I just talked to Officer Demascio from the West Valley Shelter, who said they have always enforced this law. Feeding ferals is not illegal, but feeding non domesticated predators is. She stated food left for ferals CAN be eaten by non-domesticated predators.
Don't they have to prove such predators are eating food left for ferals, rather than an unintended consequence might be that such mammals also eat the food? One is not deliberately feeding these mammals when the food is left for ferals who are feeding while you watch.
Or, as the rude woman at the West Valley Shelter told Kim Mixon, the cats can eat birds and mice.
Enforcement of this code eliminate TNR in Los Angeles.
SEC. 53.06.5. FEEDING OF NON-DOMESTICATED MAMMALIAN PREDATORS PROHIBITED.
(Amended by Ord. No. 175,383, Eff. 9/14/03.)
(a) No person shall feed or in any manner provide food or cause to be fed any non-domesticated mammalian predator including, but not limited to, coyotes, foxes, possums, raccoons and skunks.
(b) This section shall not apply to any person who has legal possession of any non-domesticated mammalian predator and who has a permit from the State Department of Fish and Game to keep the animal. This section shall not apply to any person who provides food or water to any non-domesticated mammalian predator while the animal is injured, trapped or unweaned provided that the person notifies the State Department of Fish and Game within 48 hours of commencing the care.
(c) Any person violating this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not more than six months, or by both a fine and imprisonment.
Regarding your TNR e-mail to Brenda, I couldn't agree with you more. There are so many officers who go out and tell people to stop feeding. I hope you get a response. I met her at the Town Hall Meeting last week and prior to that at another meeting, and she does like ferals. Let me know any updates.
ReplyDeleteSo.... I guess we need to take extraordinary efforts to make sure that only the feral cats are able to eat the food. One such method would be to only place the food out where it would be under direct observation at all times. The so-called crime is only committed if the wild beasts they forbid us to feed actually get any food. One could remove the food after all the cats eat and then we would not be at risk of breaking the "law". What a great way to spend scarce tax dollars going after people who make food available to critters on the forbidden list. If you park in front of a fire hydrant where someone could conceivably die by a delay in the fire truck hooking up to the water the fine is probably about fifty bucks. But if you let some of nature's wild animals get fed you are committing a much more serious crime and need to be fined accordingly. Please pass the Advil and beam me up Scotty.
ReplyDeleteThat code does not apply to cats.
ReplyDeleteCats are a domesticated animal--feral or not feral.
While it is not surprising that some ACOs are misinterpreting the law (How can they not? The have no operations manual. Their own AGM Barth does the same thing as does the City Attorney for Animal Services, Dov Lesel.) I don't see how TNR is dead here. This is one District making this assertions and they, most likely will NOT be backed up by Barnette. I'd sure like to be informed if ANYONE gets a $1000 citation.