Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

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Showing posts with label brenda barnette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brenda barnette. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Los Angeles will not trap, kill coyotes, suggests humane and more effective alternatives - Animal Advocates

Animal Advocates, coyote, canis latrans, Los Angeles, California, Mary Cummins
"Despite sometimes alarming reports of a growing coyote presence in pockets of the metropolis, Los Angeles animal services on Friday proposed little change in its approach to urban coyote management.
The revised coyote plan was requested by Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino, whose district has been hard hit with coyote reports this year.
The 20-page document, which was posted online Friday by the city’s Department of Animal Services, calls for more community education along with more city wildlife staff and warning signs and covered trash cans to be placed in affected city parks — but no trapping or removal of coyotes.
It will be discussed at 9 a.m. Wednesday at a special meeting of the Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee in downtown Los Angeles."


RESISTS TRAPPING TREND

Our website shows you how to exclude and deter coyotes

Click to continue article

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Some animal activists are protesting Brenda Barnette the General Manager of Los Angeles Animal Services

I've been closely following Los Angeles Animal Services for the past 15 years. I used to go to all the commission meetings. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wanted to appoint me as a commissioner but I declined because of the nasty activists.

For almost ten years straight Animal Defense League (ADL) run by actress Pamelyn Ferdin and her husband Dr Jerry Vlasak the spokesperson for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) protested Los Angeles Animal Services. They would demand a new General Manager by protesting at the Mayor's house, Mayoral house, Mayor's sister's house, ex-wife of Deputy of Animal Services... That is how we got Don Knapp, Jerry Greenwalt, Guerdon Stuckey, Edward Boks and now Brenda Barnette.

What's very interesting is during all that time the euth numbers went down steadily. The numbers have been going down steadily since the 1970's with or without protesters. Euth and intake went up a little after Boks left before they hired a new GM. That is because Boks fudged the books, juggled the numbers and refused the animals most likely to be euth'd. Those same animals were also animals most likely to procreate. Boks refused feral cats, kittens and large dogs which increased in numbers as they were dumped on the streets. This was also the time of the real estate bust where people lost their homes and relinquished their pets in droves.

Brenda Barnette was hired after a long and exhausting search for a new GM. The search was long and exhausting as few people who were capable of the job wanted it. There were some local animal activists who'd never run a shelter before who wanted the job. There were also people in the department who wanted to run the shelter. Choosing someone from local animal activism rescue or current department employee would not have been the best idea for many reasons. Some local rescuers and some in the department have been at each other for years. An outsider made the most sense. Most outsiders were not interested in the position because they knew they'd be viciously attacked and their career, life destroyed by ADL and ALF. Then along came Brenda Barnette.

Barnette had years of experience running shelters and an SPCA. The only negative was that she and her daughter once owned and bred dogs for show I believe. Any animal lover should only adopt animals and spayneuter any animals they own. Considering the lack of experience, lack of knowledge, tons of baggage and legal liability of past GMs this was a non-issue for me. None of us started our careers with all the knowledge and wisdom we have today.

Barnette continued with all the positive programs of the past and added new programs. She worked with Best Friends, Fix LA, Found Animals Foundation and others. She had to weather through the years as Los Angeles crawled out of the great recession. People lost their homes, had to double up with friends or rent places which would not accept pets. Many animals were relinquished at the shelters. This caused a large increase in intake. The increase in intake caused an increase in euthanasia.

This actually started during Ed Boks' last years but he covered it up by just plain refusing animals. Boks was not allowed to refuse animals as LAAS is a public open intake facility. Boks had no problem breaking the law while he was GM. His fudging of the books before Barnette caused the increase in intake to appear larger in comparison after Barnette because he'd kept it artificially low. Barnette had to deal with the past fudged books, a horrible economy and getting up to speed with the many problems facing LA Animal Services.

I will now take a look at the most recent cat/dog numbers I found on the Department website. They are linked below for this month June 2015. This file changes monthly so save it.

http://www.laanimalservices.com/pdf/reports/CatNDogIntakeNOutcomes.pdf

Intake is down considerably. Adoptions, Best Friends, New Hope are about the same. Returned to owners is up. Died is down. DOA is the same. Euthanasia is down by a large amount. It's down 25% from 2013 to 2014. It's down even further so far this year but we have one more month to go in the charts.

My question here is why are activists demanding that the Mayor fire Brenda Barnette? Just because she used to breed dogs? I would not care if she was a backyard dragon breeder if she can get the euthanasia rate to as low as it is today. Barnette has made great progress by the numbers. I think this call for Barnette's head is caused by a few unhappy employees and rescuers who have banded together in this attack.

p.s. The LAAS wildlife numbers have not been that good in the last few years because of a major distemper outbreak, the drought causing more animals to be ill and orphaned and we've lost a few rehabbers around LA City who used to take from the shelter. It's also my fault because I injured my back and can't take in as many wild animals. I used to take all mammals from a few shelters but I can't now until I have surgery. I will say that Barnette reached out to me to improve the wildlife numbers. We shared some ideas and she offered help. I was just not well enough to help. As soon as I have surgery and raised funds for our non-profit I will get back to taking in more wildlife.

I just posted the below on Facebook.

First off no one ever said that Los Angeles Animal Services is "No Kill." They obviously are killing just like Los Angeles County and Pasadena which have higher euth rates than LA City. "No kill" means all adoptable animals are adopted. Very ill, very injured, neonates with no mother or bottle feeders and very aggressive animals are euthanized. I will start with most important numbers first, Intake and Euthanasia. 

Intake: Decrease in intake shows mandatory, free and low cost spayneuter of shelter and owned animals is working. People are also not dumping their pets because of the economy. This again is only for cats, dogs.
YEAR     #CATS/DOGS
2012/13  54,825
2013/14  50,239 -8% from previous year
2014/15  44,734 -9% from previous year at this rate

Euthanized: Euthanasia is down because intake is down, adoption, New Hope, Best Friend are the same and returned to owner is up. 

2011/2012  21,620  37% euth rate (euth/intake)
2012/2013  17,069  -21% from previous year, 31% euth rate
2013/2014  12,683  -25% from previous year, 25% euth rate
2014/2015  11,579  at this rate -9% from previous year, 23% euth rate

Returned to Owner: RTO is up because all shelter adopted pets are microchipped, so are rescue animals and the economy has improved. Before owners would be called but they didn't want their cat or dog.

2012/2013  4,671 
2013/2014  4,732  +1%
2014/2015  5,300  +12% at this rate

Adoptions: Same
Best Friends: Same
New Hope: Same
Released: Same
Died: Same
Dead On Arrival: Same
Stolen: Neglegible 
Escaped: Neglegible

Here's a link to an article I wrote February 14, 2011 about Barnette's first six months.

http://animaladvocatesmarycummins.blogspot.com/2011/02/brenda-barnette-first-six-months-by.html

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Monday, February 14, 2011

Brenda Barnette first six months by the numbers, Los Angeles Animal Services

Some have been singing Brenda Barnette's praises since she arrived. Some are saying things are much better. I thought I'd take a look at the numbers to see what's really happening at Los Angeles Animal Services.

Animals given to New Hope partners has increased. Things seem to have gotten worse in all the other categories. Most seems to be due to the increase in animals being dumped at the shelter. Most of this is due to kittens. I'm only looking at cats and dogs combined. I'm comparing Barnette's first six months (August through the end of January) to the same six months the previous year.

Adoptions are down by 986 animals (-8%), 11,799 verses 12,785.

Animals given to New Hope partners (non-profit animal rescue groups that work with the City) is up a whopping 1,162 (+40%), 4,080 verses 2,918. This is a great improvement, kudos. Unfortunately it's the only improvement based on the numbers.

Animals returned to owners is up 129 (+5%), 2,842 verses 2,743. This is due to the increase in intake. As a percentage of intake 10.54% of animals were returned to their owners in the last six months compared to 10.88% compared to last six months from previous year. The difference is actually negligible.

Animals released has increased by 166 (+35%), 633 verses 467. I've never really understood this category but I still count it as an animal released alive.

Animals that died on their own is down 23 (-6%), 368 verses 375. As a percentage of intake it's the same at 1.3% verses 1.4% year previous.

Animals that were dead on arrival (DOA) at intake increased by 62 (+8%), 827 verses 765. As a percentage of intake it's the same at 3% verses 3%.

Animals that escaped is up by 26 (+92%), 54 verses 28. The numbers involved are negligible but still something to look at.

Animals that were euthanized is up 1,189 (+13%), 10,204 verses 9,015. As a percentage of intake it's 37% verses 36% year previous. Not that much of a difference especially when you consider the increase in intake and fewer adoptions to the public.

Animals leaving the shelter alive is up 476 (+2.5%), 19,408 verses 18,941. As a percentage of intake it is actually down, 72% verses 75%. Barnette's goal is to have 85% of the animals leaving alive within the next five years. If our economy improves and we can do something about all the kittens, I see that happening.

Animals leaving the shelter dead is up 1,244 or (+12%), 11,399 verses 10,155. As a percentage of intake it's 42% verses 40% previous year. As a percentage fewer animals leaving alive, more leaving dead. (Animals leaving dead as % + animals leaving alive as % do not = 100% animals taken in during that time period. It seems more animals left the shelter dead and alive than were taken in. This could be because of the timing of baby season. This also means they are keeping higher numbers in the shelter.)

Animals that were brought into the shelters is up by 1,758 (+7%), 26,956 verses 25,198. This is the real problem. In the past five years animal intake is up 9,545 (+20%), 55,780 verses 46,235 (annual intake last 12 months). Intake had been going down for years until the recession hit. It's been going up ever since. Adoptions were increasing until 2009 when we seem to have hit a wall.

Now to look at an always troubling category, kittens. Neonate kitten intake is up 662 (+22%) over the six months year prior. Kitten intake accounted for 38% of the increase in total cat/dog intake. Neonate kitten euth is caused by people not spaying and neutering their own cats or unowned feral cats. People lie when they dump the kittens saying they are strays so they don't have to pay a fee. You can't really tell where they are coming from.

Kitten euth is up 910 (+47%) over the six months year prior. Almost all (+76%) of the increase in total cat/dog euthanasia is attributed to kitten euth, 910 kittens euth'd verses 1,189 total cats/dogs euth'd.

One problem with neonate kittens is that they legally cannot be adopted out until they are eight weeks old. If they are under eight weeks old, they must be adopted out with a mom cat and all the other siblings or through the foster bottle baby program. Because there are so many kittens eight weeks and older, people would rather not adopt an entire family (very expensive) or bottle feed a baby (time consuming). If you can't feed the neonate kitten or adopt it out, you are forced to euth it which is better than letting it starve to death.

I volunteered at the shelter for many years. We'd call five week old kittens eight weeks if they could eat wet food. We'd put solo nursing babies in with a mom cat with other babies. I'm sure the shelter is doing this already.

I believe some of the increase in adult cat/dog intake and euth is caused by our horrible economy i.e., job losses, foreclosures, people being forced to move from homes into smaller rentals that don't allow pets, people doubling up in homes and people who can't afford to spay or neuter their pets. Obviously Barnette did not cause our horrible economy. Still, it's a challenge she must face.

I think she's done a great job increasing New Hope adoptions. I don't know if she recruited more New Hope partners or just found a way to get them to take more animals. Whatever the cause, whoever deserves credit, kudos. Kudos to the actual New Hope partners as well. That's the only real improvement by the numbers. Without that improvement, things would be much worse.

Adoptions to the public are down but I'd venture to say it's because of the economy. One way to increase adoptions is to find a new source of adopters. Go after people who generally buy cats and dogs from pet stores or breeders.

The biggest problem in the shelter right now is kittens. The only way to deal with it is more spay and neuter targeted toward cats, owned and unowned. It should be cheap or free and targeted to lower income areas. Maybe a little enforcement of the mandatory spay and neuter law would help. All of these suggestions are easier said than done.

For the record I am not saying that Barnette caused the problems in the shelter today. These are just challenges she will have to conquer.

A closing note, if you see a pregnant cat or dog, get it spayed. If your friend has a pregnant cat or dog, tell them to get it spayed. Otherwise those babies will most likely end up in the shelter, dead. You can spay, neuter cats and puppies at eight weeks of age. It's easier on them and cheaper for you. They do not need to go into heat or have a litter before being spayed or neutered. Don't forget about bunnies!

Here are some fantastic charts by Sheltertrak.
http://www.sheltertrak.com/stat_laas002.php


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit