ASNC Animal Welfare Cmte Meeting

• ARROYO SECO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (ASNC)

Animal Welfare Committee

Agenda

Meeting Area, Fresco Community Market, 5914 Monterey Rd, LA CA 90042

Wed, April  20, 2011 – 7:00 p.m.

I.          Opening remarks and welcome to membership * (2 min)

II.        Stakeholder comments on non-agenda items within the scope of committee’s mandate **  (8 min max)
(2 mins. ea)

III.       Old Business:  

A.    No-Cost Grant for Friends of Hermon Dog Park (5 min):  Short discussion of DONE’s rejection of ASNC no-cost Neighborhood Purposes Grant to transfer ownership of 12 humane Tomahawk traps (used for catching and fixing stray cats) to the Friends of Hermon Dog Park.  ASNC purchased these traps 2 years ago but wanted to transfer them to the organization that is exclusively using them.

IV.       New Business:

A.   $1500 Funding Request, Pet Search & Rescue Supplies (10 min):  The ASNC Animal Welfare Cmte requests an amount not to exceed $1500 for the purchase of supplies necessary for the safe search, capture, rescue and return of lost, scared or hurt dogs and cats, either during a routine emergency or after a major disaster when this problem will be rampant.  Members of both the Animal Welfare Committee and the volunteer group FAST (Friends of Animals Search & Rescue Team) will have access to this equipment.  [Request Originator: Mark Legassie, Director of Animal Welfare, ASNC]

B.    Animal Search & Rescue Team Certification Initiative  (5 min):  Update on ASNC’s initiative to expand CERT light search & rescue (S&R) training to include pets and some wild animals.  ASNC wants to convince  EMD, CERT and Red Cross to address the deficiency in pet emergency preparedness training through the creation of a new  certification program consisting of courses offered by the Red Cross and CERT, including:  pet first aid, pet emergency preparedness, animal S&R, and use of equipment such as restraining poles, graspers, togs, muzzles, and nets.  Pet psychology training is also a vital component  to teach volunteers how to deal with behavioral issues resulting from a pet being lost, hurt and/or homeless.

C.    Investigating Complaints against the Dept of Animal Services and City Attorney’s office (20 min) – Motion to approve a formal letter from ASNC to the Dept of Animal Services inquiring into several alleged improprieties within LAAS (uncovered  by Stray Cat Alliance, and the ASNC-based animal rescue groups FAST and LA Feeders).  Motion includes a review of evidence of the systematic killing of dozens, if not hundreds, of cats each year which are inappropriately captured , and then wrongly killed due to incorrect classification as “fractious” (aka feral) – at taxpayers’ expense.  

This motion also authorizes review of allegations that LAAS is going beyond what’s legally reasonable and allowable to comply with the recent anti-TNR injunction imposed by a Superior Court judge.  The motion goes on to allege that untrained and unqualified LAAS personnel at the receptionist desk are determining the fate of whether a cat lives or dies (via behavioral assessments done without adequate veterinarian training or a degree in psychology).  

Additional allegations against LAAS include  abuse of power, cover-ups by management at the South LA shelter regarding illegal trapping activity, North Central subordinates forced not to follow policy under threat and intimidation, transfer of a well-respected supervisor from North Central for insufficient reason, decrease in department employee morale, and excessive killing of cats resulting in what many citizens are now calling the Dept: “a concentration camp for ferals”. 

Finally, a review of allegations will be conducted of the office of the elected City – whom the LAAS Dept Mgr indicated is afraid of displeasing the wetlands extremists that are determined round up all stray cats and have them exterminated at taxpayers expense.  The reluctance by the City Attorney is allegedly hampering any efforts by LAAS to resolve this issue.

The ASNC Animal Welfare Committee is vehemently against the unnecessary killing of animals in our shelters as well as the improprieties, if true, that have been made in the above allegations.

D.   Guest Speaker, Jennifer Brent (10 min) - External Relations Mgr, Found Animals Foundation (www.foundanimals.org):  Short presentation on Found Animals’ work at reducing LA animal shelter euthanasia through sustainable programs. 

E.    Next Meeting Date – May 2011 (2nd Wed)

F.    Adjournment

* The ASNC Animal Welfare Committee is open to the public and all Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council stakeholders.

** (from ASNC Bylaws): ART. VIII (COMMITTEES) All committees shall be composed of both board and non-board members. 

The purpose of the ASNC [is to]: 1) Provide a forum for discussion and review of ASNC issues and projects; 2) Engage stakeholders in deliberation and collaboration on matters affecting the community; 3) Promote participation in City governance and decision making processes, and to promote greater awareness and utilization of city services available to (ASNC) stakeholders; 4) Work with other neighborhood councils, communities and organizations on issues of common interest; 5) Advocate ASNC issues to government and private agencies, where there is widespread community agreement; 6) Inform and educate community stakeholders and residents of forthcoming projects, events, and resources available.

[Please direct questions about this meeting announcement to animal_welfare@asnc.us]