To the editor: As a strong advocate for shelter animals, I believe that nothing will change until there is effective leadership in Los Angeles. I refuse to wait for the system to fix itself because, in the meantime, innocent, friendly, healthy animals die. (“Head of troubled L.A. Animal Services steps down amid high euthanasia rates, overcrowding,” Dec. 2)
Therefore, I am proposing concrete steps that members of the public can take to save more animals.
- Consider adoption over purchase. You can find almost any breed at a shelter or breed-specific rescue.
- Do not breed dogs, and spay or neuter your pets. We cannot work our way out of pet overpopulation with more dogs and cats being born every day.
- Consider fostering from a rescue organization or a shelter. Rescues are overwhelmed and cannot pull dogs from shelters if there are no fosters. Even a few days or weeks will keep an animal alive.
- Take a shelter dog out for a day hike or home for the weekend. This reduces stress and makes them more adoptable.
- Volunteer at a shelter or rescue. Volunteers are the ones who walk the dogs, provide love and help get them adopted.
- Contact your local council member, attend city council meetings and voice your complaints. We are all taxpayers and should not tolerate funding the mistreatment or killing of adoptable pets.
Melissa Klaskin, Los Angeles
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To the editor: The real cause for concern at Los Angeles Animal Services, or LAAS, isn’t euthanasia. It’s the nonexistent quality of life for animals who are warehoused in filthy, crowded conditions for months on end and the routine and reckless practices of turning away animals and failing to respond to emergencies.
These issues predated former LAAS General Manager Staycee Dains’ tenure, and her resignation won’t solve them.
Mayor Karen Bass has failed to take meaningful action despite urging and offers of help from local groups. She must now appoint a manager who will prioritize animals’ quality of life (not “live-release” numbers), keep shelters’ doors open to all, see that every call for help is promptly handled, ensure the moratorium on backyard dog breeding is vigorously enforced and drop the dishonest “no-kill” rhetoric that created this disaster.
Otherwise, animals will keep suffering at the hands of the agency that should be protecting them.
Lisa Lange, Los Angeles
The writer is senior vice president of communications for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
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To the editor: The word “euthanasia” should not be used to describe the deaths of healthy and adoptable shelter animals, as it implies a compassionate act. As a longtime shelter volunteer and dog rescuer, I believe it is more accurate to say these animals are being killed.
Years ago, it was mandatory for shelter staff and volunteers to pass an online course on how to manage and reduce the feelings of fear, anxiety and stress, or FAS, in dogs. Seasoned volunteers were often successful in helping those dogs, and many were adopted or rescued.
But under Dains’ leadership, many dogs with FAS were seen as dangerous or suffering. Dogs were unfairly classified with behavioral issues, leading to many being added to the kill list.
Dains has left, but her policies perpetuate the labeling of “rescue-only” dogs. This has dire consequences, as volunteers are prevented from helping these animals, leading to the unnecessary deaths of many young and healthy pets.
Granted, shelters struggle with more pets coming in than leaving. Consequently, the number of innocent pets being killed is on the rise, which is a tragic reality.
Sherry Brewer, Sherman Oaks