LA animal shelter unrest
Animal shelter workers packed the Los Angeles City Council meeting today to call for the removal of General Manager Ed Boks.
A "no confidence" vote against Boks and Assistant General Manager Linda Barth was signed by 30 supervisors and more than 200 employees, according to Victor Gordo, general council for Laborers' International Union of North America Local 77.
The union complains that kennels are overcrowded, that there are too few animal control officers for the city, and that shelter animals do not receive enough food or medical attention.
"For some time now, we've expressed a number of concerns with the department -- we've expressed concerns with public safety, animal welfare, employee safety and, last but not least, services to the people of Los Angeles," Gordo said.
Boks said the concerns are "not legitimate." A hearing will be scheduled before the council's Personnel Committee.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
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