City Attorney Caused Drowning
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As I mentioned in a previous post, Marc Madow was ordered by the City Attorney's Office to stop feeding or giving water to cats in his yard. He did have a birdbath they drank out of--those who were old enough to reach the water.
Marc also has a swimming pool. One of the kittens drowned last night because no water was available in bowls, and the kitten could not reach the birdbath.
This is the dead kitten's story from Marc Madow:
Thanks Ed for your additional two eMails from today. When I attended the hearing, the "officer" didn't offer me a business card or any other paper or document.
After I left I decided to call the office to see who I had been speaking with that had issued the oral ultimatum. The receptionist looked up my case and said that I had spoken with Mr. Ben Lovato.
I tried to double confirm by saying that he was the guy in the first office on the right on the ground floor and she said yes. I am therefore reasonably sure that he is the person who conducted the informal, voluntary hearing which I attended.
I do think that the commenter on your blog is absolutely right that they should go after or at least counsel the neighbors. I would consider the ongoing throwing of objects at animals something that an animal cruelty task force should address.
An horrible incident has happened overnight or early this morning directly related to the harsh demands of the City Attorney's Office. A young feral cat that was well beyond the kitten stage but not a full-grown cat drowned in our pool.
I hadn't thought of it before but this cat is too big to get nourishment from its Mother anymore but it is too short to drink out of birdbaths.
So, there was water in only two places for this poor creature after yesterday which was the first hot day in a while. There was the birdbath which it couldn't reach and the 40,000 gallons of pool water which it fell into and couldn't climb out of for the same reason that it couldn't reach the birdbath's water: it was too small.
When a full-grown cat falls into the pool it has always gotten out. This is another unintended consequence of our City's laws and discriminatory enforcement.
I'm attaching a photo of the poor creature as it was pulled out of the water. Feel free to use it wherever and whenever you like.
About my contact information, probably it would be fine for people to eMail me, maybe state that the ongoing battle is on Wilkinson Avenue in North Hollywood and you can share my cell phone (503) 703-0449 with your readers or whoever. Marc
I think it is about time that all potential members of the LASPAH take action. I'll try to find the phone number for that City Attorney's Office official, Ben Lovato.
Using LA City way of addessing email, Lavato's email address may be: ben.lovato@lacity.org, or benjamin.lovato@lacity.org.
Marc Madow's email adress: mbgallery@gmail.com
I did admonish Marc that he was partially responsible for not installing a pool cover long ago, or at least netting. However, this does not excuse City Attorney hearing officer Ben Lovato's discriminatory demands.
22 comments:
If I had to choose between allowing one of my kittens to die of dehydration or risk drowning in a pool because I was ordered to stop hydrating them, I would have rather taken them to a vet to have him put to painlessly put him to sleep.
In this way, the kitten didn't die painlessly. He died by torture. First, he became thirsty, then he drowned when he became immersed in that delicious tasting water and couldn't breathe, until his little lungs became filled with it and probably even exploded.
Before anything else happens to those cats, I would take them straight over to the vet before more of them end up dying more horrific deaths by torture.
Next thing you know, the neighbors will be sicking dogs after them too to add to the stress and horror.
They won't survive and they will end up dead on his lawn; in the pool, on the street, crushed and half alive, beaten, shot, torn to shreds by whomever.
The most loving and responsible thing this man could do for those cats at this point, now that he's gone beyond his capcity to protect and care for them, is to take them to the vet.
If animal control won't take them and have them humanely put to sleep and they are going to subject them to further torture somewhere where they'll be thrown out as mouse chasers, then I would take charge and take care of it myself.
I would never allow my cats to go to the shelter by any means. Not my cats. Not on your money, not on your life.
It'll be on my money, and on my life. They're mine at this point, and no one is going to lay a hand on them except if it is going to let them go painlessly.
Then, I would put a stop to any more collection and congregation, or the same thing is going to happen all over again, and the cats are going to lose out.
That kitten should have never been allowed to get so dehydrated and thirsty so that he had to risk his life to get a few drops of water lapped into his little tounge.
"What is done is done."
I wouldn't allow anymore to risk their lives searching for food and water. IT's going to be 100 degrees on Friday. The man is going to end up w/ more cats dying by torture if he doesn't get moving and do something about it fast.
I would bite the bullet, say "I'm sorry," and cry the hell out of my eyes out, and then kick and scream. Afterward. In the meantime, I would work like hell to gather them all up myself and take them to the vet.
I would tell them I love them along the way; Have them humanely sedated, asleep so that they do not feel anything, Hold them in my arms again, and then say good-bye.
Then I would have each and every one of them cremated. I would be there the whole time right to the very end. Until we see each other again across the Rainbow Bridge.
The pain will last a very long time, but no one else that I have taken responsibility for caring for will have to end up tortured to death and hated along the way.
Good luck to the guy and those babies.
It's going to be hard as hell to find a decent, vet who will take on the colony. They are all in it for the money.
The shelter won't take the cats. NOt the ferals, anyway.
The guy is on his own, and so are the cats, unless he takes the bull by the horns and takes charge of the situation.
You try to go the "legal" route...animal protective services, etc....LAPD...court, district attorney's....it takes forever. Another 7 cats and kittens will be found on the guy'front lawn, if not at another neighbor's swimming pool, or down the street eating anti-freeze.
The cats have nowhere to go. The only water available is in the swimming pools, and MAYBE sprinkler systems IF they're out during the time the sprinklers are going. Fat chance for that.
Sorry to be so blunt. I am really worried about those cats and kittens and other people and so many others undergoing the same conditions.
Law or no law. Get 'em to a vet. FAST.
Those cats have been in jeapordy for too long and it's going to keep getting worse, sadly and unfortunately.
That was an understatement. No one knows pain, torture and hatred more than those little guys who have to experience it each and every day just trying to survive.
The guy needs to get going before any more end up tortured to death and drowned in someone else's pool; their heads underneath somebody's tire simply trying to find a shady spot to lay their tiny little heads, or simply trying to get a good drink out of a puddle full of coccidia and giardia along the curb, or underneath a leaky car where some delicious tasting anti-freeze has dropped into the ground.
Come on, you can't be serious. Genocide to prevent them from suffering? The solution you propose is far worse than their situation now.
Why don't you advocate killing all the people in Somalia or elsewhere because they are living in poverty, hungry, or another tribal faction will kill them; Croatia; Uganda; Pakistan. Kill them all before they get killed?
As it is the options are: kill them now painlessly if you can EVER find a vet who will kill a large colony; have a few die a painful suffering death tha might last a few minutes while the rest live to grown up, and possibly live well.
You can't act like God and kill them. No vet would kill them just given the possibility of a painful death. Even the shelter would not do that unless they were unweaned or very sick.
You shouldn't be so frightened of POTENTIAL (and actual) suffering and pain in yourself or others. It is part of life.
Thank you for the recommendation Eed. I'll look into what it costs to get something like like a cover or netting. I never thought of it before. I probably could have gotten several for what I spent on cat food and neutering. We actually never had this occur before the population increased and they took up residence in our area.
I have actually heard large cats boiling out of the bushes a couple of times when they were spooked by objects thrown at them. I went to see what was going on and I saw wet cats running away with a trail of water coming from the pool.
A problem with the pool cover idea is that they can't get the water from our pool anymore and instead will go to the house on the other side which is friendly but doesn't have a cover either or they will try to drink out of the neighbors from hell's fish pond. That means there would be more cats where they are hated.
Can you believe in the middle of an increase in the feral cat population the dummies next door put in a fish pond and got rid of their dog? I just can't understand their thought processes at all.
I'm thick-skinned and can take criticism. I am quite imperfect myself and deserve some. And when you become a public person I know how the rules change.
I've had unfair things happen to me before. Like a broken clock I'm right about something at least twice per day!
-Marc
Marc,
There is only one solution. Put water bowls out back where the neighbor cannot see them.
If Animal Services come they wil make an appointment and you can remove the bowls.
If they raid your house, you are SOL no matter what you do, but at least you cannot be accused of animal neglect by withholding water.
Has anyone contacted Alley Cat Allies to see if they can help humanely relocate the cats?
I'll be calling the city attorney in the morning. Stinking bastard.
"You shouldn't be so frightened of POTENTIAL (and actual) suffering and pain in yourself or others. It is part of life."
Yes, you are right....There are no easy answers.
Poor little babys. All of them...Somalia, Uganda, Croatia.
I'm going to go to Switzerland someday to do the Death by Dignity thing...if it's still around.
Costs about $20,000 now a days, minimum...but I ain't going through no torture.
But, that's me, I suppose.
I suppose a little torture never hurt anybody, if we try to look it at that way, if it's part of life.
Poor little guys. IT's not their fault.
I'm scared for those guys, that's all....
Well, time to get the kitties fed. They're "waiting for that stuff in a can, and it is TIME!"
I got a little behind thinking about Mr. Madow's situation, and they're letting me know they are here, not there!
Silly cats.
"If they raid your house, you are SOL no matter what you do, but at least you cannot be accused of animal neglect by withholding water."
You are soooo right...if he keeps getting dead cats on his lot, no matter who told him to stop hydrating them, he might get slapped w/ animal cruelty charges.
Hey Marc-
If you don't want to go the pool cover route, you can buy a couple of Scamper Ramps. They are plastic ramps that float at water level and allow animals to escape pools. Apparently a swimming animal can't see the pool stairs, but they can see this thing because its white and at eye level. I can't say how effective it is because I've never tried it but it might be worth looking into.
There is also video about it, just google "scamper ramp" on utube.
Damned if you do give water, damned it you don't. Sheeesh. What a messed up city we live in.
I would continue to feed and water the cats and not let anyone in without a warrant. You didn't mention (or I missed it)under what authority they ordered you to stop giving water to the cats. If they are ordering you to stop based on a city ordinance of some kind,it may be invalid, all city ordinances must be based on a state law.
NEVER deal with anyone who has not properly identified himself. If you must speak with anyone, be sure to record all such meetings.
Gary is dead-on right.
Animal Services can cite you for not having a kennel license, BUT THEY CANNOT TELL YOU TO COMMIT ANIMAL CRUELTY by not feeding them, giving them water of shelter.
That is demanding you perform animal neglect and animal abandonment, chargeable either as a misdemeanor or felony.
The cat that drowned was a true feral cat that no human has ever touched as far as I know. It was born in the bushes in some nearby neighbor's yard during kitten season. Its parents may have been some of the visitors to our yard since many of the local ferals come by and relax for a while. This young cat was well beyond the kitten stage. I couldn't have caught this cat with my bare hands if I wanted to. They are quick, wary and usually mindreaders too. Had this tragedy not occured I would have hoped to have been able to trap this cat and get it fixed before returning it to "the wild" of Wilkinson, a mostly cat friendly neighborhood of people with respect for all of the critters we share the local landscape with. If anyone is interested, I have learned a lot about how people can relate to and understand cats in a positive way through a wonderful book which was loaned to me. There is a copy at the special collections reference desk at the Glendale library in their special collection of cat books. The title of this book is "The Cats of Wildcat Hill" by Charis Weston and includes wonderful photographs of the cats by Edward Weston. You can't read this book and not be affected by it.
Thank you so much for the Skamper Ramp tip. I just ordered two for my pool.
Gary,
I would agree to not letting them in your house without a warrant. Unfortunately it takes nothing to get a warrant. At least not in TX, and apparently not in CA either, judging by what happened to Ron Mason.
So if they come knocking at your door yes - do not let them in - then immediately move all your animals to safety because they will be back with a warrant.
Now this guy can't do this because the cats are feral. Which is why again my suggestion would be to call ACA and ask them for help.
Also, if they raid your house, and want it to look like there's no water there, they won't have the least problem pouring it out.
In Palm Beach County Florida, it's against the law to feed a feral cat colony, and to feed a homeless person!
What is this world coming to?
Another example why cats should not be left outside to fend for themselves.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_9259019?source=most_viewed
What about the ones we don't know about?? This is quality of life??
"What about the ones we don't know about?? This is quality of life??"
Yeah, another reason why breeders like this should go to jail. He breeds cats so that they're left outside, brings a ton of them in, only after he finds them dead on his lot, and then decides it's time to spay and neuter.
The breeder is responsible for "leaving them outside." Yeah. And he's responsible for their death tolls too, like the UNSPAYED FEMALE in the pool.
Stop enabling this man.
Madow's blog is an open testimony to the animal cruelty he has been perpetrating and continues to do so.
These breeders need a shot of their own cocktail in the vein, no anesthesia, in order to wake them up.
What have you last 2 anonymous posters been smoking? And is it legal in CA?
Yeah...seems Kelley can't see straight because it seems like she's the one smoking the stuff.
First of all, she can't read, and second of all, she only sees what she wants to see, because it is possible that she is not only enabling this Marc Madow to keep abusing his animals, but it is possible that she also does the same damn thing.
She can't see the abuse even when it is staring at her in the face, even after the guy has stated word for word how he has been collecting and feeding those cats and irresponsibly breeding them.
That man should be paying $500 minimum for all the unwanted and homeless cats he has bred over the years, plus animal cruelty charges for putting them in a position where not only raccoons, oppossums, squirrels, and cats are congregating and breeding, but are now being tortured by the community because he was breeding out of control.
Stop taking that shit and open your eyes if you're doing the same thing in that southern town of yours, Kelley.
Breeders and enablers go hand in hand, like child abusers, and drug addicts.
Using cats and watching them proliferate while you do nothing to stop it, particualarly when their pregnant and ready to pop---and allowing them to breed and have their babies inside your home is sick and assenine, and people like you not only do nothing to stop it, but cry boo-hoo when the idiots start complaining that no one likes the cats.
They started the abuse, and they're going to keep it up if people like you keep patting them on the back.
You laugh in the face of the spay and neuter task force and you laugh in the face of all the people who are fighting to protect the unborn from coming into the world only to undergo this kind of cruetly at the hands of irresponsible FEEDERS and BREEDERS who call themselves animal lovers and animal caretakers.
Go ahead keep enable these Breeder-Feeders, and watch and see how we'll never reach no-kill because not only our shelters, but the streets will be flooded with sickness and death.
Irresponsible Feeder/Breeders are not Caretakers, they're crimminals, and those who support them are killers because the animals will eventually die horrific deaths, as they have been on that man's lot and continue to do so.
I answered your question, Kelley, but the web designer deleted it.
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