Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Los angeles Animal Services

Los Angeles animal services is facing a major problem a problem most goverment agencies face, understafing. I write this because I have read articles on said problem and because I have experienced this problem first hand recently. It all started when I wanted to save a baby opossum that was injured on evergreen cemetery. I called animal services and asked if someone could pick him up because I couldn't take him. Their responce was that they didn't know if they could send an officer to do a pick up. Obviously it's understandable that they have more urgent matters to attend, but alas the opossum died over night to my. Second time around though when I found an injured crow I took him myself because some sheltors have a 24 hr drop off available. You can take all kinds of animals and drop them off. People can also take unwanted newborns or in rare cases pets they can no longer care for. One of the reasons for the understaffing is that they cover too much area with not enough officers, basic supply and demand. A few weeks ago I was on Soto and Cesar Chavez going to the Ben Franklin Library and a mixed black and white pitbull followed me all the way over there running by my side as I skated. At the library he ran around in the sprinklers and cooled offed from the run. I checked him out to see if he was healthy and he had a licence. I called the general number that's on the licence and got put on hold for 15 minutes. I hung up and instead called the local sheltor on Lacy st. I gave them the 411 and they told me it would take about an hour because all officers were busy in the field. I caged him in the libraries back lot waited the hour and no one showed up. I wanted to help the dog but I couldn't do anything else so I just let him go. Another crisis L.A. animal shelters face that's more significant that field officers is that they're understaffed with qualified vets as well. I remember reading a story about it in the times how there's a lack of experienced vets in L.A. It would seem that problem is getting worse. I myself would do what I could and volunteer, but because of legal restraints I can't do it. I just do my part as a responsible pet owner by getting my dog her license and keeping her healthy and safe. Other people don't think like me and there the one's who kill, abuse and sell animals because they're ignorant. People buy from pet stores or street vendors promoting their abuse and neglagence. Where I live people around the neighborhood know me all ready because I walk my dog ,Harleyand her mom, Brooklyn everyday. They compliment me on their behavior and their looks, which by the way is thanks in part to just brushing them everyday. Some have even looked to me for advise on nutrition and how to walk them and train them. I have given them simple advise that I myself have used and still do. I tell them that just walking for 45 minutes a day makes a world of difference when a dog is stuck at home all day bored. From those experiences I know that my place is to help people care for their pets by giving them the knowledge they need to do so. Every walk is a new teaching experience because people see my example of how I treat my four legged friends. However most people are scarered off by them when they see two 100 pound black labs coming their way. They act as if I'm walking a rot or a pit. There's dog whisperors and trainers all over the place but problem is they deal with the non-ghetto communities, that's were I come in. I have spent my life being a translator for my parents. Now adays I help inform people on how to care for their animals in english and spanish. Everytime I do I get a great sence of a complishment knowing I helped improved someones life with their dog.