The decline and death of Zephyr, a 10 month-old puppy, in L.A County custody, basis of a lawsuit against the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control
In another blow to L.A. County's embattled Department of Animal Care and Control, and its longtime Director, Marcia Mayeda, video was released yesterday that clearly shows a County employee abusing and dragging an injured dog across the ground at the Baldwin Park shelter.
This revelation follows a lawsuit filed last year against the County and the Department of Animal Care and Control by the No Kill Advocacy Center, a national shelter reform organization, and two individual rescuers, in the wake of the death of a ten month-old puppy dubbed "Zephyr," allegedly due to severe neglect while in County custody .
According to the No Kill Advocacy Center, "the lawsuit alleges unlawful and abusive treatment of animals at all six Los Angeles County animal shelters."
From a Center press release:
"Among the allegations in the 29-page complaint filed in Superior Court, the County Department of Animal Care and Control routinely:
- 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."
The video of the Baldwin Park shelter incident, released yesterday shows a County employee dragging a large dog across the ground, despite the fact that sections of the video clearly show the dog is injured and having difficulty walking.
Although the video was released by the County only yesterday, in compliance with the California Public Records Act, the incident reportedly occurred on July 1, 2006. Allegations about the incident and the existence of a videotaped record of the events surfaced intermittently in the blogosphere and in June of last year I contacted Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's office to ask about this and several other issues related to allegations of chronic mismanagement by Mayeda and her team at the Department of Animal Care and Control. Yaroslavsky's office responded via email:
"You…expressed a concern about an incident in which a LACDACC employee was videotaped dragging a Rottweiler with a broken back on the ground. The employee who committed this very inhumane act was disciplined and has been permanently re-assigned to a position in which he will have no contact with animals."
(Note: although initial reports indicated that the dog had a broken back, the internal report filed on July 1, 2006 by the Department of Animal Care and Control appears to indicate that the dog in fact had a dislocated hip.)
From this communication with Yaroslavsky's office it's clear that Director Mayeda, the County and the Board of Supervisors were aware the incident took place, and that videotape from the County's own surveillance cameras had recorded it, yet the employee was not charged with a crime, and is reportedly still on the County payroll.
Comments
This is awful! This is the shelter from which I adopted my dog this past summer and I honestly cannot believe this.
-LA Public Transportation Examiner
I would like to know what more recent data is on this type of activity in L.A. shelters. Are there acts of this type known to have occurred in 2008? Also, why would the shelters kill animals before their time is due, or without finding owners when there is a massive effort to progress to a no-kill city? I've spoken to animal control officers at an L.A. shelter, and received a very positive (and unsolicited) attitude towards no-kill policy. Also, the euthanasia rates have been declining. How can I reconcile this contradictory information?
Concerned,
L.A. has two distinct shelter systems, the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control, which is the county system, and L.A. Animal Services, which is the city system. This particular story deals with the county system, which is has been directed for approximately seven years by a woman named Marcia Mayeda. She, among others, is named in the lawsuit being brought by the No Kill Advocacy Center. The city system’s General Manager is a man named Ed Boks, who’s been in place for roughly two years.
Both departments have their share of controversy attached. I would urge you to Google both Marcia Mayeda and Ed Boks, my doing that was the beginning of my education about both systems, about which there is a LOT to learn.
As far as discrepancies between what officers and workers say, stated departmental policy, and actual results (and whether or not the kill statistics are credible) you should know that in September 2008 over half the employees of the city system signed a petition of no confidence in Ed Boks. I’ll add a link to the L.A. Times story on this action in the “For More Info” box.
There’s also an abundance of information available about issues of humane treatment, proper care, management of federally controlled drugs and other problems at County. In the “For More Info” box at the end of the article is a link to a well-documented watchdog blog dedicated to the County system. It’s maintained by a man named Ryan Olshan and no fact I’ve ever seen there has not been borne out when I check with Supervisors’ offices or other informed sources.
The last thing I would say is that the term “No Kill” is a huge buzzword in the rescue and shelter community. Some are in favor of this movement, others are vehemently opposed. I can understand opposing it if you think it leads to warehousing of animals, but the degree of ferocity with which critics oppose it makes me curious. Nevertheless, anyone who’s at all familiar with shelters knows it’s a buzzword that lends credibility to the speaker with many in the rescue community – a community it pays to look good to if you run the shelter system for a large city. If I were an embattled head of a shelter system, and critics were casting doubt on my accomplishments and competence, I would be saying “No Kill” a lot. My understanding of the real-world standard to say one has achieved No Kill is killing no more than ten percent of adoptable animals (and unadoptable animals should not include a dog with the sniffles, or who has been temperament tested once within a day or two of coming to the shelter, a period when very many sweet dogs are fractious just because they’re terrified). Anyway, by even that liberal standard I don’t think L.A. is near No Kill. Being theoretically in favor of No Kill is super. But so is being in favor of world peace. Unfortunately, the only thing that counts when L.A.’s homeless animals are dying is results.
Why wasn't this employee fired on the spot, any person that treats animals like this, has no business working with these poor lost animals. And to think of the pain this poor dog was in, and this jerk dragging him across the pavement is past torture.
I had a neighbor who, when his sweet dalmation ran away from him (understandably) did the same thing...dragged him to his doghouse on his back...and I believe this may be something that is done regularly in parts of Mexico. People need to be educated that this inhumane treatment is not acceptable in this country. I regret that I didn't report this man (now moved away) to the SPCA.
I'm not sure this blog is still accepting comments, but if it is: I had a neighbor who used to drag his sweet dalmation into his dog house on his back, especially if he decided that the dog had disobeyed. I believe that this treatment of dogs may be typical of some part/s of Mexico, as I saw him doing this habitually and this also happened with the shelter employee. I think the best remedy is to ensure that people hired to take care of animals understand that this country does not tolerate this type of inhumane treatment of animals.
how sad! to think there are people who would even think about doing this makes me feel sick, but knowing that they got away with it? I just can't even comprehend how this is not punishable by law. Someone out there could love that dog more than anything in this world, and he's not even going to give it that chance to find it. I wish i could do to him what he did to that dog.
you know dogs are like people to you shouldnt treat them as different as you would treat your own child i mean like gosh why cant you simply take care of a dog if you had angry management and you took it out on a dog well you look pretty stupid and the dog doesnt look to pretty. i mean stupid people to stupid crap to animals when animals are just trying to get around just like people dang@!@@!!!!
why do you need to drag an animal across the pavement theres no need you need to understand that a dog needs love and care just like anyone else and dont forget dog spelled backwards is GOD you abuse a dog and god has to take it to the heart as well people just need to think before they run off and blame these poor sweet dogs and puppies for something that is there own fault i mean seriously people take the time to apperciate the animals you have because no-one can stop the future!!!
Are you serious?! This is disgusting, and a huge outrage. I mean why would a shelter claim to want to help animals, but then when they get there possibly get put back into the same or a worse situation from where they came from. They should be closed down and all of the people involed in this nonsence fired right away!
I LOVE ALL DOGS TOO. NEED STOP CRUEL KILL MURDER DOGS AND CATS TOO. THAT IS VERY SICKO TOO. GOVERMENT ARE BIG RESPONSIBLE TOO.
Where is the cruelty? The dog had the choice of walking or being dragged, it chose to be dragged. What was the guy supposed to do? Try to carry a dog that large?
Calgarth -- Did you actually read the story? The dog had a dislocated hip. If you really don't know what's cruel about dragging a dog with a dislocated hip rather than, say, putting him on a gurney like a sensible and humane person, then I certainly hope you don't have a dog or, frankly, any humans dependent on you. And even of the dog didn't have a dislocated hip, a truly painful condition, you don't drag a dog -- period. If I did it I would have been arrested. I frankly can't imagine why you can't see that it's cruel, no matter what the circumstances.
NEED TO STOP DO THAT AND THAT IS NOT SAFE FOR ANIAMLS
why do peopple abuse there dog it is meann and why do the shelter people kill them in staied of giving them to some one who wont do that like peple who like animals like me i have 8 pets but i cant have no more i have to many so help stop animal abuse so the pets can be safe from people and if u notice anybody abusing there dog call and they will help. I hope a lot of people read this. THANK YOU
Have you ever hered that dog abuse is bad so if u did then help me stop it and if u r hurting ur animals please stop and think about ur pets and how much tht hurts them so think before u do. Pets r just like people they have feelings to. So if u r abusing ur dog STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if u now this answer please answer why do poeple abuse there dogs i want to now i wanted to now that for a long tme so please tell.If u do now and u tell me thank u the people tht r on here do they work here or is just random people
Marcia Mayeda is a C_NT... She is in in charge of 6 Shelters including one of the worst., Lancaster. I had a petition going a couple years ago about a Dalmatian named Dustin that was set to be adopted by me and they tols us what time to get there the next day. We called to let then know we were on our way and they euthenized him. I talked to an ass-hole named Officer Ortiz who could give a shit so we created a petition that 3500 people outraged people signed. So many people had similar stories. I will never forget the pain I felt and the sadness for Dustin and I alway's believe that on day Marcia Mayeda will pay for all the pain she and her employee possee have caused on animal's in that years past and future!! Adoptable animals die everyday because among other thing's, the employee's hate there job and don't get paid enough therefor the poor animal's suffer :( I have met some decent shelter employee's that actually care but they are few and far between*
that is bullcrap i wish they would show his face so i could drag that guy
People that abuse dogs most likely also abuse people. For example, serial killers start with small innocent animals. The L.A. county and any government or locally run shelter should do a background check and psychological evaluations. This comment may be a bit late but wow that guy is an insensitive bastard. I hope someone drags him around one day so he can see what if feels like. Hope Karma (literally) bites him in the ass.
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