Lets Turn the Old WLA Shelter Over to Non-Profit Hands
My in-shelter contacts tell me that the West LA old location may be open for single or multiple rescue organizations to take over operations there.
It is perfect for that purpose as that is what that location has been doing for years.
Remember, Winograd's favored model is having the Muni shelters to work hand in hand with private non-profits.
This is the model that worked in San Francisco and now in Reno, where not only do they have multiple rescue groups, they also have a large non-profit shelter. Ditto Ithaca N.Y.
I sent out an email to many regarding the above.
I received an email stating the Mayor wants to sell all excess property to balance the budget and Councilman Rosendahl wants it for low cost housing. The response also said the zoning would not permit the usage of the animal shelter as an animal shelter!
This assumes that the grandfathered zoning usage has a time limit to the duration of LAAS tenancy. It also assumes no variance is possible even though that has been its usage for many years. It also assumes that the kennel permit will not be granted by the Dept. which has the option to do so, as they set the conditions.
The location for the private groups that would operate the shelter is perfect. It is a dynamite location that is known for exactly the same purpose, the sheltering and adopting of animals.
It would be the case of publicly funded operation turned over to private group, who in turn could contract to BH or Culver, and thus have mixed public/private operation and funding.
With private funding, it would add essentially a seventh shelter (since the Mission shelter is not open to the public) with no public (LA City) expense, which is essential now given the recent, dramatic increase in City impounds.
This could decrease the burden on the City system by 10% or better, at no City expense, and would allow New Hope partners to adopt out hundreds or thousands more pets that otherwise would be killed.
There may be space available at other locations in the City, but none better than a venue already dedicated to the same usage with the infrastructure a new operation would require.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Since the city has a HUGE deficit and it's getting worse next year (the mayor just put the word out that all departments will receive budget cuts next year) the old shelter properties are due to be sold at public auction. Unless a rescue group can come up with the money to purchase the property at fair market value, this isn't going to be an option. The city is not longer leasing to not for profits at discount rates.
Is this true?
How can we know for sure?
Who can we call?
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-labudget4-2008oct04,0,2191429.story
Not sure to which part you are asking is true? The above link to the budget "crisis."
You can call the City General Services department to find out which properties are slated to go up for auction. They will also tell you they are cutting off all lease deals with not for profits. It does not bring the city revenue and they have to justify every $ at this point.
The old shelters (all of them) are on the chopping block.
I have a question for you Ed. I've tried to go back and read your blog, but starting from the beginning, haven't gotten to the place where it all went bad with Boks for you. Can you lead me to the place where you went from defending him to wanting him out? Or you can nutshell it and reply here, what happened?
See the post on February 4, 07. We just discovered after seeing the yearly stats that Animal Services was not doing nearly as well as Ed stated, and we called into question why we wanted to continue to support him.
Then, because a lot of people were against Boks and we defended him, they came after us.
At that point, Boks sort of disappeared leaving us hanging.
In order to prove he was not favoring any of his supporters, he decided to have Animal Services do a "One year" inspection of this person's property to prevent allegations that he was protecting anyone or working with anyone (me and others) against his detractors.
First I felt amazement for being taken in by him about how well he was doing, then I felt a sense of betrayal when he disappeared when I needed support, and I had been there for him, and when he had his employees "inspect" this other persons home.
Mostly a sense of betrayal started it, but over the next months it was ever more evident that Boks was failing and had done nothing to help the animals.
After a while, it has just become habit. I don't attack him that much anymore, as others have come in and are doing just fine in this area.
Now I am spreading wider in my investigations, like Pierce College and the County.
Post a Comment