From ADL

Barnette getting GREAT REVIEWS from LAAS employees, volunteers and rescuers!

It seems that the new General Manager at LA Animal Services, Brenda Barnette, is working 24/7 to enact programs, protocols and procedures that will save the lives of our City's homeless animals. This news comes from ADL-LA's inside sources, some of whom have been reliably reporting to us for the past six years and have first hand knowledge of all the horrible, old school, catch-and-kill policies that previous GM's have allowed to continue.   

 

The last General Manager, Ed Boks, spent more time lying about what he was doing on his LAAS 'BLOG' then doing anything to help animals. Employees are telling us that Brenda Barnette is a very different personality than the self promoter Ed Boks. Apparently she has been implementing essential changes in the department and implementing progressive, humane programs but doesn't spew about it.

 

On one hand the employees are telling ADL-LA that they never saw a harder working, bright or more caring GM than Brenda Barnette, yet because she's not a showman like Boks, the humane community doesn't hear about all the positive changes going on at the various shelters. Some of these changes have been big, and some small; but they all add up to the goal of making our six LA City Shelters the FIRST PLACE the public thinks of when they are interested in adopting, volunteering, fostering or donating. 

 

If the public doesn't associate all the wonderful animals for adoption at every one of the six city shelters, and go into the six city shelters FIRST to look for a companion animal(s) then it really doesn't matter how well the shelters are being run. Now that Barnette is getting the basic running of the shelters up to a higher more progressive and humane standard, creative advertising needs to be done to finally get the PUBLIC, not just New Hope Partners and rescuers, into the shelters to adopt, foster, volunteer and donate. 

 

The city's budget doesn't allow for advertising, but that what it's going to take to get people to do their first and last stop shopping to adopt, volunteer, foster and donate at one of the six city shelters, instead of buying from a pet store or breeder. From what our inside sources are telling ADL-LA (both inside the actual shelters and our sources in administration) Barnette is also working on that angle.

 

Again we say with great humility that Antonio Villaraigosa, Jim Bickhart and the City Council finally chose the right person for the job and to ADL-LA it's a miracle still! 

 

Unfortunately for the homeless and lost animals of our city, there are still a few whackos' out there (like Phyllis Daugherty, aka Syphilis) who are trying to attack the very person bringing hope and positive change to one of LA's most corrupt and archaic departments.

 

ADL-LA will not allow a few wackjobs to try and obstruct the hard work being done by this impressive, progressive, humane and hard working GM and the humane community shouldn't either. If you hear any negatives about Barnette from a few folks in the local humane community, you just have to "look into the backgrounds" of those who are still resentful of Barnette getting the position in the first place.

 

Positive change is hard, especially when LAAS has been run so miserably for so many years; ADL-LA asks those critics to give Barnette a chance and to understand that it takes time to turn around a hugely mismanaged and disorganized department that is mired in wretchedness and hopelessness for the animals imprisoned there, combined with having to deal with egos and immaturity on the part of many of the "old timers." Add that to the fact that we're sure that anything anyone tries to do to help the department is mired in the red tape of our city's bureaucracy as the shelters are a "political" department of a City in a state which is basically bankrupt (both monetarily and morally.)

 

So our sources are giving Barnette an A+ for her first five months of being General Manager. ADL-LA will continue to keep a close eye on Barnette, the department, city council and the city of Los Angeles, and believe us when we say that we have developed enough solid sources inside the department and city that ADL-LA will let you know if things change and keep you informed of how YOU can help Barnette save lives at LAAS!