LA animal shelter hearing
Los Angeles city animal shelter workers and activists renewed their calls for the resignation of animal control manager Ed Boks at a hearing Tuesday night. A story in today's Daily News provides the recap.
Last month, a petition of no confidence was filed, with signatures from half the department's employees. From the Daily News story:
An estimated 200 animal shelter workers, activists and concerned residents packed the Tuesday evening Personnel Committee meeting at Van Nuys city Hall. (Capt. Keith Kramer of the department talks to Councilman Dennis Zine about the problems in photo above.)
The public forum was called by Zine, chairman of the committee, in response to workers' concerns ... "We just are trying to get to the bottom line of what's happening in the department," Zine said after the meeting.
On Thursday, Boks is scheduled to meet with officials from the mayor's office and shelter worker unions to plan how to address the concerns.
In a letter to employees Monday, Boks said he values employee input.
"It is important to me that we identify problems, confirm facts and resolve whatever differences may exist among us -- and that we continue to work as a team," wrote Boks, who didn't attend the meeting.
Critics charge that too many pets are being "warehoused" in the city's expanded shelter system. As a result, they say, dogs and cats attack one another, get sick and must ultimately be put down. Euthanasia is up 37 percent this year in the city.
A story about the hearing also ran in today's Los Angeles Times.
Photo by Gene Blevins/Daily News staff photographer
Related posts: Countdown to Oct. 1; LA Animal Shelter unrest; Spay and neuter efforts.
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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