Rogue Email With "Misinformation" Forced Boks to End Program Without Telling Council

Several previous posts have made clear Boks needs to blame everyone for his mistakes.

Concerning the spay/neuter voucher mess, he screwed up twice:

1.     ending the program;

2.     not talking to Council first.

This was the same deal with the Pitbull Academy. In that case, the major sin was not to have talked to Council first.

In his March 17 article, Rick Orlov writes:

Boks said he did not have time to provide advance notice to officials of his decision to suspend the voucher program.

"There was a rogue e-mail going around that I felt we had to respond to," Boks said. "There was a lot of misinformation that I wanted to correct, so I put out a message to the shelters. Then I informed the commissioners and city officials of what we were doing."

So Ed is blaming a rogue emailer for sending out MISINFORMATION that he needed to correct, and that’s why he ended the program immediately rather than going through communication channels. This does not make sense.

He does not identify who the rogue emailer is, nor what was said in that email that was the misinformation that he had to correct, and only then inform the Commissioners and City Officials what “we were [already] doing.”

Boks is making it sound like the program could have gone on for weeks more allowing plenty of time to go through channels except for that darn rogue email.

If there were an email that gave misinformation, you send out an email or post on Truth versus Rumor that there was an email with misinformation and then state what the facts were. You don’t state you were forced into a policy decision based on misinformation in someone else's email. This makes you look stupid. But this is what Boks said.

Now, what was the alleged misinformation? Ed never says what misinformation was being put out.

In fact, the email I had forwarded to me written by Brenda Bosch (which was posted earlier) on March 10, 25 hours before Ed’s statement of the voucher program’s temporary ending, gave exactly the same information as his March 11 flyer. As a matter of fact, it gives the exact same termination time for the program, March 11, as did Ed in his March 11 flyer.

So, can anyone identify who the mysterious “rougue emailer” is and the content of that email—especially the “misinformation” that forced Boks to immediately end the program without waiting even a day or two to contact Cardenas, Zine or Alarcon?

From Marie Ataka Re; Stu

If you are not privy to Maeve’s and Stu’s stories, go here:
http://laanimalservicesboardwatch.blogspot.com/2009/02/board-wants-settlement-in-4-year-old.html

This has been going on for TOO LONG, and NO DOG should be confined as an evidence for FOUR YEARS.  And there’s no need to put a 14-year old, mostly sleeping, gentle geriatric through hell.  Dirty politics are for humans; not for dogs!  In my resignation letter from the Commission, I wrote:

“Recently, the Commission discovered its serious procedural problems with a past appeal. I was not involved with this particular appeal, however, I felt it was the Commission’s sworn duty to right its wrongs, and restore its integrity, when the process was violated, with unfairness and prejudice appearing high and harmful.”

This was exactly referring to Stu’s case.  I resigned because I could “no longer, in good conscience, be a part of such demoralization.”  (You can read the letter in entirety at this link:http://marie310.blogspot.com/2007/09/resigning-from-laas-commission_03.html)

Many of you are going to City Hall anyway for the Public Safety meeting on the s/n coupon and certificate issues.  So please stop by LAAS Commission meeting which is on the same floor, 20 steps away, and be these dogs’ voice and save their lives because neither Stu nor Maeve can speak.  

Please tell Mr. Boks & Co. that they must stop casting the cruelty on his personal grudges against the dogs’ owner.  I was at the court hearing, and the Judge did say “anything can be settled,” so why isn’t Mr. Boks settling?  If it’s not he, then who is pressuring him not to?  LAAS was ordered by the judge to set aside the decision, so why not dismissing the case?

Please 1) ask the Commission to find out WHO is orchestrating these dogs’ prosecution, and 2) urge them to direct the Dept. to settle and dismiss both cases for Maeve and Stu.

~Marie

Council to Reinstate Spay/Neuter?

Four members of the Los Angeles City Council introduced a motion Friday ordering the city Department of Animal Services to reinstate a voucher program that allows low-income pet owners to spay and neuter their animals free.

"Canceling the voucher program was . . . a step backward in trying to reach a no-kill policy in this city," said Councilman Tony Cardenas. He and fellow councilmen Richard Alarcon, Eric Garcetti and Dennis Zine presented the motion. Cardenas and Alarcon also co-wrote the 2008 ordinance mandating that most pets in the city be sterilized. 

Spaying and neutering pets is seen by animal welfare advocates and shelter managers as a crucial step toward lowering animal shelter populations and the euthanasia rate. They say the voucher program encourages compliance among lower-income residents, who might be reluctant to pay several hundred dollars to sterilize their pets.

"Reductions in preventative services such as spay/neuter programs are shortsighted and will undoubtedly cost more in the long run, both in dollars and in cases of needlessly homeless animals," Zine said.

Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks said Thursday that he saw the suspension, announced last week, as a temporary, last-resort budget cut. He said some council members had been informed that this was a possibility.

The motion, which the council is expected to vote on next Friday, also asks for a report on why the Animal Services Spay/ Neuter Advisory Committee -- created by the city ordinance -- was not consulted before Boks suspended the program.

-- Carla Hall 

From Mary Martin, ex Head of Clinica

Mary Martin said...

I resigned as Exec. Director but remain on the board of directors for Clinico and will continue to be a part of the organization as long as I'm needed or wanted. If anyone has any questions for me or about Clinico please feel free to call me. 562-346-4392
Thank you
Mary

Charlottesville Maintains Near No-Kill Status in 08

The Charlottesville SPCA is still maintaining its near No-Kill status with a 92.4% save rate for dogs and a 86.1% save rate for cats for 2008. They have a combined save rate 88.6%.

This is a smaller sized shelter handling about 4,500 animals a year, equivalent to one of LAAS' smaller shelters. However, Los Angeles' resources are many, many times that of Charlotesville Virginia.

The shelter is run by Suzanne Kogut, one of Winograd's proteges. 

2008 Stats: http://www.caspca.org/Statistics.htm

Alarcon on Boks--Priceless!

Re Ed's ending S/N vouchers through this fiscal year:

"The proposal to cut the spay-neuter program is asinine," Weiss said. "This is a program that pays for itself by helping low-income folks get their dogs spayed or neutered. Without this, we will see our shelters overwhelmed.

"All the city departments are suffering budget demands, but this should be the last thing that is cut, not the first."

But Ed Boks, chief of the Animal Services Department, defended his decision as driven by urgent economic necessity.

"This was a crisis situation," Boks said in an interview. "When the Titanic is sinking, you go and plug the holes first."

Retorted Councilman Richard Alarcon, who authored the city's spay/neuter law: "I wouldn't heed the advice of the captain of the Titanic any more than I trust Ed Boks in this regard.

"The truth is he did not inform the City Council on the cuts he was making. We thought it would be spread across the department and not devastate what is the strongest area of the budget."

Wow! Barth Says Only 35% of Certificates Are Used

Ed Boks stated that in 2005 the City issue 38,000 S/N certificates and this is what accounted for the big drop in impounds during the first year of his watch.

The I heard over 40,000 were distributed in 2007 and heard even 42,000 in 2008.

Now we hear from Linda Barth through Rick Orlov that in 2008 only 34,000 certificates were distributed, and of that 34,000, only 35% were ever actually utilized. That is, out of the estimated 800,000 dogs and cats in LA, there were only 11,900 City-assisted S/N surgeries, or about 1.5%.

On top of this, we also here through Orlov that Phyllis Doughgerty alludes to "a study" apparently on LA, although Rick did not specify, the area of the study. Phyliis said:

"A licensing study showed that from 1972 to 2008, 479,269 cost-assisted pet sterilizations were performed under various programs," Dougherty said. "This steadily reduced the number of animals impounded during those years from 83,500 to 25,478."

Dougherty said that resulted in a savings of $77 million during that period, as well as a reduction in euthanasia from 110,000 to 18,000 animals.

Where did these numbers come from? What study? Why hasn't this info been on the LAAS website? How accurate and credible is the study? Who did it? When?

Once again, it is clear that there is no transcparency in Boks numbers. A story comes out about a program ending with an explanation that does not make sense. Then a couple of more stories come out with different explanations and even different numbers.

Now we find out there hasn't been more than 12,000 affordable S/N in any year through the City program even though I believe Boks has talked about $2,200,000 for the program.

Rick Orlov's newest piece:


Restoration of free pet spay-neuter plan sought

By Rick Orlov rick.orlov@dailynews.com 213-978-0390 Staff Writer
Updated: 03/17/2009 02:32:16 PM PDT


STERILIZATION: Zine, Garcetti dismayed to hear of Animal Services discontinuing program.

Surprised to hear Animal Services had halted a program offering free and discounted spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs, two Los Angeles city councilmen said Monday they want to restore the program to help pet owners comply with the law.

The program was specifically adopted to support the city's recently enacted spay and neutering law - one of the nation's toughest pet sterilization ordinances.

Councilman Dennis Zine and Council President Eric Garcetti want to know what is needed to restore the program, which offered $30 and $70 certificates. And one will call for its immediate restoration.

"In the long run, the cost of pet overpopulation will significantly outweigh that of of the spay-neuter coupons," Chris Olsen, an aide to Zine, wrote in a letter to the city's Spay and Neuter Advisory Committee.

"(Zine) will introduce a motion that directs Animal Services to reinstate the program immediately," Olsen wrote.

But the advisory committee also claimed to have known nothing about the suspension - even after meeting with Animal Shelter officials just a day before the program was stopped.

Animal Services officials said they cut the program as part of a plan to save about $150,000.

"All we were told is the department was having some budget difficulties and needed to make cuts," said Laura Beth Heisen, chair of


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the Spay and Neuter Advisory Committee. "We were told all city departments were making cuts and there might be a slight impact.
"This is more than a slight impact. This affects the entire program we have going."

Garcetti spokeswoman Julie Wong said council members were never informed of the decision.

"We were told there would be cuts in every department, but never told they were ending this program," Wong said. "If we had been told they were going to suspend this program, we would have objected."

The department announced last week that it had suspended the program last Tuesday. It said the city was facing a $17million shortfall this year and upwards of $450 million next year and had to do its share.

"We are working very, very hard here to process the certificates we have as quickly as possible to see where we stand," said Linda Barth, assistant general manager of the department.

"Obviously, we are pinching any penny we can. The city is looking at a big shortfall and we are looking to save where we can. We believe very strongly in the spay-neuter ordinance and the importance of spay and neuter to reduce the unwanted pet population."

The city last year adopted a law requiring dog and cat owners to have pets spayed or neutered when they reach four months of age. As a way to promote the program, the city included the certificates to cover most of the costs of the procedure.

During the 2007-08 fiscal year, the department issued 22,000 of the $30 discount coupons and 12,000 of the $70 certificates. Only 35 percent of those were used within the 90-day time period, Barth said.

Heisen said that not only should money be found to restore the program, but that someone should be hired to exclusively oversee it. A similar recommendation was made in an audit by city Controller Laura Chick released last August.

"What we have been saying is they need someone assigned full-time to the spay-neuter program," Heisen said. "All they have is a clerk processing the certificates. They need someone overseeing the program and looking to see how we can make it more effective."

Heisen said it costs the city $200 per animal to process and place them in a shelter - far more than the cost of a spay-neuter certificate.

"When we give out a certificate we are trying to get to people who need to spay or neuter their pet," Heisen said. "If they don't and their pet has a litter, they give away a few animals, turn them in to the city or just let them loose. That just adds to our problems."

Phyllis Dougherty of the Animal Issues Movement said halting the program could end up costing the city more, with more unwanted pets being born and placed in shelters.

"A licensing study showed that from 1972 to 2008, 479,269 cost-assisted pet sterilizations were performed under various programs," Dougherty said. "This steadily reduced the number of animals impounded during those years from 83,500 to 25,478."

Dougherty said that resulted in a savings of $77 million during that period, as well as a reduction in euthanasia from 110,000 to 18,000 animals.

Clinico Looking for New Executive Director

WANTED:

Executive Director, Clinico (A high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter provider)

Los Angeles high-volume, high- quality spay/neuter provider Clinico, whose mission is to end the need to use euthanasia as a means to control pet overpopulation. Through generous grants from PetSmart Charities, Found Animals Foundation and others, Clinico currently has two clinics operating four days per week with a third clinic to open in the next four months. Each one-vet practice spays and neuters 35-40 dogs, cats and rabbits daily.

Position Summary

The Executive Director, with assistance from our major funders, will engage in the research, planning, implementation, and evaluation of all fund raising, community outreach and marketing activities to build awareness of Clinico’s mission, programs and progress and to achieve financial stability and sustainability. Activities to include multi-clinic spay/neuter program management, donor programs, events, and strategic planning. The ED is responsible for board development and budget preparation. Reports to the Board of Directors

Duties & Responsibilities

- Develop and execute strategic plan for development and community outreach.
- Manage and direct day-to-day operations, including budgeting and personnel responsibilities.
- Work collaboratively with community leaders, city and county officials to help form policy as it relates to spay/neuter.
- Produce detailed statistical, financial and narrative reports for stakeholders.
- Pursue and maintain relationships with non-profit, corporate and municipal partners for program support.
- Coach and mentor staff as appropriate to improve performance and group cohesiveness.
- Work with fiscal department to develop and implement budgets.
- Act as spokesperson for Clinico in public settings.

Requirements/Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree (MBA or significant business experience a plus).
- Proficiency in Spanish preferred but not required.
- 3 years professional experience in for-profit, non-profit management, or veterinary practice management.
- Proven ability to raise private donations, develop and manage donor relationships, and to motivate staff and volunteers.
- Valid driver’s license and insurable driving record.
- Excellent communications skills including writing, editing and public speaking.
- Well organized, must be able to set priorities, manage multiple projects.
- Strong computer and database skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft applications with strong emphasis on MS Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Excel.
- Ability to work with a wide variety of people.
- Highly motivated for the protection and welfare of animals.
- Able to train, supervise and delegate.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work well under pressure.
- Strong analytical, strategic and quantitative skills.
- Able to work flexible hours and week-ends as needed.

To Apply

Send resume and salary history to director@seaaca.org.
For more infomation about this organization, please visit www.clinico.org.

City ends free spay, neutering for pets

By Rick Orlov and George B. Sánchez,Staff Writers
Updated: 03/13/2009 10:27:57 PM PDT

Blaming dwindling city funds, the Department of Animal Services says it will no longer issue certificates for free and discounted spay and neuter surgeries - just months after officials required Los Angeles pet owners to fix their pets.

Veterinarians and pet owners said the decision will not only hit pet owners in the pocketbook, but also affect the general community by triggering a surge in the feral cat population.

"Animal Services is not immune to the current economic downturn," General Manager Ed Boks said in a statement released this week announcing the end of the program.

Animal Services stopped distributing $30 and $70 coupons for free and discounted spay and neutering services on Tuesday.

"It will affect a lot of people," said Dr. Adel Fahmy at the Devonshire Animal Hospital in Chatsworth. "We will see a lot of feral cats in the streets and more and more of them."

The Devonshire Animal Hospital performs up to eight spay or neuters a day, Fahmy said, and the majority are paid for with coupons.

The move to suspend issuing the coupons comes just five months after a mandatory ordinance went into effect citywide that requires all pet owners to spay and neuter cats and dogs after the age of four months. There are a few exemptions for breeders and others.

The idea was to decrease the number of abandoned animals and thus reduce the number that had to be euthanized.

Ed Muzika, an animal activist who has a blog, laanimalwatch.blogspot.com, said he is worried that the latest action will hurt efforts to enforce the ordinance.
"The new law took effect in October and now they're pulling the certificates," Muzika said. "It will make it incredibly difficult, particularly during a recession, for people to pay for a spay or neuter of their pet."

Animal Services aims to make $150,000 in cuts to help balance this year's city budget, which still faces a $17 million shortfall.

"Every department is being asked to consider severe budget cuts - cuts that may amount to as much as 30 percent before the ongoing fiscal year 2010 budget process is over," read Boks' statement.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is scheduled to release his proposed spending plan in late April, in which he will have to deal with a $450 million shortfall. The current budget is $7.1 billion, with Animal Services scheduled to receive $21.1 million. Earlier this year, the mayor instructed departments to make 3 percent cuts to balance the budget.

Boks said the City Council reduced the budget by a total of $300,000 and that he has had to make the reductions in the spay-neuter certificate program to maintain staffing at shelters.

"Since we cannot afford to lay any employees off and our attrition rate is very low, our only recourse is to make up the remaining deficit through another reduction in our spay/neuter coupon and mobile program," Boks said.

Boks said the department will honor all coupons that have been issued, but was instructing shelters and others to halt distributions by Tuesday.

Lisa Levell, a veterinary technician at Cozycroft Pet Hospital in Chatsworth, was surprised to hear the coupon distribution has been halted.

"It's really important for people with no income or now especially with people who lost their jobs," Levell said. "Almost all pet owners that come from the pound have a coupon for surgeries."

The pet hospital had encouraged pet owners to pick up coupons for the surgeries, Levell said.

The cuts come even as the department has seen an upsurge in animals in its shelter.

During the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the department issued 22,000 $30 discount coupons and 12,000 $70 coupons, said Linda Barth, assistant general manager for animal services. About 65 percent of the coupons, were used, Barth said.

"The coupons are supposed to be redeemed within 90 days and then we have to get billed by the vets and there's a lag in billing of 30 to 60 days," she said.

Coupons issued in October and redeemed in December are now being processed for payment, Barth said.

Since the coupon-to-payment time can be lengthy, the city is just now starting to see a rise in coupon use, Barth said.

"Demand is very high. Every single month since July, we get calls by the third week of the month saying people need more coupons," Barth said.

Boks warned that the department does not know how much it will be able to spend in the coming fiscal year - which begins July 1 - for spay-neuter services.

"The department maximizes every opportunity to express the importance of spay-neuter programs to reduce pet overpopulation," Boks said.

To try to help the city, Daniel Guss of the Stand Foundation is setting up a $5,000 grant to help offset the cost of spay-neuter, inoculation and microchipping of large dogs. Guss said the program is focused on South Los Angeles and is in response to the city cutting its voucher program. Guss said more information will be available in the coming week on his Web site, www.standfoundation.org.

The Case of the Disappearing Coupons

The article below was written by Kate Woodviolet, a frequent contributor to this blog. She reveals more information about the recent Boks-cancelled S/N certificate program.

I have edited her article because she brings up issues related to Boks that are old news and not relevant to the cancelled certificates. The full article can be found at:

http://www.examiner.com/x-1779-LA-Pet-Rescue-Examiner~y2009m3d15-City-Council-to-bite-back-surprising-twist-in-the-case-of-the-disappearing-coupons

After her article I will add more information.

Kate's article:

City Council to bite back: surprising twist in the case of the disappearing coupons

Since the City Council passed L.A.'s mandatory spay/neuter legislation last year with the assurance that the availability of discount and free spay/neuter coupons would make complying with the new law feasible for low income city residents, I called the offices of Councilmembers Weiss and Alarcon, as well as Council President Eric Garcetti seeking comment on this new policy that seemed to leave recession-battered Angelenos in the lurch.

While Weiss' and Alarcon's office did not return calls, Friday afternoon I did hear from Mitch O'Farrell, District Director of Constituent Services for Councilmember Garcetti. What he had to say was a surprise. He informed me that, contrary to initial reports, the City Council was not consulted or informed in advance about Animal Services' plans to discontinue the spay/neuter coupon program, and he characterized the news as "upsetting," and "not okay at all."

In a follow-up email, O'Farrell said, "the City Council did not rescind the spay/neuter coupons. That was an internal decision within the [Animal Services] department based on general mid year budget reductions all departments were ordered to take."
O'Farrell informs me the City Council is planning to take strong action to reverse this decision. "A motion will be introduced next week directing LAAS to reinstate free and discount spay/neuter vouchers. This program is something...Councilmember [Garcetti] and his colleagues strongly believe in. In fact, [Councilmember] Garcetti moved this program forward when he was on the Budget and Finance Committee a few years back."

My additional comments:

My understanding from two sources is that the public generally actually uses only a percentage of S/N certificates given out by the Department, but because of the tanking economy and the Mandatory S/N law, the percentage of redemption is far higher than normal, meaning Boks thinks it will require and extra $300,000 to pay for any certificates given out between March 11 and the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

One would assume that Boks would know that redemption percentages would climb close to 100% after passing a mandatory sterilization bill, but I don't know what the actual redemption rate is.

Boks used to brag about how many certificates were given out, but I don't remember any numbers mentioned on actual surgeries performed with those certificates. Of course, Porter Pet Hospital used two certificates to give Ron Mason's already spayed cats a second, unnecessary, hysterectomy even while both had obvious hysterectomy scars.

There was a recent allegation about Value Vet in Canoga Park doing the same, but this is unverified; the Porter unnecessary surgeries are well-documented. The City never reimbursed the woman for the two unnecessary surgeries she paid for at Porter. Nada, not even a note or a letter.

I want to restate my opinion that the huge increase in spay/neuter efforts over the last decade has seemed to have little impact on cat impound numbers over the past eight years.

The number of cats impounded has remained steady since 2001 at 21,500 a year despite the department giving out almost 5 times as many certificates in 2008 as in 2001. The City's and nonprofits dramatic increase in spay/neuter efforts during the past eight years has had little effect on the cat impound numbers.

It could be that the certificates are not being distributed or utilized in certain areas of the City, such as South LA and that is where more cats are being impounded. I don't know, the Department does not release those numbers.

The Department has to do a much better job of giving out this kind of information so that the nonprofits and City can better work together in optimizing resource allocation to the City areas with the greatest problems.

Of course, there may be other factors none of us see that are causing cat impounds to stay the same despite increased efforts, but we will never know because the Department has steadfastly refused to do this kind of analysis, or if they have, to release this information to rescuers, TNR groups or the general public.

Personally I oppose the mandatory spay/neuter legislation. Alley Cat Allies, Winograd and one of our Commissioners oppose it too because it is ineffective and there are better ways.

Value Vet's S/N Charges Are 300% Higher Than Clinico's

The following link discusses the Value Vet and Clinico proposals. Ed Boks dated this letter to the Commission August 21, 2008.

http://www.laanimalservices.com/PDF/commission/2008/Addl%20info%20on%20SpayNeuter%20clinic%20awards-%20Memo%20to%20Board.pdf

The specifics with respect to Value Vet's spay/neuter charges as well as Boks stating they are not just going to be a spay/neuter clinic, but a full service vet clinic--in competition with other local private veterinarians, can be found on pages 5-6. Page 5 states Value Vet will be a full service clinic.

Page 6 specifically compares Value Vet's charges with Clinico's. Value Vet's charges are 300% higher than Clinico's across the board, that is, almost 4 times as high..

This next link is the minutes to the Commission meeting a few days later. Only Commissioner Riordan voted against Value Vet.

I hope the Commission will not make the same error when it comes to the West Valley shelter clinic. Reject the Value Vet proposal and demand a new RFP (Request for Proposals) that either will open bidding to vets who will provide not only the shelter's S/N needs, but who will offer REALLY affordable S/H, such as Clinico, and the incentive is that they can open a full service veterinary clinic, or, allow Clinico to bid on the West Valley contract.

http://laanimalservices.com/PDF/commission/2008/8_25_08%20Minutes.pdf

The strange thing is that two years ago--I believe--it was part of Animal Services budget to hire six vets just to do S/N surgeries in house. Somewhere along the way that idea was dropped. Too bad. 

I guess Boks figured it was too difficult for Department personnel to rise to that task and therefore they'd would task it out. Or, they lost the funding for those positions. I'll locate that letter to the Commission in a bit.

My Email to Council and the LAAS Commission

Ed Boks and Council,

Yesterday we learned that Animal Services will no longer be offering spay/neuter certificates to rescue groups or the public, which means that access to low cost and affordable spay/neuters has been cut drastically only months after passing the Mandatory Spay/Neuter law. The feasibility and enforcement of that law was predicated on the ready availability of free or low cost spay/neuter surgeries.

In addition, the non-profits assisting in spay/neuter and Trap/Neuter/Release efforts locally themselves are in severe financial trouble due to the recession and are likely unable to increase their own subsidy of affordable services, especially since much of what they have done depended on City certificates.

This means a large number of Los Angeles residents cannot NOW afford to get their animals fixed, which means marked enforcement problems and creating a new class of criminals out of the low and middle income families.

The City recently opened several spay/neuter surgeries at their own shelters, but at the West Valley, the veterinarian who won the contract, Value Vet, provides spay neuters to the public that are NOT low cost or affordable by any account, because the General Manager of LA Animal Services needed to get those centers open to show he is doing a good job, albeit with a fee schedule that punishes low income families.

For example, here is the Value Vet price list for spay neuters:

Value Vet
Dog spay
Under 25 lbs. $165.00
25 – 50 lbs. $175.00
51 – 75 lbs. $200.00
Over 75 lbs. $280.00

Dog neuter
Under 25 lbs. $150.00
25 – 50 lbs. $160.00
51 – 75 lbs. $175.00
Over 75 lbs. $240.00

Cat spay $135.00
Cat neuter $90.00

Incredibly, Linda Barth and Ed Boks are proposing giving the contract for the West Valley shelter to Value Vet also, virtually eliminating affordable spay/neuter services in the West Valley.

It is obvious that the Mandatory spay neuter law will place a discriminatory and unfair burden on lower and now even middle income persons who currently have unneutered animals, and this discriminatory burden is likely to last for at least three years.

Therefore, this law needs to be rescinded, or else the spay/neuter certificates restored.

Lastly, the Value Vet proposal for the West Valley shelter must be denied and a new RFP be sent out. Clinico has responded to the RFP for two other locations and offer spay/neuter surgeries ranging $25 for cat neuters to $55 for large dog spay surgery, at one fourth to one fifth Value Vet’s charges.

Tim Rutton Responds to My Post

I was surprised to get this email from Mr. Hutton regarding my reponse to his opinion that Animal Activism is somehow stupid or even evil.

"Dear Mr. Muzika:

        

If finding a cure for cancer entailed the painful death of every white rat on earth, I would approve.
                                                       

Tim

Alley Cat Allies Opposes Mandatory Spay/Neuter

I got an email from ACA urging opposition to mandatory spay/neuter laws, saying they are ineffective and costly. They state the lack of affordable S/N is the biggest blockage and as Winograd warned, gives animal control agencies too much discretionary power and turns a lot of pet owners into criminals.

Given what may be a 2-3 year lack of LAAS S/N certificates, and possible cut backs in nonprofits' S/N capacity, I think LA needs to repeal the mandatory spay/neuter law.

From Alley Cat Allies today:

ALLEY CAT ALLIES URGES OPPOSITION TO MANDATORY SPAY/NEUTER LAWS IN CHICAGO AND FLORIDA

Says laws are counterproductive, costly, and unenforceable

BETHESDA — Proposed laws to impose mandatory spay/neuter on pet owners will “do more harm than good,” and should be opposed, according to Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for stray and feral cats.

“Mandatory spay/neuter laws are counterproductive. They completely ignore feral and stray cats, which represent the overwhelming majority of intact and breeding cats,” said Becky Robinson, president of Alley Cat Allies. “Research shows that 82 percent of all pet cats are neutered, while the same can be said for only three percent of feral and stray cats; but scientists estimate that there are equal numbers of stray and feral cats as pet cats in the U.S.”

The group urged its supporters in Chicago, Illinois and in the state of Florida to voice concerns to local lawmakers over two separate bills that would impose fines on pet owners who do not have their pets spayed or neutered.

“Mandatory spay/neuter laws do nothing to address the real issue—the severe lack of accessible, affordable spay and neuter services for pet owners, stray and feral cat caregivers, and animal pounds and shelters in the community,” said Robinson. “Instead, these laws divert public resources away from beneficial programs and into administering an unenforceable law.”

“Instead of wasting money on enforcement of an ineffective law, resources would be better directed to neutering the stray and feral cat population,” said Robinson. She noted that Alley Cat Allies has been tracking the issue across the country and mobilizing supporters to oppose any new mandatory/spay neuter laws.

For more information on why mandatory spay/neuter laws do not work—and why accessible and affordable spay/neuter is so important—visit www.alleycat.org/MandatorySpayNeuter.

LA Times Tim Rutten Stands 4 Square Behind Vivisection

Read his drivel:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rutten11-2009mar11,0,6159403.column

The quote below explains everything about Rutton's position and arguments. He is morally blind.

Rutton:

"At the end of the day, there is no moral equivalence between the lives of humans and those of animals."

Similar arguments were given about Blacks in the early 1800s, and certainly have been expressed by almost all races and cultures about all other races and cultures throughout history, usually to justify unbelievable cruelties and injustices.

However, the fight for animal rights and animal liberation really has nothing to do with any concept of moral equivalence. It has to do with kindness, respect and love for all creatures, all sentient beings, "equivalent" or not.

Personally I am against abortion for the same reason, it shows a disrespect for life, although I would reluctantly accept some one's doing abortions for a number of exceptions. I find it much harder to find exceptions in the case of animal experimentation. I see no argument that would compel me to accept any.

More on the Spay/Neuter Certificates

This is an unsigned and undated LAAS policy or news release sent to me.

LA Animal Services is not immune to the current economic downturn. The City of Los Angeles is facing a $500 million deficit. Every department is being asked to consider severe budget cuts – cuts that may amount to as much as 30% before the ongoing Fiscal Year 2010 budget process is over.

The Department started to feel the pain last year when City Council approved a $200,000 reduction to the spay/neuter coupon and mobile programs in the ’08 FY Budget. Then in response to many dire economic forecasts the City Council cut another $100,000 from this year’s programs in December ‘08. Most recently, the City Council directed the Department to make up a deficit in our Salaries Account understanding this would require further reductions to our spay/neuter funding. The salary deficit is the result of a $414,000 budget cut that was paid for by a City plan requiring employees to take six mandatory furlough days this fiscal year. However, the mandate was rescinded and the funding was not restored. Instead we are being asked to make up this deficit through our own expense and spay/neuter funds.

The Department has saved over $100,000 of this shortfall to date. Another $150,000 has been identified through belt-tightening in our expense accounts. With an alarming increase in the number of dogs and cats entering the City's system in 2008 we need to maintain staffing levels to ensure the health, safety and welfare of animals and people in the City of Los Angeles. Since we cannot afford to lay any employees off and our attrition rate is very low our only recourse is to make up the remaining $150,000 deficit through another reduction in our spay/neuter coupon and mobile programs.

This being the case, the Department is suspending the distribution of all $30 discount and $70 free coupons at this time. We are taking this step because there is a reasonable expectation that the City may cut our spay/neuter funding for some or all of the remaining fiscal year.

Coupons already distributed will be honored. However, to ensure we do not issue coupons for which we may not have funding, we have asked our animal care centers and rescue partners to stop distributing coupons as of March 10, 2009. All unused coupon books must be returned to the Department for auditing purposes. We have notified the Sam Simon Foundation to cease sterilizations that depend on City reimbursement. We will, however, continue to fund The Amanda Foundation’s efforts on behalf of the City.

Once we know what the final funding cut is we will be in a position to better assess available revenues and resume distribution of coupons to the extent that we are confident we have funds.

Spay/neuter funding for the next fiscal year is unknown at this time. The Department maximizes every opportunity to express the importance of spay/neuter programs to reduce pet overpopulation and the long term cost of animal services. However, the City is facing a daunting challenge that will undoubtedly result in significant service reductions and even layoffs. As is the case at all levels of government at this time emergency measures must be taken. More than ever before it is important for all of us to pull together as a community to ensure our animals are not left behind.

Animal Services Discontinues Spay/Neuter Certificates

What do you know? A few months after it becomes law that all pets have to be spayed neutered, Animal Services has just discontinued its spay/neuter certificates. An email went out to all TNR/rescue groups that participate that they have to be returned to the department.

No more discount spay/neuters.

On top of that, Value Vet is charging near top dollar for spay/neuter surgeries in West LA, and if they win the West Valley contract, they will be charging near top dollar in the Valley as well. Linda Barth has made quite clear she wants Value Vet to get the West Valley contract, where I am sure Value Vet will dispense the same level of crappy service it did for my cat Lakshmi.

This move will create a whole new class of lawbreakers: those who cannot afford to get their animal sterilized.

Here is the email:

I just would like to thank you for all your hard work and perseverance dedicated
towards the reduction of pet overpopulation and retention in the City of Los
Angeles via the spaying and neutering of animals and your continued
participation in the distribution of Discount Coupons.

As you know the City is currently facing a severe budget crisis which is going
to impact our Discount Coupon S/N Program. Unfortunately, due to the crisis, we
have to discontinue the Program for the remainder of this fiscal year which ends
June 30, 2009.

I will need to have any remaining Discount Coupon Books returned to me no later then March 13, 2009. Please return the books to the Public Counter of your designated Animal Care Center.

You must cease to distribute the Coupons today, March 11, 2009. Any Coupons issued by your organization after tomorrow will be the financial obligation of your organization. This gives you one day to recall the books from your volunteers out in the field.

I will keep you informed as to the status of next year's Discount Coupon Program.

Once again, thank you for assisting the Department with the distribution of Discount Coupons. Our joint effort has truly made a dent in the countless number of unsterilized animals in the City of Los Angeles.

Thanks!

Brenda J. Van Den Bosch
Spay/Neuter Program Coordinator
Dept. of Animal Services

Starbucks Adoption Event Today--Nortthridge

Nine Dogs were up for adoption today including a slew of Terrier mixes. Two smelled my cats and were glued on me while I was there.

Buy VCA Stock Now

The price of a share of VCA stock has dropped under $18. This is the time to start buying. Average down by buying a few shares every month or two.

It five year low happened last November at a little over $14. It may get that low or lower again but you can never tell when the market or a particular stock will bottom.

On February 14 VCA (trade symbol: WOOF) announced a great last quarter 2008 and a very good 2008 overall. Briefly the stock went almost to $22 but the price has softened as had the entire market, which took VCA down with it.

I would buy VCA just to be able to have a voice during shareholder meetings here in Los Angeles, which is VCA's home. They own 450 vet practices and watching them, monitoring them can have an impact on the entire industry.

Get an online account with Scottrade and start buying.

Two Animal Friendly Candidates to Compete in May

Paul Koretz and David Vahedi, the two very pro-animal candidates for the Fifth Council District won first and second places for the seat, and therefore face a run off in May.

This is nothing but good news for the LA Animal community.

David has been far more forceful in his pronouncements than Koretz about specific pro-animal positions. 

Koretz is playing it cute not committing himself forcefully behind pro-animal legislation positions and reform of LAAS. He just says he is the best candidate for the animal community and look at his record. 

However, Vahedi has been much more specific regarding what he would do. 

Well, in any event, contact them directly and see if you can get them to commit to specifics.

I am disappointed in Koretz's weak stand on animal issues; just saying he is the animal communities best bet without making any committment or taking any strong stand. If he is afraid of offending anyone now and losing votes, he will be equally wishy-washy facing a still-popular Mayor Villaraigosa in July. 

He does not support much lifting the pet limit from three to a number based on an owner's ability to sustain a healthy and happy home with multiple companion animals. He wants to raise the limit to an arbitrary 4 or 5--max.

I don't think Paul is out man.

I have an idea though, we ought to support and encourage Kathy Riordan to run for Council in 2010 in her West Valley district. Although some complain she has been too slow to publicly push for change, let's recognize that her main issue will be animals as a councilmember, always working the Council and Mayor all the time to drop kitty and doggy limits, better monitor shelter budget and conditions. AND, as ex-Mayor Riordan's daughter, she would have a real chance.

Expose Tonight on Chimps Used as Lab Animals, HSUS

Tonight, go inside a research facility with an undercover investigator for The Humane Society of the United States. For nine months, she investigated the wretched existence of chimpanzees and other primates who are warehoused or used for research in laboratories at a cost of millions to taxpayers.

In a special in-depth report scheduled to air tonight at 11:35 p.m. EST on ABC News: Nightline, you'll see for yourself the dismal lives of chimpanzees held for research -- including some who were taken from their mothers as infants in the wild and have lived virtually their entire lives behind bars.

Please tune in tonight to ABC News: Nightline, and let your friends and family know about the broadcast, too. Then watch your email inbox tomorrow to join the campaign to help ensure these animals are retired to the sanctuaries they deserve.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States