HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - NON-AGENDACity Council Meeting Correspondence
9/17/2019
PUBLIC COMMENT
Non -
Agenda
Date of Name Representative of In Favor In Opposition Comment
Correspondence of RA*. of RA.*
1 9/17/2019 Dwayne Kelly on behalf of Gracias Music Foundation Yes
Annie Park
2 9/17/2019 Wendy Aragon
3 9/17/2019 Carl Barnes
"RA - Recommended Action
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Yes
Yes
* s 3
TOTAL: 3
Page 1 of 1
G' \ Y YOU FE / ' H UHAL
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Dear Mayor and Councilmembers: September 9, 2019
My name is Annie Park, the Public Relations Director of the Gracias Music Foundation (GMF) and the
International Youth Fellowship (IYF). It is my pleasure to invite you and your loved ones to the 2019 Gracias
Christmas Cantata, the show -stopping musical production that audiences in over forty countries have come
to cherish. This year, the Gracias Christmas Cantata is back with an ALL NEW Act 2.
This year, the Gracias Christmas Cantata is coming to the Long Beach Terrace Theater on Sunday
September 291h, 2019 with 3pm and 7pm show times.
IYF and GMF requests your esteemed presence as our distinguished guest to the VIP Reception at 5:00 pm
at the Westin Long Beach (located directly across the street from the theater). We would be honored to
offer your entire party reserved seats at either the 3pm or 7pm show to guarantee the best Cantata viewing
experience possible.
Christmas is coming early this year in September. We would love to explore ways in which we can work
together to provide programs for your city.
Some examples include:
• Volunteering for City Events
• Cultural Festival and Cultural Performances (African, South American, Indian, Asian, etc.)
• Korean Language Classes
• Mindset education training for Police, Fire, and other departments
• Leadership and Music Camps for Youth
• English Camps for youth to go to Mexico, Haiti, Puerto Rico
• Other areas unique to your City
The Gracias Christmas Cantata brings people together: family, friends, neighbors, and even complete
strangers. We are dedicated to showcasing the power of music that changes hearts, lives, and communities.
Now more than ever, we need unity and Gracias Christmas Cantata has proven to do just that. Please join
us in celebrating the Christmas spirit.
If you have any questions or would like to RVSP, please feel free to contact me at 310-869-7674 (cell) or
a.parkC@graciasmusicfoundation.org. Please find enclosed VIP Reception Invitation Card with more details.
We look forward to hosting you!
Sincerely,
AyWLi&P0Wk,
O
www.graciasmusicfoundation.org www.ivfusa.org
Invitation
The Gracias Music Foundation (GMF)
requests your presence at a VIP reception
for the 2019 Gracias Christmas Cantata
Date: September 29, 2019 (Sunday)
Reception Time: 5:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Reception Location: Westin Long Beach Hotel
Casablanca Room, 3rd Floor
333 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
Performance: 7:00 pm, Terrace Theater (across the street)
Please RSVP to Annie Park by September 23, 2019
RSVP Options:
Email: a.park@graciasmusicfoundation.org
Phone: 310.869.7674
. Reserved seats for reception guests for the best Cantata viewing experience
• Discounted Parking is available at guest expense:
• $10 Self -parking / $15 Valet
Business Casual Attire
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PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pet Assistance Foundation
A compassionate presence in the community since 1955.
Pet Assistance Foundation [PAF] strongly supports the socially conscious sheltering approach
for Long Beach and opposes the no -kill movement in animal welfare.
Socially conscious animal sheltering is a community movement that strives to create the best
outcomes for all animals by treating them respectfully and alleviating suffering. Best outcomes
are reached by striving for the "Five Freedoms," which were developed in the United Kingdom
in 1965. These are:
1. Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full
health
2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and
a comfortable resting area
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
4. Freedom to express (most) normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper
facilities and company of the animal's own kind
5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental
suffering (this is very difficult to achieve in a sheltering environment, but each shelter
should work toward this goal)
The no -kill movement increases animal suffering and threatens public health with unintended
consequences:
• Animals in need are turned away from shelters because shelters are not able to meet
required live release rates if they are admitted.
• Animals languish in cages until they die to avoid euthanasia.
• Dangerous dogs are placed in the community or remain indefinitely in shelters
because of release requirements
• Shelters can no longer accept lost or homeless animals from the community because
cages are full of behaviorally or medically -challenged animals who cannot be placed
in homes.
• Animal welfare is at risk because shelters are beyond capacity -of -care.
• Animals are put at risk or even abandoned through haphazard placements and re-
release programs (TNR without strong policy of safe location, dedicated feeder,
health standards; advertising and giving out free pets with no precautions for safe and
proper placement; over eagerness to release animals to rescues without oversight,
increased risk of placement in hoarding situations).
PAF believes a socially conscious sheltering approach provides greater benefits for animals
and for the community; as such, we strongly support socially conscious sheltering and
oppose the no -kill movement.
We Depend on the Financial
Support of People Who Value
Real Civic and Arts News.
OPINION
Logan: OC Animu, I It; ,,a Wrong
to Return Sheltered Cats Back
Into Neighborhoods
Some of the can that have been pan of the
Return To Field Program
By SHARON LOGAN jury 12, 2019
As many are aware we are the plaintiffs in the ground breaking lawsuit Logan vs. OC
Animal Care.
Logan vs OC Animal Carewas the game changer that brought and ushered in much
needed shelter reform to OC Animal Care.
Our team of attorneys obtained a complete overhaul in OC Animal Care's intake policies
an overhaul of OC Animal Care's current euthanasia practices and the subsequent
resignation of OC's shelter director.
Paw Protector's main focus has, and will, continue to be leading the progress for shelter
reform at OCAC , to impact real viable positive and true responsible sustainable live
outcomes for the animals.
There is so much currently going on at OCAC and none of it is good. In the short, ten
months that Mike Kaviani, the new shelter director, has been in charge at OC Animal
Care, Kaviani and OC Animal Care are already facing a lawsuit.
But what we are about to share with the general public is about as disgusting as it comes.
Currently we are getting reports from constituents in Orange County, shelter employees
and shelter volunteers are voicing grave concerns about the policies and actions of the
Orange County Animal Shelter.
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The calls refer to abuses of a program designed tc, ..._....a . car , _- , opulation, known as
Return To Field, or RTF.
A controversial practice and approach at best, the failure to adhere to even minimum
program standards renders RTF cruel, abusive, ineffective, and perhaps illegal. It is
abandonment by OC Animal Care.
OC Animal Care has implemented a controversial program called Return To Field which
is different from TNR-Trap Neuter Return.
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List of Return To Field including non feral cats at OC Animal Care being Return To Field
As animal advocates, our main goal is to prevent animal abuse and suffering.
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Without community outreach and education, it is not only dangerous to the cats, but
perpetuates the problem. It gives theimpression to the general public that cats can take
care of themselves, and it's fine to dump them—azlo. os, m. County animal shelter
is doing it.
From the stats our attorneys found on line from OC Animal Care the number of neonatal
kittens alone this year, exceeds total cat adoptions in recent years, What are they going to
do with them all, and most importantly where are the moms?
Right now if you go to OC Animal Care in all seven cat cottages, there are cages and cages
of kittens, last weekend, we counted maybe 10 adult cats over 2 years old the rest were all
kittens, and does the general public know why, because OC Animal Care is taking all the
healthy adoptable adult cats and dumping them back into the community with the
ideology that most people are good and the community will help take care of these cats.
We are here to inform and educate the general pu,, ,,, m: khe ui,.—ace between TNR and
RTF and let the general public know that they have been misled of the situation by OC
Animal Care.
OC is doing a massive damping of healthy adoptable cats back into the community with
the thought process that the community will help take care of these cats. The problem is
OC Animal Care has not alerted or educated the community that these healthy adoptable
cats are being dumped in their neighborhoods, they are providing no follow up or after
care for those cats, these cats are not feral.
To understand RTF, we should first describe Trap, Neuter, Return [TNR], or Trap,
Neuter, Return and Maintain [TNRM]. The cats most likely to benefit from these
programs are feral cats—unsocialized descendants of people's abandoned and discarded
pets. The New York rescue group Neighborhood Cats provides an excellent description of
what feral cats are and are not:
While they live outside human homes and exhibit wild behavior, feral cats are not wildlife.
The vast majority rely on some form of human -based food source for their sustenance,
whether its a caretaker who feeds daily, a dumpster behind a supermarket or scraps left on
fishing docks. Very few subsist on hunting alone.
They also point out that "feral" is a behavioral chmtiiological one.
Other cats that may be "swept up" in RTF and TNR programs include pet cats that
people have abandoned, kittens born outdoors but still young enough to be fully socialized
to people, loosely owned outdoor cats that no one takes full responsibility for, lost cats,
and owner surrendered cats. Currently, cats living outdoors without clear owners are
collectively referred to as "community cats."
From September 2018 through June 2019 Orange County Animal Care released more
than 1,000 cats and kittens back into Orange County Communities , these cats and
kittens were left to fend for themselves on our streets, in our parks, in fields and even at
malls.
Some had never been socialized to humans, and quickly faded into the brush, or scooted
behind trashcaus to hide. Others, accustomed to friendly faces and food served in a bowl,
were confused and alarmed by their fate.
1
A Cat that had his eats cut off by someone in the community and full of mites.
Then there were those for whom this was nothing new. They realized their shelter respite
was over, and what that meant. They knew what hunger was, what thirst was, what danger
was, and they knew that could strike at any time. They knew because this wasn't new:
they had been abandoned before.
These 1,000 cats do not include those dumped or left behind by callous owners, only
those deliberately abandoned by the Orange County Animal Shelter to pump up the
shelter's live release rate, and to make the new Shelter Director look good and to serve the
debatable belief that there is no fate worse than death.
OC Animal Care is currently doing RTF every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, some
days they are dumping back into the community 35 cats and kittens at a time.
Clearly this cat is not feral, but she was scheduled to be released and Return To Field
OC Animal Cate has so far has attempted to release a a senior cat with no teeth and
stomatitis back as a Return To Field, the cat was in a bin to to be released but a shelter
worker and shelter volunteer intervened and said the cat will die if returned to field, 0C
Animal Care also tried to release a momma cat that just
had kittens that was sick with a URI and could barely
walk or keep her head up, she was in the bin to be
Returned to Field and a shelter volunteer and shelter
worker spoke up, they were told to take the momma
cat out of the bin and if the cat could walk and keep
her head up, she would be ren ~ .:.:'; d, ^-1d. A shelter
volunteer took that cat home.
A rn un cat at OC Animal Cato that had a URI was sickly and could not hold her head up, She was in the
bin m be released and Return To Field. A Shelter Volunteer Intervened.
We urge the general public to attend this meeting and please speak up.
Email from Tammy Osborn who is an employee at OC Animal Care.
From: Tamm3r.Osbom0occr.ocgov.mm
(mGilto:Tammv.Osborntaoccr.oceov.c ni)
To:
Cc: iessica.Novill000cccocgov.com
(mailmaessica.Novilloraocer.oceov.mm), Michael.Kavianiaocer.ocgov.eom
(mailro:Michael.Kaviani@oc r.oceov.com), Kristlne.Watsonnaoccr.oc ogy.com
(mailro:Krisrine.WatsomAocccoceo¢com), ivana.Aleiandrepoccnocgov.eom
mailroauana.Neiandreraoccr.oc¢ov.com)
Sent: 7/5/2019 10:12:27 AM Pacific Standard Time
Subject: Your are invited! Community Cat Program presentation
Dear Cat Partners,
Want to learn all about community cats? There's a program
happening right here at CC Animal Care! Best Friends Animal
Society is the nation's leader in community cat programs (also known
as CCP's). It's estimated that at least 30 norr, 4rats who enter our
nation's animal shelters each year don t mwue i,- at wive, and CCP
programs are starting to change the tide of that grim outlook for these
outdoor felines.
Meet with Best Friends Animal Society staff experts Destiny Haney
(Community Cat Program Manager) and Kaylee Hawkins (Senior
Manager of Pacific Region) to learn about the state of our nation and
state's shelter pets, what lifesaving trends are happening in our
nation's shelters (relating to cats), and how CC Animal Care's data
demonstrates its need for a CCP-type program. Additionally, learn
more about what goes into creating and maintaining a successful
CCP, hear in-depth results from a sample of CCPs, and discussion
around common misconceptions and concerns relating to CCP
Programs.
CC Animal Care will be hosting this presentation and you are
welcome to attend.
RSVP at THIS LINK by Friday, July 12. Space is first -come, first -
serve via RSVP! Questions? Email pacificobest&iends.org
(mailm:vacificrabestFriends.ore)
Tammy Osborn
Adoption Partner Supervisor
CC Animal Care
1630 Victory Rd, Tustin
(714) 796-6425
What Mike Kaviani doesn't mention is the shelter is currently at 220% capacity.
And as OC Animal Care has been doing for the last 20 years, this new shelter director is
also still attempting to mislead the general public by creating false statistics regarding the
live release rates of dogs, In December of 2018, Kaviani posted a 98% percent release rate
for the dogs, now six months later, he is claiming a 95% percent live release rate for the
dogs. Both live release rates are false.
According to one of our attorneys:
What OC Animal Care is currently trying to imp' . _ ROL ,host of abandonment,
and if there are abandonment laws against the general publre, those laws should also apply
to OC Animal Care.
There are most certainly abandonment laws in CA.
It's also a misdemeanor in California to abandon pets. One law simply says that it's illegal
to purposefully abandon an animal (Cal, Penal Code 4 597s). A more general statute
criminalizes leaving animals without proper care and attention in any building, enclosure,
lot, street, or other public place (Cal. Penal Code 4 597.1), In this case, there's no
requirement that the abandonment or neglect be purposeful.
Cal. Penal Code 4 597s. Abandonment of domestic animals.
(a) Every person who willfully abandons any animal is guilty of a misdemeanor.
CAL. PENAL CODE g 597.1. Failure to care for animals; misdemeanor; powers and
duties of local officers and veterinarians; hearings; liability for costs; forfeiture.
(1) Every owner, driver, or keeper of any animal who permits the animal to be in
any building, enclosure, lane, street, square, or lot of any city, county, city and county, or
judicial district without proper care and attention is guilty of a misdemeanor.
So what happens when an animal shelter is doin, ,n —11c, - h this case OC Animal
Care.
This is what we need the general public to do: if you see volunteers driving in your
neighborhoods, communities, near schools, fields or malls, and they stop open their cars
and you see cat kennels or grey bins, and you witness these volunteers dumping cats back
into the communities, please videotape and photograph these actions.
We have established a hot line the community can call and report these actions to. You
can also pick up the stray cats and return or take them back to OC Animal Care.
Our hotline number is 714-454-0813.
Unfortunately, OCAC has lost their focus on animal welfare and under Mike Kaviani is
focused solely on the live release rates and save rates so OC Animal Care and Mike Kaviani
can look better than they really are.
This is not what sheltering is supposed to be about.
Sharon Logan has foz ehtfor close to a decade for shelter reform at OCAnimal Care. She and
her attorneys successfully sued the co snty animal shelter as the Plainti�'in the ground breaking
lawsuit, Logan vs. OCAnimal Care.
Opinions expressed in editorials trctun, cr,e authors and
Should Feral Cats be Banned?
PHYLLIS M DAUGHERTY / 20 MAY 2019
ft 40--
f
ANIMAL WATCH --Los Angeles Animal Services' General Manager Brenda
Barnette, local cat rescuers, shelter volunteers, Best Friends Animal Society and
other 'trap -neuter -release' (TNR) advocates claim feral and stray cats are the
cause of LA not being a 'No Kill' city. We are told if we would just spend more
money on trap -neuter -release (TNR), L.A. would rank as a leader in humaneness.
But, how does dumping feral and stray cats --even if sexually sterilized --into high -traffic streets
and garbage -strewn, disease -ridden sidewalks and alleys "save" their lives. This merely
sustains or increases the number of painful ways they are killed --but, they don't count in the
shelter's stats!
That's not the whole story! TNR has become a lucrative industry in the U.S., not just a
neighborly compassionate effort or an expenditure of the City's budget
Designating a city "No Kill" by the small percentage of homeless animals (dogs, cats and
others) that physically enter the shelters and the number released (called the 'live -save rate')
does not consider the thousands that roam the streets ;;nrl are deliberately ignored
and not picked up and impounded. Ignoring them in the communities of greatest need and least
political influence does not mean they aren't "killed" by the City's inaction --left in gutters and
alleys with their lifeless bodies picked up by sanitation trucks
Also contributing is the fact that there has been no directed enforcement of Los Angeles'
mandatory spay/neuter law for cats (including outdoor cats), as there is for dogs, since
Barnette's arrival as LAAS General Manager, nor any campaign emphasizing that it is a serious
violation of law to abandon a cat.
The lack of true concern for stopping animals from a life in the streets has been replaced by
a nationwide acceptance --even encouragement --glorifying the life of feral cats, along with
continual requests by non-profit organizations for donations to "make their lives better" in the
streets. There is little concern about the up -to 3.7 million wild birds that are killed annually --
many by well-fed cats, according to USA Today.
The oxymoron is that responsible cat -rescue groups will adamantly refuse to adopt a cat to
anyone who will not sign an agreement to keep it inside, and yet some of them also advocate
TNR rather than more stringent ownership law enforcement. If the life of feral cats
is not dangerous, dirty, disease -ridden and filled with the terror of impending harm, why aren't
housecats allowed to be released into yards after adoption?
AUSTRALIA CONSIDERING A BAN ON ALL OUTDOOR CATS
It is estimated that cats kill 377 million birds and 649 million reptiles every year in Australia,
according to a 2017 study published in the journal Biological Conservation.
In an effort to stop the source of a pervasive feral cat problem that is threatening wildlife and
public health, cats could be banned from going outside under new Australian law. The ongoing
deaths of birds, rodents, and other animals, has now Australia to consider a ban or
curfew on outdoor cats, the government announced last week
Local government minister David Templeman added,."The state government is committed to
ensuring this important legislation is up to date and fit for purpose in the control and
management of cats and dogs in Western Australia. From encouraging responsible pet
ownership, keeping the community and other animals safe, reuniting lost pets with their owners
to reducing the number of animals that are admitted to shelters and euthanized, the legislation
impacts the whole community."
In April, The Independent reported that the Australian government was allegedly air -dropping
poisonous sausages in a bid to kill millions of feral cats. According to reports, it is just one of the
tactics used by the government as part of its plan cull 2 million feral cats by 2020 to protect
native species.
The Australian Department of Sustainability, Environ—sn', <'^nulation, Water and
Communities writes:
The feral cat is found in nearly all habitats across Australia. It has caused the extinction of
some species on islands and has contributed to the disappearance of many ground -dwelling
birds and mammals on the mainland. Feral cat control is feasible on islands, but elsewhere,
management is difficult due to the lack of effective and humane broad -scale control techniques,
and the presence of domestic cats.
Cats are not a native species in either the United States or Australia. It is believed cats arrived
in Australia in the 17th century with Dutch shipwrecks
COMPANION CATS CAN BE DEADLY, TOO
Just as in the U.S., Australia's feral cat colonies are the result of the irresponsible actions of
people who abandon their unsterilized cats or allow them to roam outdoors unsupervised and
those who decided to allow their pets to have a littt, u, \�r uvwre spaying or neutering, PETA
Australia explains:
"While feral cats living in rural Australia are certainly lethal to wildlife, cats with human families
who are allowed to roam around urban areas still have hunting instincts, no matter how well fed
they are. Most cat guardians are in denial about the number of animals their cats kill. One study
found that they see only about 23 per cent of their cats' victims,"
We are also reminded that, "If allowed outdoors, all cats will terrorize, maim, and kill native birds
and other small wild animals, who are struggling to survive other challenges (such as
development in their habitats) and aren't equipped to deal with non-native predators. These
animals die from puncture wounds and from being crushed by cats' jaws."
FERAL CATS IN THE UNITED STATES
15 reasons science says feral cats are a disaster," by NOLA writer Joan Meiners (July
2018) is one of the most informative and well -illustrated responses that have appeared on feral
cats.
"Scientists estimate that between 60 and 160 million feral cats roam the United States... Feral,
free -roaming cats have been documented by dozens of studies to be indiscriminate killers of
wildlife and the cause of at least 63 species extinctions, according to a 2016 analysis of invasive
species impacts.
"But while the evidence of their hunting prowess is overwhelming, there is little proof that cats
are effective at controlling urban rats, which studies have shown are not their primary prey."
she writes.
Other concerns are that "Feral cats attack the prh, -,,-e zcw, =mers of mosquitoes and other
insect pests; Cats are the top carriers of rabies among domestic animals in the U.S.;
Cats spread toxoplasmosis."
A DAY IN THE (SHORT) LIFE OF A FERAL/STRAY CAT
Most feral and stray cats live a lonely life, hiding under greasy vehicles or buildings during the
day to try to avoid being chased and torn apart by dogs, hit by cars --and often are accidentally
and intentionally poisoned by angry or fearful residents or the rodenticide in the bodies of
devoured mice and rats.
Feral/stray and owned outdoor cats congregate where there is a food supply which, in the case
of TNR colonies, feeders provide often around dusk If +".': ;e ronveniently near homes, there
may be porches or open sheds for temporary shelter, gardens for bathrooms, and roofs and/or
high concrete walls from which dogs can be taunted into endless barking.
COYOTES LOVE CATS -- THEY'RE DELICIOUS!
A new study by the National Park Service has found that 20% of urban coyotes' diets consist of
cats and are surging in 96 out of 105 cities surveyed. They have mastered survival in urban
environments, much of which can be attributed to some adjustments in diet from garbage and
small rodents to their competing predator --cats. They have also become adept at entering
residential yards and densely populated communities from which they shied just a few years
ago.
According to a study by Justin Brown, biologist for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation
Area, Los Angeles had 16 coyote attacks on humans in 2016, a huge increase from just two in
2011. A March 18, 2019, post shows a coyote with P " ' Ica- of mange devouring a cat in
someone's driveway in Hollywood in broad daylight, and one community in Culver City
recorded 40 pet deaths from coyotes in just six months last year.
The NPS's findings come from examination of coyote scat from more than 30,000 specimens
collected during a period of two -and -one-half years, showing that the increase in residential
gardens may be drawing coyotes into the neighborhoods and yards where cats and dogs are
easy prey.
Can we even imagine how many of these were TNR'd feral cats that are "sitting ducks" as they
devour the food dumped in an exposed area by a caregiver? This also attracts rats, mice
skunks, raccoons, local stray (unaltered) cats, and, of course, coyotes.
ARE COYOTES STILL KILLING RATS, OR JUST EATING MORE CATS?
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 251.1 (California Department of Fish and
Game) prohibits "...an intentional act which disrupta a,, anal a, � normal behavior patterns,
which includes... feeding or sheltering."
"This may not be limited to just the cat food; it can also be the cat as food too, especially when
so many cats are lured to a specific area (feeding station) to eat. They, in turn, attract the
coyotes which are claimed to be keeping developed areas free of rats and rodents," explained
one former official.
"The added problem with this myth is that the coyote gets its fill when eating a cat or two versus
its natural prey (rats) which can, in turn, increases the population of the prey it would usually
eat --those uneaten rats multiply. It's simple math," he said.
THE COST OF GUILT
All the large (and many small) humane organizations run ads and/or have websites that
promote our guilt over the way irresponsible owners treat animals. We can, of course, assuage
that guilt with a donation --the larger and/or more regular the amount, the better we will feel.
In last week's article ('No Kill' has Failed - Socially Conscious Animal -Sheltering Begins),
we looked at total donations for 2018 to Best Friends Animal Society, ASPCA and HSUS.
Here are some figures on the annual income for large and small feral cat/TNR organizations for
2018:
Alley Cat Allies
Total Revenue $10,221,392 NET ASSETS: $6,229,392
Feral Cat Spay -Neuter Project
Gross Receipts $470,385 Assets: $5,583,989
KITTY BUNGALOW (Los Angeles) Total Revenue: $320,500 Assets: $543,056
OWNER RESPONSIBILITY --TIME FOR A BAN ON OUTDOOR CATS
A Citywide ban on allowing owned cats to be let or kept outdoors, along with a mandatory
microchip/cat licensing law and enforcement of L.A.'s existing mandatory cat spay/neuter
ordinance could --without further taxing the City's budget --effectively and humanely start to
control the overpopulation and end dangers of these free -roaming non-native cats, the spread
of diseases (such as, typhus and rabies) and the destruction of wildlife in Los Angeles.
It would also protect the cats. There is absolutely no iustification for leaving any cat outside nor
for them to be considered "disposable" items that can be :,'apped, neutered, and then thrown
back into the streets like faceless trash, regardless of the hype of TNR activists about the "good
life" they lead.
Advocates do not want feral cats classified as "wild," which means they must be unconditionally
treated and confined as pets for their own and the public's health and safety.
They would then enjoy the same respect and status as dogs!
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former City of Los Angeles employee and a contributor to CityWatch.)
-cw
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Amy Gold • 2 months ago
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"To a casual observer, Alley Cat Allies would seem to be a model charity. A Bethesda,
MD -based nonprofit that calls itself "the global engine of change for cats," Alley Cat Allies
has been given a coveted Platinum seal by GuideStar, which has the "the most complete,
up-to-date nonprofit data available." For its part, Charity Navigator has bestowed a four -
star rating on Alley Cat Allies, signifying that it is an "exceptional" nonprofit that "exceeds
industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause."
Alley Cat Allies is exceptional, all right — exceptionally dysfunctional, exceptionally poorly-
back to top
'No Kill' has Failed - Socially Conscious
Animal -Sheltering Begins
PHYLLIS M DAUGHERTY / 13 MAY 2019
ANIMAL WATCH --"No Kill" has been a gruesome experiment that has
resulted in the painful mauling and deaths of thousands of innocent
people and far more pets by Pit Bulls.
It has prolonged the suffering of old, sick and injured animals whose lives could, and should, have
been ended peacefully by veterinarians who can determine professionally the chances for a
healthy and happy future.
It is time for America to lead the world out of the false perception that all animals must be "saved'
and bad behavior --including killing --is merely "misunderstood."
We are raising a generation of young people who believe tnat aggression in dogs is the norm and
that it is society's obligation to adopt them and/or at least keep them alive at all costs, regardless
of the number of victims or the prospect for more damage and deaths.
Here are just two of the resultant tragedies:
ABC News reported on May 11, "Friends mourn volunteer killed by pit bull up for adoption at
animal shelter in Florida," The details have not been released yet --possibly because the dog that
killed Christine Liquori, 52, at the St. Lucie County's Second Chance Shelter, had a behavioral
background that revealed it was dangerous.
Or, it may have been just an unpredictable, violent attack on the beloved volunteer who also
worked with Paws for Recovery, working alone with the dog in the play yard of the Florida shelter
that last year had begun a five-year plan to become "no kill."
According to the medical examiner, "The cause of d s e4 iguination, or severe loss of
blood, from dog bites."
The Humane Society of St. Lucie County has been serving the community since 1956 and takes
in about 5,000 homeless or unwanted animals a year. On April 19, 2018, the board of directors at
the HSSLC unanimously approved a 5-year strategic plan "to become a no -kill shelter," according
to YourNews contributor, David Lynch.
The plan is based on "working with our local governments to change outdated ordinances to
ones that will directly save thousands of lives immediately... we must do more to increase our life-
saving goals ... we will do better to make sure we save them all."
"NO KILL" --"SAVING" A DANGEROUS DOG AND KILLING A CHILD
My first e-mail this morning was a forwarded link to The Telegrap h,"Mother forced to leave baby's
body with attacking dog so she could save her older child." The angelic faces of two innocenf-
eyed little boys immediately grab your heart. A Staffordshire Terrier had just killed four -month -old
Archie Joe Darby and mauled 22-month-old Daniel Jay Darby, after pulling him off the kitchen
counter where his mother had placed him, while she tried to save the infant.
It took several officers to remove the dog because of its continued aggressive behavior until it
was put to sleep, according to the article. This incident occurred in December 2016 in the U.K. at
the home of an aunt, who got the bully dog from a rescue center about four years before and said
there was no previous problem with it. The prior owner did not disclose any prior aggression.
LET SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS ANIMAL SHELTERING BEGIN
COLORADO VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS f A72MENT - APRIL 9, 2019
Colorado veterinary leaders approve statement supporting the socially conscious animal
communities and opposing the no -kill movement in animal welfare
As veterinarians, we have a responsibility to prevent and relieve animal suffering," said CVMA
President Will French, DVM. "The idea of the no -kill movement is misleading, and often increases
animal suffering with unintended consequences. A Socially Conscious Animal Community is a
more positive approach to animal welfare that treats animals respectfully and alleviates their
suffering. As a board, a socially conscious approach is more in line with our mission of enhancing
animal and human health and welfare in the state."
The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) strongly supports the socially conscious
animal sheltering movement and opposes the no -kill movement in animal welfare. READ ENTIRE
STATEMENT HERE.
DENVER DUMB FRIENDS LEAGUE - Socially Conscious Sheltering 101
On March 28, the Denver Dumb Friends League, founded in 1910, and now the largest
community -based animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain region and a national
leader in compassionate sheltering, issued a dynamic and compassionate commentary
that must be read by anyone concerned. the present and future welfare of animals:
Our society is at a critical point in shaping the future of animal welfare. While the no -kill movement
has created positive change in some communities that don't have progressive animal welfare
organizations, the policies often promoted by these groups are increasingly leading to unintended
consequences that cause animals to suffer greatly. We all m, wt be informed regarding the
unacceptable impact on animals created by legislation being proposed by some no -kill groups. We
must educate colleagues, friends, family members, neighbors and policy makers so animals receive
the care and respect they deserve.
The League clarifies that it does not make euthanasia decisions based on time and space, "All
decisions are about the pet's quality of life and our community's safety," it states.
A Socially conscious sheltering FAQ and a list of the 5 Freedoms that create the "best
outcomes" for animals and which they strive to meet in supporting a necessary change in the
direction of animal sheltering is provided. It summarizes compassionately their commitment to
all animals and the community as an open -admission shelter, stating, "We must work together to
create the best outcomes for all animals, promote safe communities and nurture the human -
animal bond."
WHY THIS HAPPENED - Fate of Puello Animal Shelto, ! 1=np ain"
The impetus for these strong statements by both the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association
and Denver Dumb Friends is the failure of the Community Animal Services of Pueblo to pass
Colorado Department of Agriculture inspections three times after recently becoming "no kill."
"Relinquishing our license is the fastest way for us to get care for the animals," Kim Alfonso, the
acting board president for PAWS for Life Animal Shelter, said in a statement.
At a Tuesday meeting, city councilors and county commissioners heard from the Board
members about the investigation's findings actions, Fox21 News reported.
The decision late last year by these same officials to approve PAWS'taking over operations of the
shelter was predicated on the promise of "a lower budget and the city created a no -kill shelter
ordinance."
Among the issues the inspector noted were multiple 2nimni r1Paths, animals in kennels too small
to meet legal requirements; cats without proper/any litter kiox at all, healthy animals caged with
sick ones, improper sanitation, and improper quarantine, among a plethora of other accusations.
A detailed analysis and history of this situation is provided by Animals24/7 in "No -kill" debacle:
will Pueblo bring "responsible sheltering" into vogue.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE "NO -KILL MOVEMENT"
"In the 1930's, the first focus on preventing unwanted animal births was initiated, writes Maddie's
Fund, "These spay/neuter efforts coincided with the life-saving efforts of rescuers, and so the no -
kill phenomenon began."
Nathan Winograd, an attorney who worked for the San Francisco SPCA, became the next "no kill"
leader, and in 2001 he became Executive Director of the Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca, N.Y for
three years.
Winograd writes, " The organization had already resolved to become no kill in 1999, adding that
killing stopped immediately and Tompkins County had become the first no kill community in the
U.S., As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564.) "
HISTORY OF BEST FRIENDS AND WO KILL'
Best Friend's page, No -kill movement timeline: History of Best Friends Animal Society,comes up
immediately in a search for "No Kill" and states that in 1984, "Best Friends becomes the flagship
for the no -kill movement" and that in 2019, for the first time on record, the total number of dogs
and cats killed in America's shelters for a given year has dropped below the one million mark — to
about 800,000."
Best Friends appears to leave behind its history as the Process Church of the Final Judgment
and ending as The Foundation Church of God in 190 «- ''''kipedia profile contains the links
to the legal corporate history after its founders reportedly separated from the church of
Scientology. (See Articles of Incorporation here.)
During their many years as various religious institutions, there was no published emphasis on
animal welfare in their prominent books and literature. Alsatians (German Shepherds) which are
shown in photos of the altar and they reportedly indicated a belief that dogs could predict the end
of the world. (See 2004 interview Friends Find Their Calling here.)
THE ECONOMICS OF HUMANENESS
Let's look at the recent income to the three major (or most visible) U.S. humane organizations
and why promoting --or at least not opposing --the mythical "no kill" goal may have been of benefit:
In 2017, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported Total Net
Assets or Fund Balances at $273,912,568, with total contributions at $219,969,109.
HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) Ann, ai p-\lPnue Report for 2018, list Total
Assets at $284,500,000 and revenue at $177,500,000.
Best Friends Animal Society shows on its Independent Auditor's Report, Total Assets at
$147,661,205 and Revenue for 2018 at $137,860,369.
American's reportedly donated to listed organizations a total of $11.8 billion in 2018 to
Animal/Environmental organizations. (This does not include the small, local groups or shelters.)
There are an estimated 14,000 shelters and pet rescue groups in the U.S., taking in nearly 8
million animals each year, NPR reported in 2014. (Note: This has probably increased dramatically
in five years.)
ANIMAL RESCUERS
Animal rescuers are not licensed, permitted, monitored or inspected in most cities/states, nor
registered on any national registry. Local shelters usually nnlv require proof of IRS tax-exempt
501(c)(3) status to release impounded animals, often free of charge. There is no limit on what
they charge for "adoptions" and no follow-up on the ultimate disposition of the animals taken
from shelter or other sources. For most smaller rescuers, income from "adoptions" (which are
tax-free sales) or donations is self -reported online.
There is also no background check, insurance, educational or experience requirement to start
"rescuing" and re -homing animals in most jurisdictions.
IT IS TIME FOR SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS ANIMAL SHELTERING
The world of animal sheltering has become an economic issue, often ignoring animal and human
welfare. It places the responsibility for the future of impounded animals with those who have no
authority and no strict legal obligations and standards for veterinary or other care and imposes
no mandates for public health and safety.
Many good-hearted rescuers find themselves in hoc_ si �_ :.:`Dns--caused by the same
agencies that are later reluctant to act on behalf of the animals or take legal action because it will
mean impounding them and possibly not maintaining or reaching Best Friends"'No Kill" goal.
It is time for a change and for more accountability. Deepest thanks to the Colorado Veterinary
Medical Board and Denver Dumb Friends League for beginning this public conversation and
having the courage --as always --to speak for the animals.
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former City of Los Angeles employee and a contributor to CityWatch.)
-cW
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KidSister3 • 4 months ago • edited
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Although I agree that a more "life care" approach to animal sheltering vs a reactionary
response to kill shelters is warranted, your statement - "Animal rescuers are not licensed,
permitted, monitored or inspected in most cities/states..." requires more explanation.
Where are your references for this "fact"? You don't cite any references here... In the state
of Kansas for one - Rescuers have to be licensed and inspected by both a veterinarian
and the KDA. This blanket statement needs more information and references.
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Mimi Stallings • 4 months ago
It looks like a stranglehold of stupidity has taken place in this article. Seems like I have
stumbled upon a gaggle of all right freaks. You Natzi's can't handle one dog without it
killing you? Who's shocked by that? Not me.
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