L.A. Dog Abuse

[Dave]

The No Kill Advocacy Center filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, its Department of Animal Care and Control, and the Department's Director, Marcia Mayeda. The lawsuit alleges unlawful and abusive treatment of animals at all six Los Angeles County animal shelters.

The complaint, (WARNING: GRAPHIC PICTURES INCLUDED) which is 29 pages long (PDF), includes a number of allegations of against the department, including:

• Kills healthy and treatable animals before their state mandated holding period expires;
• Misclassifies animals as "ill" or "injured" in order to kill them before their holding period expires even though the animals are not irremediably suffering as required by state law;
• Kills lost animals without making reasonable attempts to find the animals' owners;
• Fails to provide adequate veterinary care to impounded animals, resulting in animal deaths;
• Fails to provide adequate nutrition, water, shelter and exercise to impounded animals and to treat the animals humanely and kindly;
• Refuses to release animals to rescue groups that are willing to care for the animals until adoptive homes can be found and, instead, kills the animals.

I put this on the homepage, and I also have a seperate page for this story.

[mmgy]

I hear horror stories about the south LA shelter all the time. Mainly about them not rotating animals into the "adoptables" area, and if they're sick, they just throw them in a kennel in the back to die.

They're just SO far away, and there are so many animals in between....................

[iloveshepherds]

How can anyone be so cruel? What kind of people do they employ!!! animal abusers?!?!??!

[A.J.]

These aren't people and we can't say they're animals!     

I don't understand and never will! 

[minniesmom]

That's horrible!

[Angel-Dancer]

I could not read the whole story.  I did not want to deal with the heartache at this time.  I am hoping the publicity will make LA take responsibilty for their actions and be more reasonable about HUMANE care for the animals.
Bastards!

[janpo1]

I couldn't read it all either.  My imagination fills it in.

If this is known about and has been known about for some time~~~~ why does it continue?   

[Angel-Dancer]

Maybe we should write to their governer

[LoveNewfies]

I do hope this suit brings about some necessary change.  Sadly, it doesn't do anything for the animals that have already suffered and/or needlessly lost their lives.

It is a sad reality, the amount of misconduct, abuse, etc. that goes on in numerous shelters, not just the shelters in L.A.  Sadly, many states and cities do not make these issues a priority.  We can only hope this suit hits the media spotlight, at least enough to enlighten more people of the seriousness of the issues within the shelters.

There are obviously some shelters in our country that have a far better track record, but, I think many of us would be mortified at what goes on in a lot of shelters. 

It's a sad, shameful situation that needs to be changed, and there is no reason why it can't be changed.

The defendants in this particular suit should be more than ashamed of their actions, and lack thereof when it came to providing adequate care for these innocent beings in their care.  Numerous innocent lives have been taken, and too much needless suffering has gone on.  They do need to be held accountable for their actions, and an example needs to made.

When a human being willingly participates in any of these cruel acts to innocent animals, it truly speaks volumes about the person. 

[minniesmom]

  Well said, Gail.

[ava]

How can anyone be so cruel? What kind of people do they employ!!! animal abusers?!?!??!

I could only imagine they hire PETA, to me there is no other
explanation than something like that. These people they have
working for them just do not care. I hope to be able to follow
this case and see the outcome.

[Angel-Dancer]

Definitely well said Gail.  Thankfully there are many people out there who truly love animals and understand their right to live too.  I surely hope the publicity causes change for the better for the animals.  You are so right, there is no reason it cannot happen.

[Doc Stan]

These people will go as far as we let them. The only way to stop them is to grab them and pull them
out from under the rock they hide under and expose them to the light of day. Like a slug.  The light
will have them trying to hide under a bigger rock.  That is what U are doing to them when U put them up for inspection with the media.  they run like ants under a boot.    Doc..............


    It's called no balls...

[Angel-Dancer]

Than we will have to send them all valentines cards and share our love.  They feel our love, come out to share and we stomp them.

[Doc Stan]

Good Thinking..  Doc..

[Malnmutt]

I have mixed feelings about this and if anyone cares to PM me about it, I'll gladly expound on it. It's a public forum however, so I cannot do so here. But I have a lot of opinions on it. A LOT.

[minniesmom]

Dave here:

Please feel free to share your thoughts here.  We are not one-sided, this is an open forum and if there are things we should consider that we have not, we all would benefit from an exchange of ideas.

Dave

[Malnmutt]

Heh, no it's not that. I know some folks involved and they are involved in my shelter as well.

But thank you for reassuring me that ya'll are cool. Which I totally already knew.

[beckybaker]

We got Cooper from the West Valley shelter in LA. How scary.

[Angel-Dancer]

Ya know there are many shelters that are less than ideal for animals, not just the LA shelter.  I am just hoping the publicity will make shelters take more humane measures.
I know before the AC shelter here was granted some money to remodel and improve, they PTS many more animals a lot sooner than they do now.  They had the reputation of being animal killers for a long long time.  They still have the reputation, they are still not the ideal shelter for animals, but they are a lot better than they use to be.