As of today, Angelenos have 61 days to get their dogs and cats spayed or neutered. LA Animal Services launched a “Countdown Clock” on its website to serve as a daily reminder to all Angelinos of how many days they have left to comply with the City’s new Spay/Neuter law before formal enforcement begins on October 1st, 2008.
On February 12, 2008, the City Council of Los Angeles approved a new law that requires all cats and dogs in the City to be spayed or neutered after the age of four months, with some specific exemptions allowed. Mayor Villaraigosa signed this ordinance into law on February 26, 2008, making Los Angeles the national leader in efforts to humanely decrease the number of pets abandoned and euthanized each year.
The law provided a seven month “grace” period to give Los Angeles residents an opportunity to voluntarily comply with the law. The Countdown Clock is to remind them that unless they have proof that their dog or cat is exempt by reason of one of the exemptions in the new law, if they have not spayed or neutered their dog or cat by October 1st, 2008, they will be in violation of the law and subject to civil and criminal penalties.
Failure to abide by the law after October 1, 2008 will result in an initial civil penalty of $100, which can increase to $500. Continued failure to abide by the law may result in the filing of a misdemeanor. At all times, the dog or cat is still required to be spayed or neutered.
The Countdown Calendar and more information on this law and spay/neuter services in the City of Los Angeles can be found at http://www.laanimalservices.com/.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
New Day in LA Animal Services Challenges a blast from the past...
Recent blog posts by Nathan Winograd of No Kill Solutions are accompanied by videos depicting the unacceptable actions of two former LA Animal Services employees. One employee depicted has not worked for the department since September 2004. Another left more than a year ago.
LA Animal Services has policies in place today to prevent the kind of behavior and activity depicted in Mr. Winograd's blog and the LA Animal Services team is committed to completely eliminating these kinds of errors and abuses.
Improper treatment of animals in our Animal Care Centers is neither condoned nor tolerated. It is our belief that the kind of incidents that are the subject of Mr. Winograd's allegations do not occur in today's LA Animal Services. If they ever do, and there is demonstrable proof of it, the perpetrators will be disciplined appropriately.
Today’s LA Animal Services values the integrity of each employee, volunteer and partner contributing to the professional delivery of excellent customer service and the humane treatment of animals, in an atmosphere of open, honest communication, predicated on our trust in and respect for each other.
Anyone with any evidence of inappropriate or abusive conduct towards our customers, partners, or the animals in our care is encouraged to forward that evidence to the Department so appropriate action can be taken immediately.
LA Animal Services has policies in place today to prevent the kind of behavior and activity depicted in Mr. Winograd's blog and the LA Animal Services team is committed to completely eliminating these kinds of errors and abuses.
Improper treatment of animals in our Animal Care Centers is neither condoned nor tolerated. It is our belief that the kind of incidents that are the subject of Mr. Winograd's allegations do not occur in today's LA Animal Services. If they ever do, and there is demonstrable proof of it, the perpetrators will be disciplined appropriately.
Today’s LA Animal Services values the integrity of each employee, volunteer and partner contributing to the professional delivery of excellent customer service and the humane treatment of animals, in an atmosphere of open, honest communication, predicated on our trust in and respect for each other.
Anyone with any evidence of inappropriate or abusive conduct towards our customers, partners, or the animals in our care is encouraged to forward that evidence to the Department so appropriate action can be taken immediately.
Monday, July 21, 2008
SUPPORT AB 1634 TO SAVE MONEY AND SAVE LIVES
AB1634 Overview
Problem: Massive pet overpopulation and animal bites in California.
Roaming animals create untold numbers of accidental pregnancies. According to the CA Department of Public Health, over 800,000 dogs and cats are abandoned annually in our state; this costs taxpayers over $250 million each year. Over half of these pets, 400,000 of them, are not adopted and thus are euthanized at taxpayer expense. Unaltered dogs are three times more likely to bite, and almost 40,000 people in California are attacked and bitten by dogs and cats each year. Children are the most common victims.
AB 1634 – A common sense law to help combat pet overpopulation and bites.
AB 1634 is a common sense tool that allows law enforcement to target roaming animals, prevent unplanned animal litters and reduce animal attacks. The law requires the owner of a nonspayed or unneutered dog or cat to be cited for being intact, if the animal is the subject of a valid complaint indicating that the owner has violated state or local animal control laws. At any occurrence, the penalty is waived if the animal is spayed or neutered.
AB 1634 – Building on existing law.
Current state law already provides additional fines for the owners of impounded nonspayed or unneutered animals. AB 1634 increases existing fines, and adds a spay or neuter requirement for the small number of animals subject to repeated animal control action.
The new law is similar to existing laws in other states, providing an additional tool for law enforcement to deal with animals and owners who repeatedly violate state and local laws.
AB 1634 – A fair process.
AB 1634 does not apply to animals that are caught up in “neighbor disputes” or are the subject of unwarranted complaints, and does not apply to violations related to excessive noise such as dog barking.
Animals cited under the provisions of AB 1634 are accorded the exact same due process and appeals rights granted to them for any violation of state or local animal control laws.
For more information please visit http://www.cahealthypets.com/.
Problem: Massive pet overpopulation and animal bites in California.
Roaming animals create untold numbers of accidental pregnancies. According to the CA Department of Public Health, over 800,000 dogs and cats are abandoned annually in our state; this costs taxpayers over $250 million each year. Over half of these pets, 400,000 of them, are not adopted and thus are euthanized at taxpayer expense. Unaltered dogs are three times more likely to bite, and almost 40,000 people in California are attacked and bitten by dogs and cats each year. Children are the most common victims.
AB 1634 – A common sense law to help combat pet overpopulation and bites.
AB 1634 is a common sense tool that allows law enforcement to target roaming animals, prevent unplanned animal litters and reduce animal attacks. The law requires the owner of a nonspayed or unneutered dog or cat to be cited for being intact, if the animal is the subject of a valid complaint indicating that the owner has violated state or local animal control laws. At any occurrence, the penalty is waived if the animal is spayed or neutered.
AB 1634 – Building on existing law.
Current state law already provides additional fines for the owners of impounded nonspayed or unneutered animals. AB 1634 increases existing fines, and adds a spay or neuter requirement for the small number of animals subject to repeated animal control action.
The new law is similar to existing laws in other states, providing an additional tool for law enforcement to deal with animals and owners who repeatedly violate state and local laws.
AB 1634 – A fair process.
AB 1634 does not apply to animals that are caught up in “neighbor disputes” or are the subject of unwarranted complaints, and does not apply to violations related to excessive noise such as dog barking.
Animals cited under the provisions of AB 1634 are accorded the exact same due process and appeals rights granted to them for any violation of state or local animal control laws.
For more information please visit http://www.cahealthypets.com/.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Creating a Humane LA: A Call to Action - Update
As explained in an earlier message, LA Animal Services is scheduling a series of public work shops to help better familiarize concerned Angelenos with LA Animal Services’ efforts to achieve “No-Kill”. The work shops will also serve to help gather input and feedback on how we can do better. We are designing these public workshops to focus on the ten tenets of the “No-Kill Equation”.
The series of work shops is called, "Creating a Humane LA". The meetings will be scheduled in the order outlined below, about two weeks apart. There has been a change in the date of the first work shop, so please take note.
District 8 Council Member Bernard Parks will host the first workshop:
The schedule below will be updated and posted on our website as the work shops are scheduled and confirmed. We will do our best to get the word out to the community and appreciate your assistance in helping us publicize these work shops to anyone who may be interested in attending.
1. High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter I (CD 8 - Parks - August 6th CONFIRMED)
2. Rescue Groups (CD 13 - Garcetti - August 20th CONFIRMED)
3. Foster Care (CD 2 - Greuel - Week of September 1st)
4. Adoption Programs (CD 10 - Wesson - Week of September 15)
5. Pet Retention (CD 1 - Reyes - Week of September 29th)
6. Medical and Behavioral Rehabilitation (CD 6 - Cardenas - Week of October 6th)
7. Feral Cat TNR (CD 15 - Hahn - Week of October 20th)
8. Volunteers (CD 11 - Rosendahl - November 6th CONFIRMED)
9. Public Relations/Community Involvement (CD 4 - LaBonge – Week of November 17th)
10. High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter II (CD 7 - Alarcon - Week of December 1st)
11. Creating a Humane LA (The Mayor - Week of December 8th)
The first work shop panel focusing on High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter programs will include Ed Boks and Brenda Van Den Bosch from LA Animal Services, Terri Austin from the Amanda Foundation, Sue Taylor from Actors and Others, Lori Wiess from Downtown Dog Rescue, and Judie Mancuso from California Healthy Pets. Other knowledgeable people will also be attending. The work shop will be facilitated by the Human Relations Commission.
Any organization who would like to set up an information table at any of these work shops to explain your role in legitimately and meaningfully helping LA achieve No-Kill is invited to contact LA Animal Services at 213.482.9530 to determine if we can accommodate you.
If you or your group would like to serve on a work shop panel discussion, please contact me at 213.482.9558 to discuss your involvement.
Be watching for additional updates!
If you would like to review what is currently happening in LA with respect to the ten components of of the No-Kill Equation, click here.
The series of work shops is called, "Creating a Humane LA". The meetings will be scheduled in the order outlined below, about two weeks apart. There has been a change in the date of the first work shop, so please take note.
District 8 Council Member Bernard Parks will host the first workshop:
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6 at 6:30 p.m.
High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Work Shop
The Constituent Service Center
8475 South Vermont (near Manchester)
Los Angeles, CA 90048
The schedule below will be updated and posted on our website as the work shops are scheduled and confirmed. We will do our best to get the word out to the community and appreciate your assistance in helping us publicize these work shops to anyone who may be interested in attending.
1. High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter I (CD 8 - Parks - August 6th CONFIRMED)
2. Rescue Groups (CD 13 - Garcetti - August 20th CONFIRMED)
3. Foster Care (CD 2 - Greuel - Week of September 1st)
4. Adoption Programs (CD 10 - Wesson - Week of September 15)
5. Pet Retention (CD 1 - Reyes - Week of September 29th)
6. Medical and Behavioral Rehabilitation (CD 6 - Cardenas - Week of October 6th)
7. Feral Cat TNR (CD 15 - Hahn - Week of October 20th)
8. Volunteers (CD 11 - Rosendahl - November 6th CONFIRMED)
9. Public Relations/Community Involvement (CD 4 - LaBonge – Week of November 17th)
10. High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter II (CD 7 - Alarcon - Week of December 1st)
11. Creating a Humane LA (The Mayor - Week of December 8th)
The first work shop panel focusing on High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter programs will include Ed Boks and Brenda Van Den Bosch from LA Animal Services, Terri Austin from the Amanda Foundation, Sue Taylor from Actors and Others, Lori Wiess from Downtown Dog Rescue, and Judie Mancuso from California Healthy Pets. Other knowledgeable people will also be attending. The work shop will be facilitated by the Human Relations Commission.
Any organization who would like to set up an information table at any of these work shops to explain your role in legitimately and meaningfully helping LA achieve No-Kill is invited to contact LA Animal Services at 213.482.9530 to determine if we can accommodate you.
If you or your group would like to serve on a work shop panel discussion, please contact me at 213.482.9558 to discuss your involvement.
Be watching for additional updates!
If you would like to review what is currently happening in LA with respect to the ten components of of the No-Kill Equation, click here.
Friday, July 11, 2008
AB 2427 - Time to be Heard
AB 2427 (Eng), a bill sponsored by the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), will prevent local communities from deciding what veterinary procedures they will allow in their communities. This could affect future restrictions on declawing, tail docking, ear cropping and similar inhumane procedures on animals. It also would reverse the law adopted in West Hollywood several years ago prohibiting the declawing of cats.
This bill is about to be voted on the floor of the California State Senate, its last step before, if approved, going to the Governor for his signature or veto.
The City of Los Angeles has not taken an official position on this bill so I cannot discuss the substantive issues it raises in this forum. But if you would like to learn more about AB 2427 and/or contact your State Senator to express your support or opposition, here's how you can do so:
1) Obtain more information on the bill by going to: http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/pagequery?type=sen_bilinfo&site=sen&title=Bill+Information
2) Then go to: www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html .
3) Type in your zip code .
4) Press SEARCH .
5) Note the name of your Senator, the address of your Senator the Telephone number of your Senator and the Fax number of your Senator.
6) Make a phone call.
a) When you get the receptionist, ask if you may speak with the staff person who is in charge of advising the Senator on AB 2427. You may be transferred to voice mail or get a real person.
b) voice your opinion regarding how you feel the Senator should vote on AB 2427 (Eng) when it reaches the Senate Floor.
OR,
7) If you prefer, write a letter or send a fax to your Senator, but be prompt, because the bill may be heard in the next week or two.
This bill is about to be voted on the floor of the California State Senate, its last step before, if approved, going to the Governor for his signature or veto.
The City of Los Angeles has not taken an official position on this bill so I cannot discuss the substantive issues it raises in this forum. But if you would like to learn more about AB 2427 and/or contact your State Senator to express your support or opposition, here's how you can do so:
1) Obtain more information on the bill by going to: http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/pagequery?type=sen_bilinfo&site=sen&title=Bill+Information
2) Then go to: www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html .
3) Type in your zip code .
4) Press SEARCH .
5) Note the name of your Senator, the address of your Senator the Telephone number of your Senator and the Fax number of your Senator.
6) Make a phone call.
a) When you get the receptionist, ask if you may speak with the staff person who is in charge of advising the Senator on AB 2427. You may be transferred to voice mail or get a real person.
b) voice your opinion regarding how you feel the Senator should vote on AB 2427 (Eng) when it reaches the Senate Floor.
OR,
7) If you prefer, write a letter or send a fax to your Senator, but be prompt, because the bill may be heard in the next week or two.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Creating a Humane LA: A Call to Action
LA Animal Services has long been committed to making Los Angeles a “No-Kill” community for animals. “No-Kill” is defined as getting LA Animal Services to the place where only dangerously aggressive and terminally ill and injured animals are euthanized. In other words, no animal will be euthanized, or killed, because the community lacks the space or the resources to properly care for and place an animal in a loving home.
Over the past several years LA Animal Services has implemented numerous programs and policies to achieve No-Kill with some remarkable success. To help hasten LA’s progress, some have asked LA Animal Services to consider a purportedly new approach called “The No Kill Equation”.
Proponents of “The No-Kill Equation” claim it provides a revolutionary formula to help local animal care and control agencies achieve “No-Kill”. In fact, the "No-Kill Equation" is actually comprised of ten commonsense, long-standing practices embraced and implemented to various degrees by LA Animal Services.
To help better familiarize concerned Angelenos with LA Animal Services’ efforts to achieve “No-Kill” and at the same time gather input and feedback on how we could do better, we are scheduling a series of public workshops to focus on the ten tenets of the “No-Kill Equation”.
The series of workshops will be called, "Creating a Humane LA". The meetings will be scheduled in the order outlined below, about two weeks apart.
Two Council Members asked to host High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Workshops so the series will begin with two sessions devoted to this topic.
District 8 Council Member Bernard Parks will host the first workshop. It is scheduled for
Tuesday, July 22 at 6 p.m.
High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Work Shop
The Constituent Service Center
8475 South Vermont (near Manchester)
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Over the past several years LA Animal Services has implemented numerous programs and policies to achieve No-Kill with some remarkable success. To help hasten LA’s progress, some have asked LA Animal Services to consider a purportedly new approach called “The No Kill Equation”.
Proponents of “The No-Kill Equation” claim it provides a revolutionary formula to help local animal care and control agencies achieve “No-Kill”. In fact, the "No-Kill Equation" is actually comprised of ten commonsense, long-standing practices embraced and implemented to various degrees by LA Animal Services.
To help better familiarize concerned Angelenos with LA Animal Services’ efforts to achieve “No-Kill” and at the same time gather input and feedback on how we could do better, we are scheduling a series of public workshops to focus on the ten tenets of the “No-Kill Equation”.
The series of workshops will be called, "Creating a Humane LA". The meetings will be scheduled in the order outlined below, about two weeks apart.
Two Council Members asked to host High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Workshops so the series will begin with two sessions devoted to this topic.
District 8 Council Member Bernard Parks will host the first workshop. It is scheduled for
Tuesday, July 22 at 6 p.m.
High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Work Shop
The Constituent Service Center
8475 South Vermont (near Manchester)
Los Angeles, CA 90048
District 7 Council Member Richard Alarcon will host the second High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter workshop at a location yet to be determined probably during the week of August 4th. The schedule below will be updated and posted on our website as the work- shops are scheduled and confirmed. We will do our best to get the word out to the community. We appreciate your assistance in helping us publicize these workshops to anyone who may be interested in attending.
1. High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter I (CD 8 - Parks - July 22nd CONFIRMED)
2. High Volume/Low-Cost Spay/Neuter II (CD 7 - Alarcon - Week of August 4th)
3. Rescue Groups (CD 13 - Garcetti - Week of August 18th)
4. Foster Care (CD 2 - Greuel - Week of September 1st)
5. Adoption Programs (CD 10 - Wesson - Week of September 15)
6. Pet Retention (CD 1 - Reyes - Week of September 29th)
7. Medical and Behavioral Rehabilitation (CD 6 - Cardenas - Week of October 6th)
8. Feral Cat TNR (CD 15 - Hahn - Week of October 20th)
9. Volunteers (CD 11 - Rosendahl - Week of November 3rd)
10. Public Relations/Community Involvement (CD 4 - LaBonge – Week of November 17th)
11. Creating a Humane LA (The Mayor - Week of December 1st)
Any organization who would like to set up an information table at any of these work- shops to explain your role in legitimately and meaningfully helping LA achieve No-Kill is invited to contact LA Animal Services at 213.482.9530 to determine if we can accommodate you.
If you or your group would like to be part of the Work Shop panel discussion, please contact me at 213.482.9558 to discuss your involvement.
Be watching for additional updates!
If you would like to review what is currently happening in LA with respect to the ten components of of the No-Kill Equation, click here.
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