TOWN HALL MEETINGS: “INCREASING PET LIMITS IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES”

There will be two meeting to get input from citizens about the proposal to raise the pet limits (see flyer below and/or attached). Currently, a pet guardian in Los Angeles is permitted to keep a maximum of three dogs and three cats over four months of age.  On June 4, 2010, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl introduced a motion, seconded by Councilmember Paul Koretz, to amend the LAMC to raise the number of dogs and cats that a City resident may own from three to five.

If you believe this is a good idea, please attend one of the meeting, speak and tell ALL of your friends to do the same. We must show the Council members that saying “Yes” to the increased pet limits is the right thing to do and it is what the community wants.

You will be ask to give your first name and if you live in the City of Los Angeles. No one will ask for any other information.  It is really important to show up and make a simple statement in support if you want the limits raised. There are two opportunities and you are welcome to attend both town hall meetings.

We believe that raising the pet limits will help us save more animals’ lives and will increase revenues through dog licenses. Here are a few facts to consider:

·         Oahu, Hawaii is an island with a high population and limited land mass. If you live in a residential area, you can have no more than ten dogs, aged 4-months or older. There is no law governing the number of cats, birds or other companion animals you may keep.

·         Riverside County’s limit is nine cats before a kennel permit is required. San Diego County and Santa Barbara County have no cat limits.  The City of Santa Monica has no number limit on either dogs or cats.

·         These cities are not having any increased problems with dangerous dogs or hoarders. In fact, the City Attorney for Santa Monica specifically said that there is no discussion of adding limits.

·         For the last 10 years, the City of San Diego has not had a cat limit. The limit on dogs is 6.The Live Save rate for San Diego County Animal Services that covers both the City and the County is 82% for dogs and 54% for cats (FY 2008-09 with intake of 48,878). During this same FY 2008-09. The Live Save rate for Los Angeles is 73% for dogs and just under 39% for cats.

PLEASE help get the word out! Do it for the animals who are counting on us.

Come join us on one of the following dates:

Date/Time/Location

Thursday, September 16, 2010  

6:30 p.m.

East Valley Animal Care Center

14409 Vanowen Street

Van Nuys, CA 91405

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

6:30 p.m.

West Los Angeles Animal Care Center

11361 W. Pico Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90064

PETA Undercover---Animal Abuse at a Research Lab

Disturbing Laboratory Animal Abuse

• Written By: Susan Thixton
• 9-9-2010
• Categorized in: Pets

The Associated Press tells a horrible story of animal abuse at a North Carolina research lab.  The Professional Laboratory and Research Services Inc. was caught in undercover video abusing dogs, cats, and rabbits.  I was unable to finish watching the video; it was more than I can handle.  Reading the story is disturbing enough.  

Quotes from the MSNBC.com Associated Press story:
"Another clip shows an employee at Professional Laboratory and Research Services Inc. purposely letting a cat grasp a fence with its claw before yanking it in an apparent attempt to rip off its nails, according to PETA's account of the video. In another portion, a caretaker drops a dog back to the ground before pushing it into the cage with a foot. Another scene shows a dog squirming through a tooth removal as workers acknowledge that the sedation drug is a couple years past its expiration and may not be working very well."  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39060229

Care2.com reports that the lab in the center of this investigation "is a contract laboratory that tests animal-companion products such as flea and tick sprays and spot treatments on animals.  Their clients include: Bayer, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Novartis, Schering-Plough (now Merck), Sergeants's, Wellmark and Merial, the makers of Frontline flea and tick products."http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/abuse-at-north-carolina-lab/

Should you wish to view the video, please know it is heartbreaking.  Within the few moments I watched of the video, I saw animals desperately pleading for affection, while one worker physically and verbally abused them.  I was in tears (in just a few moments of watching it).  Needless to say, it is difficult to watch.  http://www.peta.org/FeaturePLRS.asp

Please write North Carolina District Attorney Frank Parrish (who is investigating) in support of prosecuting Professional Laboratory and Research Services Inc. to the fullest extent of the law. http://www.ncdistrictattorney.org/frankparrish/frankparrish.htm

To BRENDA BARNETTE ON ANIMAL SERVICES SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE KENNEL LAW

Brenda Barnette,

Both ACTF and AS are being highly selective concerning enforcement of the kennel law.

Several weeks ago, Off. Ramirez, one of your ACT, as well as an Off. Ramirez from the ACTF, responded to a large community outcry about dead and dying cats at an address on Leadwell St.

One person, Mary Cummins, was there with 6 other rescuers. She was told, as were the others, by both Ramirez's, that the City could do nothing because the property owners--this is an apartment building--denied the cats were theirs, despite obvious feeding on the property as well as inside. Her email message to me is below. There were 7 witness to these "official" policy statements by the Ramirez's.

Below is a link to my blog where I posted a large, detailed discussion of the event at Leadwell:

http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/2010/08/city-no-longer-enforcing-cat-kennel-law.html

Yet, it seems the ACTF and AS are obsessed with enforcing the kennel law on others, after frequent bogus "anonymous" complaints come into the dept. about some sort of animal violation occurring at a residence. Inspections of those properties often reveal no violation other than too many animals, at which point, the resident is given a Notice to Comply with MC 53.50, too many cats or dogs. This begins a long, man hour and resource eating follow up process by the dept., which can go on for years, despite the fact that the residence is clean and healthy.

It has been alleged by many commentors to my blog that these "anonymous" complaints originate from within the dept. The dept. refuses to investigate the source of these anonymous calls.

It happened to me. Someone complained I was feeding sick and dying cats in my backyard and backyard enclosure. The complainant said they saw a dead cat on my front lawn. The same day as I found out what the complaint was, I asked for an inspection, and an officer came out and found no violations. The backyard enclosure is only a fenced in area, with a fence top, and is not a structure. I had never fed feral or roaming cats in my yard.

I then asked Kathy and Jim Bickhart for an internal investigation of where the call or source came from, and Kathy just refused to investigate. A month later there was another complaint from Building and Safety that I was maintaining a "cat kennel" in my back yard. I talked to the inspector and told about the inspection by AS and sent him photos of my back yard with the fenced in area. He said it was fine. 

Again I asked for an investigation because as an outsider, the City tends to hide everything, even when given requests for public records. Jim asked Kathy to investigate. Again she refused although she gave me the name of the originating agency, ACTF, and a contact number.

Months ago I sent a request for records regarding, among other things, the number of AS investigations of residents with complaints of too many cats. 

After repeated requests and followups, 47 days later I got an email from Linda Barth that the dept. did not have this info. Can you believe that? This seems like a coverup of excessive use of the kennel law as an abuse of authority with absolutely no way for the public to respond as the dept. routinely refuses to release information.

It appears from the recent TV program about the ACTF, and my own experience with Ron Mason in the past, as well as the recent experience at Leadwell, that something smells in the dept. regarding selective enforcement of M.C. 53.50--the kennel law--, and an abject abandonment of responsibility at Leadwell.

The enforcement and power given to AS by MC 53.50 has long been decried by the rescue community and fosters. How can you foster if three is the limit?

I would like you to do an investigation of AS internal policies regarding enforcement of 53.50, as well as an investigation of where the "anonymous complaints" are coming from.

My experience as well as the evidence cited above, makes it absolutely clear the need to eliminate the limit on cats housed at a residence, and increasing the limit to 6 for dogs. Maybe then both your dept. and the ACTF will have the time with its recession-budget, reduced manpower available, to actually investigate animal cruelty cases, and have the personnel to canvass for dog licenses.

Thank you,

Edward Muzika, Ph.D.

Jimmy Coming Home This Weekend

Jimmy has lived by himself on the streets too long. He was not adopting well to life working 70+ hours a week in Shaz Restaurant in Sacramento. Jim was having a difficult time getting along with people. The owner claimed Jimmy had frequent emotional outbursts and would yell and criticize him in front of customers. Apparently, according to the owner, he did not take directions from coworkers and supervisors. Jason, his friend, is going up this weekend to bring Jimmy and Meena back. Then we'll get to hear Jimmy's side.


Even when Jimmy was working in Santa Monica and Northridge, he lived on the streets. He had desperately wanted this work situation in Sacramento to work out.


Normally, it can take many, many months to years for a long time homeless person to re-integrate into a "normal" working society, and a restaurant, where he apparently and allegedly frequently acted out anger, is not a good place to start re-integration, as he was working 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week. That is extremely physically demanding on a 52 year old man who usually didn't get up until 2 pm, and then did nothing all day but feed cats and hang around his camp site.


What happens next will sure be interesting. Even though he was supposed to move according to papers he signed, I am sure he missed a court date during the five weeks he has been gone, and if he goes back to his tent, he might be in trouble.

Animal Cruelty Task Force TV Program, Wednesday Night on Discovery at 8 PM

Going on three years after Boks began negotiating with Animal Planet for a six week segment on LA ACTF, it is finally happening tomorrow night at 8 PM.


I know the public opposition to this series was very strong just after the Ron Mason raid that resulted in 50 impounds and 25 of his cats being killed, and I had heard nothing about any filming talking place. For all I know, the series could have been filmed two years ago. We'll find out.


I am looking forward to seeing the shows. I wonder how central busting "hoarders" will be to the series.


Before watching the show, watch the one on Youtube about Ron Mason's October 11, 2007 bust. Watch the woman ACO walking through the yard with a dog noose come along stick, even after Boks said it was very rarely used.

Leo Grillo Responds to Mayeda

Reading Grillo's attorney's response to Mayeda's attack on Grillo, shows what appears to be outright malice and the construction of enough Catch-22 rules to thwart D.E.L.T.A.s compliance with any licensing protocol. The proposed County legislation would destroy D.E.L.T.A. and possibly condemn over a thousand animals to death.


No matter what you think of Leo Grillo, think about the animals.


The proposed legislation could also lead to the destruction of many other larger rescue shelters, as so much is left up to Mayeda's discretion in the administration.


Regarding the "hoops" DELTA is being made to jump, Judge Moses stated:


“Well, let me just tell you my view. I don’t want to be dragged into a property dispute here…My order is that..the facility get licensed….It sounds like they are making efforts and it sounds like rather significant efforts in terms of expenditure of time and money and energy and jumping through all of the bureaucractic and administrative hoops necessary. I don’t see any foot- dragging here. It seems like they’re on it and they’re doing what they need to do, but that there are a lot of hoops that they have to jump through….I would say that it’s certainly not Mr. Grillo’s fault, that these repeated administrative administrative and procedural barriers keep popping up that they then have to overcome. But it seems like they’re making a good faith effort….That’s my view”.


See Leo's latest:


http://www.deltarescue.org/pressreleases/false-and-malicious-character-assassination-attempt-of-leo-grillo/

Man Keeps 1,000 pound Croc as Pet; It takes 10 years to domesticate him

The Crocodile Whisperer.............

Chito made friends with the croc after finding him with a gunshot
wound on the banks of the Parismina river 20 years ago. He had been
shot in the eye and was close to death. He says: "When I found Pocho
in the river he was dying, so I brought him to my house. He was very
skinny, weighing only around 150 lb. I gave him chicken and fish and
medicine for six months to help him recover. I stayed by Pocho's side
while he was ill, sleeping next to him at night. I just wanted him to
feel that somebody loved him, that not all humans are bad."

It took years before Chito felt that Pocho had bonded with him enough
to get closer to the animal.

He says: "After a decade I started to work with him. At first it was
slow, slow. I played with him a bit, slowly doing more. Then I found
out that when I called his name he would come over to me." At one
point during his recovery, Chito left the croc in a lake near his
house. But as he turned to walk away, to his amazement, Pocho got out
of the water and began to follow him home. Chito recalls: "That
convinced me the crocodile could be tame." But when he first waded
into the water with the giant reptile his family couldn't watch. So
instead, he took to splashing around with Pocho when they were asleep.
Four years ago Chito showed some of his tricks to friends, including
getting the animal to close his eyes on command, and they convinced
him to go public with a show. Now he swims and plays with Pocho as well as feeding him at the lake near his home in Sarapiqui.


Video link: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chito+pocho&aq=f


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbjO4g4CctE

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From the Animal Liberation Press

received anonymously:

"The Animal Liberation Investigation Unit has obtained damning photographs from within Primate Products, Inc. (www.primateproducts.com) in Miami, Florida. The photographs reveal the true faces of vivisection and the global primate trade."

Click here to view the photos (download a zip file of the photographs here).

Warning: images are disturbing, but need to be viewed and acted upon.

---

Contact: (818) 227-5022
Animal Liberation Press Office
6320 Canoga Avenue #1500
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

www.animalliberationpressoffice.org
press@animalliberationpressoffice.org

SMART RESCUE OF KoKo

I haven't seen posts of Smart for some time. They rescued a kitten of mine, Sita from a construction ditch in Van Nuys 6 months ago. 


This is amazingly good PR for animal services, whom the public perceives as givers of Notice to Comply for exceeding the 3 cat/dog limit.


How barbaric can a city be about enforcing such a trivial code?