittens were nursing; they were being weaned, and the ones with colds were being treated. They would be alive now had it not been for the "rescue" by LAAS.
14 adults remain alive at West Valley or SLA. One is an old cat about 14 years old who was abandoned by a neighbor who moved away three years ago. Muffin's whereabouts are unknown.
Of the 39 animals "rescued," 25 are dead and I assume the elderly cat will soon be too. One cat that walked with a limp, was hit by a car three years ago and had its hip and leg repaired through a $1,200 surgery paid for by Ron. That cat was being used as an example by detectives of a sick and injured cat that was not being taken care of.
Ron got a letter today from LAPD giving him an inventory of property taken. Though they took all of his paperwork, they did not list:
Dates of all visits by LAAS to his house and he to the WV shelter over the past three years.
The Amanda list of the four spay/neuters done with them during the six weeks prior to the bust.
The vet papers verifying another eight to ten spay/neuters done over the previous eight months or so.
The many S/N certificates given to him by the WV shelter.
They did not return his carriers which would allow him to take more cats to the "shelter." This is being rectified. They did not return his medications.
This is a perfect example of how governments everywhere have always operated: Rule by intimidation and fear. Use overwhelming force on someone who cannot defend himself in order to make an example of him and to demonstrete the power of "Them."
Mason said that Det. Linda Ortega ((213) 847-1417) said, two days before the raid when she was there with another detective and two ACTs, "We can take anything we want, any time we want!"
This is what we need to fight against, an abuse of power so poorly used that it kills the animals it supposedly is trying to save in order to make the Prince of Fools, Boks, and the Mayor look good.
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Let's Show the City Who is Boss
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It's time to band together and help Ron Mason. It flat out is time for us to band together on all things related to the LA animal community.
Let show Boks, the cops, Task Force, County Health, Franchise Tax Board, Bickhart, Kramer and the Mayor we are sick of them. We will take care of our own. Any animal lover, rescuer, activist and even alleged hoarder who is not neglecting their animals is our own.
This is an opening shot. We will form our own Task Force to monitor the Animal Cruelty Task Force, LAAS, Boks and the Mayor's Office. We have got to actually act on this, otherwise "They" will think we still are a joke.
Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights became a joke in Santa Monica because they stopped helping renters and focused on controlling the politicians. Once a powerhouse, they are now easily beaten because they did not attend to their base.
We need to choose to activate our base!
Once we get this going, we will not stop. But we do need to act.
Call Ron. His vet medications have been confiscated; he needs more. Kittens need placement. He needs litter boxes, litter and anything else you can think of. The City will do daily pick ups if necessary for stuff brought out of his yard and house to the curb thanks to the work of one volunteer. I think I'll create a giant banner showing Muffin being strangled.
Ron Mason: (818) 993-6816,
or email me at edwardmuzika@sbcglobal.net
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It's time to band together and help Ron Mason. It flat out is time for us to band together on all things related to the LA animal community.
Let show Boks, the cops, Task Force, County Health, Franchise Tax Board, Bickhart, Kramer and the Mayor we are sick of them. We will take care of our own. Any animal lover, rescuer, activist and even alleged hoarder who is not neglecting their animals is our own.
This is an opening shot. We will form our own Task Force to monitor the Animal Cruelty Task Force, LAAS, Boks and the Mayor's Office. We have got to actually act on this, otherwise "They" will think we still are a joke.
Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights became a joke in Santa Monica because they stopped helping renters and focused on controlling the politicians. Once a powerhouse, they are now easily beaten because they did not attend to their base.
We need to choose to activate our base!
Once we get this going, we will not stop. But we do need to act.
Call Ron. His vet medications have been confiscated; he needs more. Kittens need placement. He needs litter boxes, litter and anything else you can think of. The City will do daily pick ups if necessary for stuff brought out of his yard and house to the curb thanks to the work of one volunteer. I think I'll create a giant banner showing Muffin being strangled.
Ron Mason: (818) 993-6816,
or email me at edwardmuzika@sbcglobal.net
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County Health Also Screws Muffin's Owner, Ron Mason
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Ron Mason (Left) just got a letter from County Health Services, Dept. of Environmental Health, signed by Jason Baun. Apparently Baun was present the day of the bust.
The letter said it was a Notice of Violation number 241732, and that he had 30 days to get rid of ...., and there was a long list of to-dos. The letter further stated that if this were not completed as ordered, the State Franchise Tax Board would put a lien on his house.
This is ridiculous. Baun's letter does not even state what code Mason purportedly was violating, or how the State Franchise Tax Board was getting into the act. It is not an income property, but his residence. Mason is being gang raped by legalized thugs under the color of authority.
They told him room by room to get rid of specific clothes, couches, items, etc. I agree a lot of his stuff should go, but he had already taken steps over the past three months including two mass pickups by the City.
He is afraid to take any of the remaining cats to the WLA shelter for fear of being arrested for having more cats.
A friend of mine who had been a County health inspector in the past said it was extremely important to demand to know what specific code was allegedly being violated. Otherwise this is simply terrorism under the color of authority.
Mason needs help. First, call this Baum bum and let him know what you think. Ask for the violation code number. Tell him you are available to come to his office at any time for him to show it to you. Jason bum Baum can be reached at (818) 902-4470. Then call Ed Boks and tell him what you think about his part in this case. Then call the mayor for the same reason. As George Bush senior (the good one) said, "This cannot stand!"
Excuse me, it is becoming harder and harder for me to remain even the slightest objective about Boks, Animal Control and Villaraigosa.
Ron was slandered by using the term "hoarder." Being a "hoarder" is not a crime. Mason was charged with felony animal neglect. There was no neglect. The cats are fat and healthy. I have photographed them. The onus is on the City to produce records that Ron's cats tested positive for panleukemia as Dana was told.
Dana Bartholomew apologized to me for saying Ron had 70 sick cats. He said he was only repeating what the Task Force and Animal Control told him. In other words, they lied.
Get angry and demanding of them from County Health, the Task Force to Villaraigosa. The time of being reasonable with them has passed.It is time to take back our local government.
I still wonder whether Boks will respond to my request for records and how edited it will be if he ever sends it. I still am waiting for Boks response about how Muffin was treated and what will be done as remedy.
This is the time to get outraged if ever there ever was a time.
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Ron Mason (Left) just got a letter from County Health Services, Dept. of Environmental Health, signed by Jason Baun. Apparently Baun was present the day of the bust.The letter said it was a Notice of Violation number 241732, and that he had 30 days to get rid of ...., and there was a long list of to-dos. The letter further stated that if this were not completed as ordered, the State Franchise Tax Board would put a lien on his house.
This is ridiculous. Baun's letter does not even state what code Mason purportedly was violating, or how the State Franchise Tax Board was getting into the act. It is not an income property, but his residence. Mason is being gang raped by legalized thugs under the color of authority.
They told him room by room to get rid of specific clothes, couches, items, etc. I agree a lot of his stuff should go, but he had already taken steps over the past three months including two mass pickups by the City.
He is afraid to take any of the remaining cats to the WLA shelter for fear of being arrested for having more cats.
A friend of mine who had been a County health inspector in the past said it was extremely important to demand to know what specific code was allegedly being violated. Otherwise this is simply terrorism under the color of authority.
Mason needs help. First, call this Baum bum and let him know what you think. Ask for the violation code number. Tell him you are available to come to his office at any time for him to show it to you. Jason bum Baum can be reached at (818) 902-4470. Then call Ed Boks and tell him what you think about his part in this case. Then call the mayor for the same reason. As George Bush senior (the good one) said, "This cannot stand!"
Since the Task Force took all of Mason's medications away, if you have any extra, send them over. If you have extra litter boxes and litter, send them over. If you know a lawyer who will work with Ron, let us know.
Mason is being railroaded to make Animal Control, Boks, and the Mayor look good. They don't. Boks apparently has no depths of darkness he won't explore, and Jim Bickhart and Villaraigosa continue to support him. I am losing my respect for Jim. He is now one of them.Excuse me, it is becoming harder and harder for me to remain even the slightest objective about Boks, Animal Control and Villaraigosa.
Ron was slandered by using the term "hoarder." Being a "hoarder" is not a crime. Mason was charged with felony animal neglect. There was no neglect. The cats are fat and healthy. I have photographed them. The onus is on the City to produce records that Ron's cats tested positive for panleukemia as Dana was told.
Dana Bartholomew apologized to me for saying Ron had 70 sick cats. He said he was only repeating what the Task Force and Animal Control told him. In other words, they lied.
Get angry and demanding of them from County Health, the Task Force to Villaraigosa. The time of being reasonable with them has passed.It is time to take back our local government.
I still wonder whether Boks will respond to my request for records and how edited it will be if he ever sends it. I still am waiting for Boks response about how Muffin was treated and what will be done as remedy.
This is the time to get outraged if ever there ever was a time.
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Guess Who All Came to the Boks/Villraigosa Look Good Bust?
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Here is a minimalist list of people present at the Animal Cruelty Task Force bust of Ron Mason:
Lt. Troy Boswell
two squad cars and 4 uniforms
at least 2 detectives
at least 4 ACTs
the Animal Task Force
Dana Bartholomew and his photographer
The City Channel 35 media director head and a film crew
Maybe one Veterinarian
Jason Baun, County Health thug
Channel 35 taped the bust and has already shown it once on air. I certainly would like to see that video. His place is horrible looking and smelly, but the cats are well-fed and healthy. There was no animal neglect here. There certainly there were fewer cats sick at Mason's place that percentage wise at LAAS. Dana and the City TV ought to bring their cameras to SLA to see real illness and death.
Boks refused a television interview by KNBC reporter Robert Kavocik because of the overcrowding at EV where the interview was to be held.
There is here a terrible City abuse of power and the sacrifice of one nice guy to make the mayor, the Task Force, the Department and Ed Boks look good. From my viewpoint, all of them have covered themseleves with slime.
By the way, many of the moms have abandoned their kittens at his house since the bust. These kittens need fosters; there are only a few. If course if you take any, you'll probably be busted. They are not feral.
Here is a minimalist list of people present at the Animal Cruelty Task Force bust of Ron Mason:
Lt. Troy Boswell
two squad cars and 4 uniforms
at least 2 detectives
at least 4 ACTs
the Animal Task Force
Dana Bartholomew and his photographer
The City Channel 35 media director head and a film crew
Maybe one Veterinarian
Jason Baun, County Health thug
Channel 35 taped the bust and has already shown it once on air. I certainly would like to see that video. His place is horrible looking and smelly, but the cats are well-fed and healthy. There was no animal neglect here. There certainly there were fewer cats sick at Mason's place that percentage wise at LAAS. Dana and the City TV ought to bring their cameras to SLA to see real illness and death.
Boks refused a television interview by KNBC reporter Robert Kavocik because of the overcrowding at EV where the interview was to be held.
There is here a terrible City abuse of power and the sacrifice of one nice guy to make the mayor, the Task Force, the Department and Ed Boks look good. From my viewpoint, all of them have covered themseleves with slime.
By the way, many of the moms have abandoned their kittens at his house since the bust. These kittens need fosters; there are only a few. If course if you take any, you'll probably be busted. They are not feral.
Open Letter to Ed Boks Re the Arrest of Ron Mason
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Dear Mr. Boks,
On October 11, you posted a press release on your website regarding a raid by the department, the police and the Animal Cruelty Task Force on the home of Ron Mason in Northridge. That press release has disappeared from your website. The URL was 10-11-07 ACTF Arrests Suspect for Animal Neglect. Why was that press release taken down just days after it went up?
Consider this a request for that public record. You have ten days to respond. I will pay any reasonable fee up to $25 for this single document. The preferred method of delivery is electronic.
One of the photos in the Dana Bartholomew’s Daily News article showed a large orange cat being hoisted in the air by its neck at the end of a catch pole. Dana said the noose was aggressively tightened by the AC. I understand that this is against Department policy. I also understand the person who did this was A. Ramirez, an AC officer. Will she be reprimanded and counseled? Also, an unknown AC sent in a comment to my blog that it is common practice for animal control officers to capture cats in this way. Is this true to your knowledge?
The cat’s name is Muffin. Where is Muffin if he is still alive?
Dana Bartholomew was told that 2 cats tested positive for feline distemper, also known as panleukemia and that was the reason for the warrant to search Mason’s property leading to his arrest. Now I understand that that is not true, no cat tested for panleukemia. That is, the warrant for his property search and arrest was based on facts not true.
Were any of the 12 kittens handed over to LAAC 2 days before the raid tested for panleukemia and tested positive? What was the disposition of these kittens?
I also understand all of Mason’s veterinary records were taken from him and not returned as well as medications for his cats. Is this true and will they be returned?
Why was Mr. Mason arrested and charged when three previous raids of alleged hoarders were not? That is, what is special about Mr. Mason’s case other than you want to make the department look good at the expense of a poor person who cannot afford legal counsel and will plead rather than lose his house to pay the cats’ impound bills?
For background, please see Dana Bartholomew’s article at:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7153695
Edward Muzika
Dear Mr. Boks,
On October 11, you posted a press release on your website regarding a raid by the department, the police and the Animal Cruelty Task Force on the home of Ron Mason in Northridge. That press release has disappeared from your website. The URL was 10-11-07 ACTF Arrests Suspect for Animal Neglect. Why was that press release taken down just days after it went up?
Consider this a request for that public record. You have ten days to respond. I will pay any reasonable fee up to $25 for this single document. The preferred method of delivery is electronic.
One of the photos in the Dana Bartholomew’s Daily News article showed a large orange cat being hoisted in the air by its neck at the end of a catch pole. Dana said the noose was aggressively tightened by the AC. I understand that this is against Department policy. I also understand the person who did this was A. Ramirez, an AC officer. Will she be reprimanded and counseled? Also, an unknown AC sent in a comment to my blog that it is common practice for animal control officers to capture cats in this way. Is this true to your knowledge?
The cat’s name is Muffin. Where is Muffin if he is still alive?
Dana Bartholomew was told that 2 cats tested positive for feline distemper, also known as panleukemia and that was the reason for the warrant to search Mason’s property leading to his arrest. Now I understand that that is not true, no cat tested for panleukemia. That is, the warrant for his property search and arrest was based on facts not true.
Were any of the 12 kittens handed over to LAAC 2 days before the raid tested for panleukemia and tested positive? What was the disposition of these kittens?
I also understand all of Mason’s veterinary records were taken from him and not returned as well as medications for his cats. Is this true and will they be returned?
Why was Mr. Mason arrested and charged when three previous raids of alleged hoarders were not? That is, what is special about Mr. Mason’s case other than you want to make the department look good at the expense of a poor person who cannot afford legal counsel and will plead rather than lose his house to pay the cats’ impound bills?
For background, please see Dana Bartholomew’s article at:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7153695
Edward Muzika
Mason Set Up by LAAS? Looks That Way More and More
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Ron Mason set-up by LAAS and Animal Cruelty Task Force.
Substantiating evidence of a setup bust of Ron Mason in a comment below.
Indeed, Mason asked the department for help with the 30 kittens in his yard. They took a fraction the day before the bust:
That is horrible, absolutely horrible. The City is guilty here.
Sounds like the guy asked them to take some cats, but they didn't. Boks kitten refusal program at work. They even gave him bottle baby supplies!Lt. Troy Boswell is not the nicest guy. He likes to pretend to be a big shot. I bet he and Boks called the media. They raided that guy as a PR stunt to help feed Boks' attention needing ego.
I remember Boswell when he was a Wildlife Officer. He used to go around and scare residents saying coyotes would eat their babies.
They should be going after abusers, dog fighters, people who beat their animals. They should be doing their job and helping people with too many animals. I bet the shelter may have even been dumping cats at his place. Maybe that's part of Boks animal refusing program. Go pick up an unwanted animal, don't book it in then drop it off at a person's house who wouldn't refuse the animal. Then bust the guy for hoarding.
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Ron Mason set-up by LAAS and Animal Cruelty Task Force.
Substantiating evidence of a setup bust of Ron Mason in a comment below.
Indeed, Mason asked the department for help with the 30 kittens in his yard. They took a fraction the day before the bust:
That is horrible, absolutely horrible. The City is guilty here.
Sounds like the guy asked them to take some cats, but they didn't. Boks kitten refusal program at work. They even gave him bottle baby supplies!Lt. Troy Boswell is not the nicest guy. He likes to pretend to be a big shot. I bet he and Boks called the media. They raided that guy as a PR stunt to help feed Boks' attention needing ego.
I remember Boswell when he was a Wildlife Officer. He used to go around and scare residents saying coyotes would eat their babies.
They should be going after abusers, dog fighters, people who beat their animals. They should be doing their job and helping people with too many animals. I bet the shelter may have even been dumping cats at his place. Maybe that's part of Boks animal refusing program. Go pick up an unwanted animal, don't book it in then drop it off at a person's house who wouldn't refuse the animal. Then bust the guy for hoarding.
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Mason Set Up for Animal Cruelty Bust
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This is just preliminary info.
No one at Animal Services now knows anything about any of Mason's cats having panleukemia. The press release regarding the "sick" cats and positive panleuk testing has entirely disappeared off the LAAS website.
Mason told me he has been in regular communications with the West Valley shelter for two months. He approached them two months ago asking them for help with 30 kittens he had in his yard. Pregnant moms were showing up weekly from nowhere and he didn't know what to do.
Get this, he was given a bottle feeder's starters kit along with artificial milk, and told to bring the kittens to the shelter at age eight weeks. They also gave him several spay/neuter certificates and literature about rescue groups. The moms were lactating and there was no need for artificial milk or bottles, and they gave him certificates but told him to not get the moms spayed until the kittens were eight weeks old.
He thought he had established a personal relationship with Lt.Troy Boswell at the WV shelter.
Two or three days before the raid, two detectives and 2 AC officers (I have photocopies of their cards) dropped off some traps at his house, and he helped round up 12 kittens for them and put them in cages. These were the kittens that the Press Release--now totally disappeared off the LAAS website--said tested positive for panleukemia. Dana Bartholomew unknowingly repeated this lie about diseased cats.
The traps they dropped off were filthy, caked in dirt with feces and had open cans of dried cat food. Ramirez (female AC) called the day before the bust, Wednesday, and asked if any cats had been caught yet. Mason told her that he had to clean the cages first because they were filthy and he didn't want his cats to catch anything.
Next day, 6:00 A.M., the bust. Cops, detectives, animal services, animal cruelty, camera crew.
He said he had always been open with anyone from the City and even agreed to have a City lock put on his gate so that any City employee or city service could come onto his property at any time. There was no need to arrest or cuff him.
In other words, this was a setup for the Animal Cruelty Task Force to make its bones. Notice how many hoarder busts there have been lately? Who is easier to go after, a "hoarder" who has asked Animal Services for help and was given bottle feeders, or someone raising fighting dogs in South Central? Notice all the busts are in the West Valley, not East LA, Watts or West LA. I am sure there are vicious hoarders in WLA somewhere and maybe better doughnut shops there too.
Moreover, not only did LAAS/Task Fotce take all of his vet records and medications, when he went to his vets to get copies of all his cats' medical records, they didn't want anything to do with him. They were destroying all medical records more than 3 years old. They told him they didn't want any trouble from the City.
I guess the Task Force also showed up at their doorstep too.
This is purely a case of Boks/LAPD wanting the Task Force to make its bones by busting alleged hoarders even if their was no animal neglect.
This is an outrage!!! Much, much more to come.
Ohh, I forgot to tell you, the moms ran away after the raid and have not come back. The kittens remaining are weaned and need to be rescued and adopted. They are tame and appear healthy.
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This is just preliminary info.
No one at Animal Services now knows anything about any of Mason's cats having panleukemia. The press release regarding the "sick" cats and positive panleuk testing has entirely disappeared off the LAAS website.
Mason told me he has been in regular communications with the West Valley shelter for two months. He approached them two months ago asking them for help with 30 kittens he had in his yard. Pregnant moms were showing up weekly from nowhere and he didn't know what to do.
Get this, he was given a bottle feeder's starters kit along with artificial milk, and told to bring the kittens to the shelter at age eight weeks. They also gave him several spay/neuter certificates and literature about rescue groups. The moms were lactating and there was no need for artificial milk or bottles, and they gave him certificates but told him to not get the moms spayed until the kittens were eight weeks old.
He thought he had established a personal relationship with Lt.Troy Boswell at the WV shelter.
Two or three days before the raid, two detectives and 2 AC officers (I have photocopies of their cards) dropped off some traps at his house, and he helped round up 12 kittens for them and put them in cages. These were the kittens that the Press Release--now totally disappeared off the LAAS website--said tested positive for panleukemia. Dana Bartholomew unknowingly repeated this lie about diseased cats.
The traps they dropped off were filthy, caked in dirt with feces and had open cans of dried cat food. Ramirez (female AC) called the day before the bust, Wednesday, and asked if any cats had been caught yet. Mason told her that he had to clean the cages first because they were filthy and he didn't want his cats to catch anything.
Next day, 6:00 A.M., the bust. Cops, detectives, animal services, animal cruelty, camera crew.
He said he had always been open with anyone from the City and even agreed to have a City lock put on his gate so that any City employee or city service could come onto his property at any time. There was no need to arrest or cuff him.
In other words, this was a setup for the Animal Cruelty Task Force to make its bones. Notice how many hoarder busts there have been lately? Who is easier to go after, a "hoarder" who has asked Animal Services for help and was given bottle feeders, or someone raising fighting dogs in South Central? Notice all the busts are in the West Valley, not East LA, Watts or West LA. I am sure there are vicious hoarders in WLA somewhere and maybe better doughnut shops there too.
Moreover, not only did LAAS/Task Fotce take all of his vet records and medications, when he went to his vets to get copies of all his cats' medical records, they didn't want anything to do with him. They were destroying all medical records more than 3 years old. They told him they didn't want any trouble from the City.
I guess the Task Force also showed up at their doorstep too.
This is purely a case of Boks/LAPD wanting the Task Force to make its bones by busting alleged hoarders even if their was no animal neglect.
This is an outrage!!! Much, much more to come.
Ohh, I forgot to tell you, the moms ran away after the raid and have not come back. The kittens remaining are weaned and need to be rescued and adopted. They are tame and appear healthy.
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LAAS Lies and Coverup Begins?
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Since I interviewed Ron Mason and posted his side of the story, I received a comment that there is no field test for panleukemia. Therefore Animal Services libeled Mr. Mason to make him look bad for the press. The LAAS bulletin about the bust has disappeared from the LAAS site.
This is the link on the LAAS site to the press release. Click on it now, and the page has disappeared. I wonder how the edited version will look if and when it goes back up.
10-11-07 ACTF Arrests Suspect for Animal Neglect
THERE IS NO PROOF WHATSOEVER THAT ANY CAT WAS SICK OTHER THAN THE ONE HE WAS TREATING FOR URI!!! LAAS LIED TO DANA BARTHOLOMEW ABOUT THE HEALTH CONDITION OF THE CATS.
However, in the photos, a few of the kittens look like they might have been ill, but without intake numbers, testing and disposition facts, we'll never know.
Mr. Mason needs help. He told me he needs an attorney. He could also use help cleaning the property and helping with whatever needs the cats have. Perhaps some cats to be taken to a vet for blood tests to help support his case that none--except for one cat--were ill.
Anyone with a camera can take pictures of the cats to show they look to be healthy. We need to follow the impounded evidence animals, especially Muffin.
Mr. Mason's phone number is (818) 993-6816.
Let's get together and help him and show Boks that his ever more frequent busts of "hoarders" is being noted and he'd better follow the letter of the law from here on out. I wonder if there is some lawyer who wants to handle a libel suit for Mr. Mason? Then, there is that little bitty matter of how sick the cats were and the test results on the 12 kittens that were killed.
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Since I interviewed Ron Mason and posted his side of the story, I received a comment that there is no field test for panleukemia. Therefore Animal Services libeled Mr. Mason to make him look bad for the press. The LAAS bulletin about the bust has disappeared from the LAAS site.
This is the link on the LAAS site to the press release. Click on it now, and the page has disappeared. I wonder how the edited version will look if and when it goes back up.
10-11-07 ACTF Arrests Suspect for Animal Neglect
THERE IS NO PROOF WHATSOEVER THAT ANY CAT WAS SICK OTHER THAN THE ONE HE WAS TREATING FOR URI!!! LAAS LIED TO DANA BARTHOLOMEW ABOUT THE HEALTH CONDITION OF THE CATS.
However, in the photos, a few of the kittens look like they might have been ill, but without intake numbers, testing and disposition facts, we'll never know.
Mr. Mason needs help. He told me he needs an attorney. He could also use help cleaning the property and helping with whatever needs the cats have. Perhaps some cats to be taken to a vet for blood tests to help support his case that none--except for one cat--were ill.
Anyone with a camera can take pictures of the cats to show they look to be healthy. We need to follow the impounded evidence animals, especially Muffin.
Mr. Mason's phone number is (818) 993-6816.
Let's get together and help him and show Boks that his ever more frequent busts of "hoarders" is being noted and he'd better follow the letter of the law from here on out. I wonder if there is some lawyer who wants to handle a libel suit for Mr. Mason? Then, there is that little bitty matter of how sick the cats were and the test results on the 12 kittens that were killed.
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My Interview the Cat-poled Tabby's Owner, Ron Mason
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Muffin
Mr. Mason is a part-time construction worker no longer able to take the physical abuse of full-time laborer employment. He says that at the end of the week, whatever he has made, he takes to his vet to pay the cat's medical bills.
By the way, according to Mason, one of the cats LAAS carted away was a neighbor's.
More to come, including photos.
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Muffin
(Click photo for an enlargment)
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I just interviewed Ron Mason, arrested owner of the orange tabby that was nearly strangled by the officer who may not have been Linda Ortega, identified by the Daily News as the detective who "helped free an angry orange tabby caught in some debris." Mr. Mason thought it was another female Hispanic officer.
The poled cat's name is Muffin. Mason has owned Muffin for four years. Muffin is not ill and is not taking medication. He is being held at East Valley along with many of the other cats as evidence animals.
A neighbor told Mason that the cat was walking towards the officer who aggressively threw the loop over Muffin's neck and then hoisted him into the air as shown in the photo. Mason showed me the small room in which this allegedly occurred. There was absolutely nothing in that room. (Mason was not there; he was handcuffed in a police car. This is what he was told. The photo shows what appears to be a small refigerator in the background.) The cat was friendly, he could have been picked up and placed in a carrier according to the neighbor. This probably is not true, as few cats would be friendly with 10 strangers chasing cats around the house with nets and poles.
Dana's article said there were 70 sick cats. The numbers of cats involved varies from source to source, from 38 to 70. Mason said only one cat was ill from an upper respiratory infection, for which the cat was being treated.
Mason said that he was told that 12 kittens failed field testing for panleukopenia and were killed. However, subsequent test analyses done at the EV lab proved negative. That is, the cats were killed because of false positive field tests. I am going to have to ask the EV vet about this.
Mason's refrigerator full of cat medications were seized along with all of his veterinary treatment records as well as his carriers. Therefore, he cannot transport any animal to a vet or anywhere for that matter.
He was charged with felony animal neglect and released after a relative paid a fat bond.
I did not see any cat that appeared sick when I was there. Animal services mercifully left the moms behind at the residence and only took the males. He was told not to have any of the moms spayed until any kittens were 8 weeks old and then they could be brought in for adoption. Maybe Ed won't turn these kittens away.
Personally, I thought the smell was awful, but not enough to warrant the use of respiratory masks as the photos showed. The odor did waft into the street and neighbors could find it obnoxious. There was debris everywhere. BUT, none of the cats looked ill, scrawny, injured or sick in any way except the one black cat in Daily News article. The cats were well taken care of and there was no neglect.
The poled cat's name is Muffin. Mason has owned Muffin for four years. Muffin is not ill and is not taking medication. He is being held at East Valley along with many of the other cats as evidence animals.
A neighbor told Mason that the cat was walking towards the officer who aggressively threw the loop over Muffin's neck and then hoisted him into the air as shown in the photo. Mason showed me the small room in which this allegedly occurred. There was absolutely nothing in that room. (Mason was not there; he was handcuffed in a police car. This is what he was told. The photo shows what appears to be a small refigerator in the background.) The cat was friendly, he could have been picked up and placed in a carrier according to the neighbor. This probably is not true, as few cats would be friendly with 10 strangers chasing cats around the house with nets and poles.
Dana's article said there were 70 sick cats. The numbers of cats involved varies from source to source, from 38 to 70. Mason said only one cat was ill from an upper respiratory infection, for which the cat was being treated.
Mason said that he was told that 12 kittens failed field testing for panleukopenia and were killed. However, subsequent test analyses done at the EV lab proved negative. That is, the cats were killed because of false positive field tests. I am going to have to ask the EV vet about this.
Mason's refrigerator full of cat medications were seized along with all of his veterinary treatment records as well as his carriers. Therefore, he cannot transport any animal to a vet or anywhere for that matter.
He was charged with felony animal neglect and released after a relative paid a fat bond.
I did not see any cat that appeared sick when I was there. Animal services mercifully left the moms behind at the residence and only took the males. He was told not to have any of the moms spayed until any kittens were 8 weeks old and then they could be brought in for adoption. Maybe Ed won't turn these kittens away.
Personally, I thought the smell was awful, but not enough to warrant the use of respiratory masks as the photos showed. The odor did waft into the street and neighbors could find it obnoxious. There was debris everywhere. BUT, none of the cats looked ill, scrawny, injured or sick in any way except the one black cat in Daily News article. The cats were well taken care of and there was no neglect.
Mr. Mason is a part-time construction worker no longer able to take the physical abuse of full-time laborer employment. He says that at the end of the week, whatever he has made, he takes to his vet to pay the cat's medical bills.
By the way, according to Mason, one of the cats LAAS carted away was a neighbor's.
More to come, including photos.
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SLA spay/neuter Clinic Debacle?
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A story on Craigslist stated that 5 animals have died at Eric Jones spay/neuter clinic at SLA during the past month or so. Since he is only performing about 300 s/n's a month, isn't this a high death rate? This allegation was made by an employee. Of course, this info is about tenth hand and should be taken in that light. But given the cat pole story below and this allegation, much is wrong at LAAS even beyond Boks still being GM.
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A story on Craigslist stated that 5 animals have died at Eric Jones spay/neuter clinic at SLA during the past month or so. Since he is only performing about 300 s/n's a month, isn't this a high death rate? This allegation was made by an employee. Of course, this info is about tenth hand and should be taken in that light. But given the cat pole story below and this allegation, much is wrong at LAAS even beyond Boks still being GM.
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Animal Cruelty Task Force Demonstrates How to be Cruel to Cats
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Before the day was done, officers reported rounding up 50 cats for medical care and quarantine at the East and West Valley animal shelters, where they will be released for future foster care adoption.
Police Detective Linda Ortega helped free an angry orange tabby caught in some debris. "Poor thing: It's just a real sick-sounding kitty. If you don't laugh, you're gonna cry."
The photo is of a "large malecat" adult cat hanging by its neck from an animal control pole during a raid by the Animal Cruelty Task Force. The animal control pole is only to be used to "move an OBS (observation for bite) or fractious dog from place to place" as per the employee manual. The purpose is to "keep animal under control at a safe distance from the handler and others." It is only to be used on dogs walking on the ground to help lead them. It is not supposed to be used to hang an animal in midair as they can break their neck or cause strangulation from the loop tightening. You may not drag an animal with this device.
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Apparently the Animal Cruelty people, like Ed Boks, do not like cats. Look at the cat being strangled at the end of a pole. This is what Dana Bartholomew did not write about in his October 12 article on the fine work (sarcasm) the taskforce is committing.
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(Click on Photo for enlarged picture.)
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I quote from Dana's article:
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Armed with gloves, nooses and nets, police and animal control officers scrambled in and outside the house to rescue Mason's cats.
Before the day was done, officers reported rounding up 50 cats for medical care and quarantine at the East and West Valley animal shelters, where they will be released for future foster care adoption.
Police Detective Linda Ortega helped free an angry orange tabby caught in some debris. "Poor thing: It's just a real sick-sounding kitty. If you don't laugh, you're gonna cry."
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I wonder if Linda Ortega didn't think that being strangled by a noose might make a cat sound sick.
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The article does not explain how several cats were tested positive for panieukopenia earlier in the week. Had Animal Services been at the home previously and entered his "fenced in yard," abducted several cats, all of whom had panieukopenia, and then got a search warrant? Something is fishy here.
The photo is of a "large malecat" adult cat hanging by its neck from an animal control pole during a raid by the Animal Cruelty Task Force. The animal control pole is only to be used to "move an OBS (observation for bite) or fractious dog from place to place" as per the employee manual. The purpose is to "keep animal under control at a safe distance from the handler and others." It is only to be used on dogs walking on the ground to help lead them. It is not supposed to be used to hang an animal in midair as they can break their neck or cause strangulation from the loop tightening. You may not drag an animal with this device.
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The handler is supposed to place the loop around the neck and one foreleg. You may never only loop it around the neck as the animal may break it's neck trying to free itself or it may die from strangulation.
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Animal control poles are NEVER to be used on cats as they can easily break their neck trying to free themselves or strangle themselves. Using an animal control pole on a cat is considered animal cruelty. Nets and cat graspers are the employee recommended device to use on cats.
Animal control poles are NEVER to be used on cats as they can easily break their neck trying to free themselves or strangle themselves. Using an animal control pole on a cat is considered animal cruelty. Nets and cat graspers are the employee recommended device to use on cats.
I wonder how many of the 50 cats will ever be released for "foster care adoption."
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County CEO refers my Mayeda Complaint to the County Auditor
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Despite wanting to keep the pressure up on Boks, enough is happening on the Mayeda front to warrant at least a mention.
I just received an email from the County CEO who has referred my complaint against Mayeda to the County Auditor.
WILLIAM T FUJIOKA
Chief Executive Officer
To: J. Tyler McCauley Auditor-Controller
ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PET ADOPTION PRACTICES
Attached, please find a request from Supervisor Antonovich dated September 5, 2007 requesting an investigation into allegations related to the Department of Animal Care and Control. I would appreciate your investigating the concerns addressed in the attached letter and providing a response to the Supervisor, the Department, and our Office.
If you have any questions, please contact me, or your staff may contact Montessa Duckett at (213) 893-2292 or via e-mail at mduckett_u@.ceo.lacountv.gov.
I wonder how long it will take them to bury my complaint.
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Despite wanting to keep the pressure up on Boks, enough is happening on the Mayeda front to warrant at least a mention.
I just received an email from the County CEO who has referred my complaint against Mayeda to the County Auditor.
WILLIAM T FUJIOKA
Chief Executive Officer
To: J. Tyler McCauley Auditor-Controller
ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PET ADOPTION PRACTICES
Attached, please find a request from Supervisor Antonovich dated September 5, 2007 requesting an investigation into allegations related to the Department of Animal Care and Control. I would appreciate your investigating the concerns addressed in the attached letter and providing a response to the Supervisor, the Department, and our Office.
If you have any questions, please contact me, or your staff may contact Montessa Duckett at (213) 893-2292 or via e-mail at mduckett_u@.ceo.lacountv.gov.
I wonder how long it will take them to bury my complaint.
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OVERVIEW OF THE MASON CASE
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Many have asked me for an overview of the Mason case. I provided such for a long time. But the inquiries keep coming. I now refer everyone to my blog which may have 80 or more entries about the Mason case.
Below are some of the key links to read.
The first several are just the initial posts about Mason and the raid and you need to start here to get a feel for the case. Later on, more and more information began to come out, such as Mason’s private vet before the raid was Cynthia Hockman, who apparently turned Mason in, because she became a Boks’ employee 2-3 weeks after the bust. Also, Ron was not provided the required post seizure hearing about the whereabouts of his cats. Later it was disclosed that the whole bust may have been related to an upcoming contract with Animal Planet to film the Animal Cruelty Task Force in action—the same ones that raided Mason, which produced the videotape we think was an audition tape. Then too, all the Mason evidence was “lost,” as the cover up began.
One of the key pieces of evidence in this case is the Video shot by City TV35 which shows the kind of person Mason is even when in handcuffs—a gentleman—vs. the uniformed “thugs” and Lt. Ortega’s and Social Worker’s psychobabble.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_kJ9nGiVis
Many have asked me for an overview of the Mason case. I provided such for a long time. But the inquiries keep coming. I now refer everyone to my blog which may have 80 or more entries about the Mason case.
Below are some of the key links to read.
The first several are just the initial posts about Mason and the raid and you need to start here to get a feel for the case. Later on, more and more information began to come out, such as Mason’s private vet before the raid was Cynthia Hockman, who apparently turned Mason in, because she became a Boks’ employee 2-3 weeks after the bust. Also, Ron was not provided the required post seizure hearing about the whereabouts of his cats. Later it was disclosed that the whole bust may have been related to an upcoming contract with Animal Planet to film the Animal Cruelty Task Force in action—the same ones that raided Mason, which produced the videotape we think was an audition tape. Then too, all the Mason evidence was “lost,” as the cover up began.
One of the key pieces of evidence in this case is the Video shot by City TV35 which shows the kind of person Mason is even when in handcuffs—a gentleman—vs. the uniformed “thugs” and Lt. Ortega’s and Social Worker’s psychobabble.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_kJ9nGiVis
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Daily News Story:
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Daily News Photo slideshow:
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The most important posts are below. This is about 1/4 of the total.
http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/2007/10/animal-cruelty-task-force-demonstrates.html
The most important posts are below. This is about 1/4 of the total.
http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/2007/10/animal-cruelty-task-force-demonstrates.html
Boks orginal response to criticism of the ACTF raid:
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Boks Response on ther LAAS site to my email criticsm:
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