JANUARY LIVE SAVE RATE HIGHEST EVER--84%

LAAS had the highest live-save rate ever last month, 83.75%!


This marks a good improvement over all previous performances, and in many people eyes would border on No-Kill if the results held for the entire year. Of course January is one of the three lowest impound months of the year and cannot be taken as representative.


One other problem is that a month in isolation doesn't tell the whole story.


For example, if I run the numbers for dogs and cats independently, and check against the "dogs and cats" combined outcomes, I get slightly different numbers.


For January, the live save rate for dogs alone was 80.2%, and cats was 82.9%. However, when I used the dogs and cats charts, the live save rate was 83.75%, which means there were some number problems coordinating the three sets of numbers.


Also, the number of "cats" outcomes for January was significantly higher than the number of impounds. For example, cat impounds were listed as 682 for January, but there were 856 listed outcomes, or 174 more cats left the shelter in January than were impounded that month, meaning the January numbers are not totally representative because they include cats impounded in previous months.


Indeed, 224 cats were euthanized in January, and another 29 died during care, for a total of 253 animals that were not live releases. If we compare that number to the number impounded in January, we get a live release rate of only 63%.  However, if we compare that death rate with the total outcomes for January adjusted for DOA impounds, or 819 cats, the live save rate is 69%, still lower than the 82.9% total obtained when calculating using the lower real January impound number.


In any event, LAAS did very well in January compared to previous years.

Winograd and Metropole File Appeal of Ruling Against the Longcore Lawsuit

No Kill Advocacy Center

Groups File Emergency Appeal in Court to Save Cats     No Kill Advocacy Center and Stray Cat Alliance File Emergency Motion in Los Angeles Superior Court to Intervene in Lawsuit Against City Brought by Urban Wildlands and other Groups       The No Kill Advocacy Center and Stray Cat Alliance filed an emergency motion in Los Angeles Superior Court today asking the court to allow them to intervene as Defendants in the case of Urban Wildlands Group vs. City of Los Angeles (LASC BS115483).  Urban Wildlands and other groups sued the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Animal Services for attempting to work with community groups and non-profit organizations whose missions are focused on protection of free-roaming (homeless, stray, and unsocialized “feral”) cats. These programs help reduce the population of free-roaming cats and prevent impounds in the City’s seven animal shelters where thousands of healthy cats and kittens are killed annually.  The plaintiffs claim that stray cats harm the ecosystem by preying on birds. In December, the Superior Court ordered the City of Los Angeles to cease all work with community groups that work to prevent shelter killing of free-roaming cats through the sterilization method known as Trap-Neuter-Return (“TNR”). As a result of the ruling, the City can no longer inform the public about TNR services available in the community. The ruling will result in thousands of cats being needlessly killed at taxpayer expense in City shelters, while doing virtually nothing to stem any perceived loss of bird life. If the motion to intervene is granted, both No Kill Advocacy Center andStray Cat Alliance —whose missions include saving the lives of free roaming and feral cats in Los Angeles and other communities—will be able to seek modification and appeal of the court’s order. “This ruling does nothing to save birds, while threatening to needlessly kill cats at taxpayer expense. We cannot allow this ruling to force the City to turn back the clock on shelter policies to the dark days of ‘catch and kill’ being the official policy,” said Christi Metropole, Executive Director ofStray Cat Alliance. “At the same time, the ruling does not affect the real cause for bird species decline, namely human encroachment, human activities, human pollution and use of toxic pesticides.” According to Nathan J. Winograd, Director of the national No Kill Advocacy Center, “the court’s broad ruling failed to consider several points of fact and law that we are prepared to present as defendants in the action. We believe that had the court considered these points, it would not have issued this misguided ruling. In fact, parts of the ruling conflict with state law and oversteps the court’s authority over the legislative branch of government.” Winograd also said that, “Blaming animals who cannot defend themselves gives the environmental groups the appearance of working to find a solution to bird decline, but their opposition to TNR is counterproductive to the cause they claim to represent. An end to information about TNR will cause increases in feral cat populations because when the only option is killing, people will not ask for assistance with these cats. A recent national study found that over 80% of people surveyed consider it more ethical to leave a cat out on the street than to turn the cat over to animal control to be killed. And for those feral cats who do end up at the shelter, their killing is a tragic certainty.” "We will not allow them (cats) to get killed," said Metropole.  The No Kill Advocacy Center is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ending the systematic killing of animals in U.S. shelters.Stray Cat Alliance is dedicated to ending the killing of cats in and around Los Angeles. The No Kill Advocacy Center and Stray Cat Alliance are represented by the national law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Los Angeles.   Facts about TNR Fact: TNR reduces feral cat populations and it does so humanely. Urban Wildlands and the other environmental groups claim they are opposed to TNR because they care about birds and want to reduce the number of feral cats in Los Angeles who prey on birds. This is false. An multi-year study in Ohio found that cat impounds and deaths were increasing at all those shelters, and  feral cats were most at risk of being killed, except  for those with sterilization programs. In addition, a survey of San Francisco cat colonies in the 1990s found that every single one at which a TNR program was implemented saw population numbers decline. This is consistent with national and regional studies which found that 80% of owned pet cats were already sterilized, and that any attempts to increase the proportion of neutered cats in the United States must include stray and feral cats. In order to reduce cat numbers, cat impounds, cat deaths, and by extension, any perceived bird predation, it is important to sterilize the feral population, since the alternative is not removal of feral cats, but doing nothing.  Municipalities do not engage in large scale cat removal campaigns, nor do they generally engage in direct TNR efforts. But in partnering with groups that do, calls about stray cats, cat impounds, cat deaths, and the number of free roaming cats decline. Fact: Cats do not impact bird populations. A consensus of the scientific literature, independent of those promulgated by special interest advocacy organizations such as those that make up the petititioning environmental groups in this case, have exonerated cats in any bird decline on continents, and identify a different cause: habitat destruction by humans. Another major culprit is the use of pesticides—particularly toxic lawn care products, insecticides, fungicides, and rodenticides. Other studies point to drought, forest fragmentation, and trapping by humans. Unless we conclude that predation studies conducted on four continents are all wrong, feral cats should no longer be unfairly implicated in any decimation of bird populations.    ♦   Cats, Birds & The Law Save the Date! Join Nathan Winograd in Los Angeles on March 30 for a two-hour seminar on cats, predation, and the law at the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Attorneys and paralegals eligible for two hours of CLE credit. Non-attorneys welcome. The seminar will be followed by a book signing for his new book, Irreconcilable Differences. All proceeds from the sales of books benefit the lifesaving work of Stray Cat Alliance.

♦ No Kill Advocacy Center 6114 La Salle Ave. #837 Oakland CA 94611 www.nokilladvocacycenter.org Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address which cannot accept incoming e-mail.Please do not reply to this message. No Kill Advocacy Center Links The nation's premier No Kill resource is only a mouse click away What's New Projects & Campaigns Reforming Animal Control Shelter Tour No Kill Advocate Membership & Donations DONATE NOW by clicking below:

Mayor Wants More Feedback and Help on GM Selection

Dear Friend of L.A.s Companion Animals:

The City of Los Angeles soon will be interviewing candidates for the position of General Manager of the Department of Animal Services.  I take this process very seriously and have worked to involve interested members of the public in the process since its inception last fall.

Now, I would like to ask you to suggest questions you think the candidates should be asked during the semi-final and final interviews that will take place in the coming weeks.  Your suggested questions will be considered for use in the final rounds of interviews.

There are several categories of inquiry the interviews will cover:

1.  Philosophy:  Regarding organizational management as well as animal issues.

2.  Administrative Operations:  Approaches to dealing with the departments administrative functions and challenges, including human resources, budgeting, revenue generation, accounting, staff management, the volunteer program, public relations, community relations and education, legislative activities, etc.

3.  Shelter and Field Operations:  Approaches to dealing with what happens in the Animal Care Centers, including animal care, law enforcement, adoption programs, population management, medical care, etc.

4.  Problem Solving/Meeting Challenges:  Could be about any aspect of running the department, but should focus on presenting a plausible problem or issue and asking how it can best be resolved.

When you submit your questions, please include the number of the category your question covers.  There is no limit on the number of questions you can submit or how many times you can submit questions.  I ask you to be thoughtful, creative and respectful in how you approach this undertaking.
Questions should be submitted by e-mail 
per.execsearch@lacity.org 

Please type LAAS GM Questions in the subject line and submit your questions by 5 p.m., Monday, March 1, 2010.
Very Truly Yours,

Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor

City Pulls Pet Press From Shelters Due to Loncore's Lawsuit

From Lori Golden:


I just found out on Saturday that the City was directed to pull all copies of The Pet Press from the shelters, because of the info I include about feral cats and TNR.

I do not blame Kathy Davis or the shelters themselves. In fact, they are quite upset about this.

Attached is the TNR judgment from Judge Thomas J. McKnew, Jr - Kathy directed
me to page 4 which deals directly with this issue.

All these years the shelters are not supposed to promote private businesses either - yet my paper is filled with ads for them and the shelters give them out.

Please spread the word thru your blog that if people would like to get stacks of the latest issue of The Pet Press, to feel free to go to their nearest shelter and ask for a stack of them.

I don't think the shelters have thrown the papers out.

Thanks, Ed.

Lori


FROM PAGE 4 of the judgement:



3. Defendants City of Los Angeles et al. are specifically PROHIBITED from undertaking the following actions:


Promoting TNR for feral cats and encouraging or assisting third parties to carry out a TNR program by doing any of the following:


Assist or provide incentives for, or otherwise facilitate the capture, sterilization and release of feral cat;


Provide discounts or discount vouchers for spay or neuter surgeries for feral cats;
Release feral cats from shelters to TNR groups or individuals;


Provide information about or cyberlinks to feral cat groups, programs, seminars or workshops on 

Los Angeles City website(s);

Develop or distribute literature on the TNR program or by conducting public outreach on TNR 

using press releases, fliers or other media except in conjunction with the proposed CEQA process;

Waiving cat trap rental fees or security deposits for TNR groups or individuals pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal


Interfering with or discouraging any City officials or land managers' attempt to enforce any laws or regulations that 

relate to feral cats and feral cat colonies.

Refusing to issue traps for capturing nuisance feral cats,


Referring complaints about feral cats to TNR groups or individuals.


Refusing to accept trapped feral cats.


Notice the City is not allowing any feral cats to be pulled from the shelters by TNR groups or individuals.


TNR people have been telling me they no longer have vouchers. They can get vouchers from friends, but the vouchers have to describe the cats as to sex, age and color, name them and attach an owners name and they have a time limit of 45 days.


So, a manager must trap a cat and hold onto it until a friend can get a voucher for said described cat, then make an appointment for S/N surgery, then hold onto and release the cat a few days later. This is far more difficult than the mass trapping and S/N operations of most TNR groups, which means they can't be nearly as effective.


How many cats has Travis Longcore killed so far?


CALL TRAVIS DIRECTLY. TELL HIM WHAT YOU THINK OF HIM:


(310) 247-9719

TO ME:


REPEAT) Dear Ed, 


Some months ago I found your writings. After reading your experiences with awakening in the shower, I went to the shower and experienced a huge opening. However, it did not persist more than an hour. Whenever I read your writings, my attention is moved to truth, but it always returns to the false (so far).


So, there is a desire to anchor this awareness in Truth. Only in this way can I serve the whole. Perhaps the awakening is coming to all of humanity and there is nothing to “do”, perhaps not. Whatever, I feel inclined to give full attention to that which is important which is to focus on Truth and live from what I “know” myself to be. However, it feels like I need assistance to move in this way. There are deep psychological patterns which limit love expression.


Is it possible to work with you? If so, how do you see it taking place? 

With deep gratitude,

T.


A few days later: 


Dear Ed,


I know that I need to be still and silent...for this, I need to act, which means it (Truth of being) MUST be more important than giving attention to the mind agendas. It means dropping attention to habitual mind activities, which means constant watching and choosing truth.


Thank you for itisnotreal.com I am finding many gems there.


I real-eyes that I have been somewhat regressing (attention back to old ego-mind patterns) since my first awakening years ago.  It feels like this has happened due to an absence of practice, which came about by the mind grabbing the 'nothing to do' belief of others to whom I listened.  Also, I moved to Costa Rica where I have not had the benefits of all the sanghas and satsangs I enjoyed in the US...slowly this attention moved from what is real to the unreal. Life will not allow me to dabble much more in the unreal...
In deep gratitude for your sharing the truth...


T.


RESPONSE:


You have to start all over I am afraid. You know where you are going, but you need the spiritual energy back.


This means using the Nisargadattta Gita and begin all over again, isolating the sense of I, and meditating on it. It will bring happiness, then bliss, and then grace takes over.


But you do need the effort.


Ed


TO ME:


I know...


Thanks for the re-minders...guidance


There is openness to drop beliefs, even those Advaitic beliefs, which I guess were a form of worship...


I have listened to Adyashanti for years, but without practice...


Namaste


T.

Jimmy to Move in Five Months

In order to avoid a trial, Jimmy signed papers with the court agreeing to moving from his bridge behind Bed Bath and Beyond in Northridge by June.


Part of the problem he is sick of living in a tent under harassment from the courts. The other problem is the crappy weather in Northridge, 106 to sometimes 112 degrees in the summer, and down to 30 degrees in the Winter. AND, his cats keep getting killed. There is a lot of emotional trauma dealing with feral cats. They get sick and die and they get run over or killed by dogs and coyotes. Jimmy is burnt out.


Also, the people that have been giving Jimmy food for the 34 cats he tends, also have burnt out. They aren't coming much anymore, and the burden on me has been increasing enormously lately.


Jimmy can really, really use food for his cats. If you can help, drop some off by his tent behind BBB in Northridge, near Tampa and Nordhoff. I usually give him 100 cans and 2-3 bags of dry food a month, but that is a drop in the bucket compared to his needs.

Next Tuesday Council Opens Discussion on Privatizing Shelters

http://ens.lacity.org/clk/councilagendas/clkcouncilagendas364838_02092010.pdf


Item 31. It looks like this will be a request for staff to look into the requisites to privatize one or more shelters. This could be the best thing to happen to LAAS in many years according to Nathan Winograd. It certainly would take the employees out of civil service and City Personnel protection, but would not remove the unions. But this would be a big step.


Imagine if Bonnie Brown or a local rescue organization with sheltering experience took over, let us say, East LA, and turned it around. Then the City would privatize the others.


Of course, it could turn out to be a disaster.

Indybay Article on Killer Tainted Formula From Petag

FDA finds Petag responsible in tainted infant formula

by Animal Activist Tuesday Feb 2nd, 2010 12:25 PM

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just found Petag responsible for the tainted formula that sickened and killed infant animals. An independent lab analysis of the product showed insufficient nutrition, extreme levels of fiber and toxic levels of heavy metal copper.

puppykitten.jpg

January 29, 2010 the FDA finished their investigation into Petag. Petag is the number one manufacturer of kitten and puppy milk in the world as per the company's website. Their formulas KMR and Esbilac sickened and killed many animals in 2009. These formulas are also used for orphaned wildlife such as cheetahs, raccoons, squirrels and opossums who also died.

Only after the FDA began their investigation did Petag publicly admit on their website that their KMR kitten formula was bad and should not be used. This was after months of reports of kittens and other animals who got diarrhea and died. Even though the company admitted on their website that they received multiple complaints CEO and co-owner George Gill told the FDA that they only received one complaint.

COO and company owner Darlene Frudakis admitted in a December 17, 2009 radio interview on "Where the fur flies" that their KMR formula was spoiled from heat and should not be used. Unfortunately Frudakis did not alert consumers or distributors of the problems with the product. She merely posted a small note on the company website. The tainted product is still on store shelves. The FDA does not have the power to force recalls on pet food items. The company must initiate their own recalls. Petag has not done this.

When informed about the spoiled formula from consumers Pet Sense pet stores removed all of the product from their 31 stores nationwide. One manager of one Petco store removed the tainted product after consumer complaints. It is not known at this time if Petco or PetSmart removed all of the tainted formula from all of their stores nationwide. The tainted KMR smells rancid and appears more yellow than white. Do not use this formula.

Animal Advocates in Los Angeles, California was the organization which made the initial report to the FDA. More information about the problems is available on the Animal Advocates website. http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/02/02/18636816.php