OUTRAGE OVER GESTAPO-LIKE RAID

OUTRAGE!!!!

Within hours of my sending a Request for Public Records regarding the number of Orders to Comply about ferals, kennel law violations, and having mentioned the plight of Mr. Marcos (Nickname) at 18536 Sunburst in Northridge, his place was raided by Animal Services led by Officer DiMaggio, who arrived 24 hours before the scheduled inspection, came into the yard, and confiscated bowls and plates in the yard. That is, they arrived unannounced and went through the yard, but never knocked on his door or talked to him.

Mr. Marco (nickname) is a little, old Philippino man, who is terrified by the Gestapo-like tactics of Animal Services.

I am charging Animal Services with selective enforcement of the kennel law. They use is roughshod over little old men and women who are frightened out of their minds, and told they cannot feed cats on their property, tell them is it illegal to feed feral cats, come unannounced and confiscate items from the property without knocking, and one very rude woman from the shelter who talked to Marco’s neighbor, Kim Mixon, told her that both she and Marco had to stop feeding ferals because then they would eat birds and mice.

What is this crap? Animal Services is still acting like Gestapo against small people, but refusing to act against a flagrant violator who has a lawyer.

Brenda, you have to stop this abuse by your department. This is why the community hates and fears Animal Services, and why the community does not cooperate with your department.

Your people are rude and abusive on the phone; you raid private residences unannounced, like this resident on Sunburst and Ron Mason three years ago.

Yours in complete upset,

Edward Muzika, Ph.D.

2 comments:

Ed Muzika said...

That's horrible! Selective enforcement indeed. Commissioners, New Hope partners, employees...even the GM is over the pet limit but no one busts them. They only go after easy targets so they can meet their numbers.

Jeff de la Rosa said...

You should listen to the audio of the appeal hearing on Sept. 28 (now available as MP3 on the LAAS Commission page). Apparenltly, there is a Lt. Bohta (dressed in psuedo-SWAT gear at the hearing). Bhota is well-known for making her own rules and skirting the law. She does speak at the end of the appeal hearing and it is not impressive. The case is similar to Stu's in that the hearing examiner recommended one thing and an officer (Bhota...and Barth?) coerced Davis into going against the hearing examiner and doing what Bhota wanted---shades of Capt. Brakemeir and her death wish for Stu which Stuckey rubber-stamped.

I happened to have attended
Tuesday's meeting and had no idea such a case was up on appeal. The whole meeting was video taped by a documentary film crew---same one as at the town hall meeting last week. The handling of the appeal and the case should be interesting viewing for those who wonder what goes on there.