Plan to Make LA Animal Friendly
"It has been said that how a society treats animals is a measure of how it treats people. By that standard, L.A. is in trouble on both counts. I want to see a Department of Animal Services that does everything it can every day to increase spay and neuter, increase adoption, improve conditions in its shelters and eliminate euthanasia as a major component of public policy in this city."

-- Antonio Villaraigosa

Our City's Animal Crisis
For too many years the City's Department of Animal Services has been run primarily as a law enforcement agency whose preferred solution to pet overpopulation has been euthanasia. At least 44,000 animals a year are killed in our shelters while the department perpetuates a reputation for conflict and confrontation with the humane community, precisely the people who could help it dramatically reduce the killing. I know this can be accomplished because my family has had the great fortune to have been touched by two beautiful dogs, Butterscotch and Caramelo.

Instead of actively engaging humane activists to maximize animal adoptions and minimize euthanasia, the department has historically erected barriers to cooperation and collaboration. Instead of aggressively pursuing solutions, the department engages in public relations ploys like proposing to call itself a "rescue organization" to provide cover for business as usual.

Unfortunately, the current Mayor is part of the problem. He has no plan to back his empty rhetoric on pet overpopulation and no commitment to humane policies. Shortly after taking office, he fired a respected department general manager and replaced him with a previously-fired department staffer who failed to improve department operations. He announced a "no kill" goal in September 2003, and a year-and-a-half later, no plan has been unveiled. When his hand-picked general manager resigned under fire in 2004, he masterminded a clumsy replacement process that inflamed the humane community and resulted in the hiring of a career government administrator with no previous experience on animal issues. This Mayor has lost the confidence of animal lovers in Los Angeles.

The Villaraigosa Plan
Real Accountability at the Department of Animal Services: I will demand better performance and real accountability from the Department of Animal Services and the Board of Animal Services Commissioners. It is essential that we reform and strengthen the Department of Animal Services so the department can better provide facilities, train staff, enforce laws to reduce overpopulation, meet service needs and be more customer-friendly. I will appoint knowledgeable problem-solvers to the Board of Animal Services Commissioners to provide the Department with guidance in developing and implementing humane management policies.

Reduce Animal Over-Population: I will make the battle against animal over-population a priority.

I will hold the new general manager accountable for creating a legitimate plan to reduce euthanasia and make real progress to involve the humane community as partners with the department.

I will insist that mobile spay/neuter and adoption programs be made more available and affordable to the communities of Los Angeles.

I will call on the department to make public spay/neuter services available in its new shelters.
Create Animal Friendly Shelters: I will make L.A. Animal Shelters friendly to animals and people.

I will insist that Animal Services make its shelters service centers for adoption and rescue referrals.

I will call on the department to adopt policies to discourage the voluntary surrender of companion animals when viable alternatives exist.

I will insist that the department fully train and utilize volunteers to improve care of shelter animals and counsel the public on animal surrender and adoption issues.
Create Public/Private Partnerships: I will create more public/private partnerships between the Department of Animal Services, the humane community and private sector to address needs such as rescue, free spay/neuter services and mobile spay/neuter and adoption programs.

I believe the best way to enhance the capacity of Animal Services is to make it a "humane community-friendly" operation that the public will want to help and support. In 2004 I sponsored the ordinance to streamline the process for donating funds and larger quantities of pet food to the Department for distribution to companion animal adopters. I will encourage the department to seek the assistance of the animal activist community to support humane activities and policies.

Build More Dog Parks: I will encourage the creation of more dog parks. As a City Councilmember, I have worked hard to make northeast L.A.'s first dog park a reality. I support the creation of more dog parks, including at least one dog beach in the L.A. area, and will ask that proposed new locations go through a community process to seek consensus on siting and design to build support.

Educate, Educate, Educate: I will push for humane education in schools and communities to teach children and adults about animals and to reduce animal cruelty.

I believe that the humane treatment of animals should be taught to children in the home and classroom. I will call on Animal Services to work with local schools to make humane education a regular part of the curriculum and to reach out to community groups, senior centers and others.

Enforce Animal Abuse Laws: I will enforce laws that discourage animal abuse and pet overpopulation. By working with the Department of Animal Services and the City Attorney, we can step up enforcement of the City's breeding ordinance and crack down on the sale of animals bred by unlicensed breeders. I will call on LAPD to form an animal abuse task force to vigorously enforce laws against dog fighting and other abuse that so often is a precursor to crimes against humans.

A More Humane Zoo: I will demand better conditions and treatment for animals at the Los Angeles Zoo. As a member of the Los Angeles City Council I have pushed the Los Angeles Zoo to improve facilities and treatment for its elephants, and I called on management to ensure completion of bondfunded improvements on time and on budget. I understand that zoos may not be appropriate homes for certain wild animals and will work with zoo management to make those tough decisions.

The Villaraigosa Record on Animals
I'm proud of the work I've done for animals in my first 18 months as a Councilmember and previously as a member of the California State Assembly:

Authored an ordinance to allow larger donations of funds and in-kind goods to the Animal Welfare Trust Fund.

Worked with the L.A. Zoo to improve treatment of its elephant herd.

Worked to open northeast L.A.'s first dog park.

Assigned staff to work with the humane community and Animal Services to improve relations and solve problems.

Actively supported adoption of L.A.'s spay/neuter and breeder licensing ordinances.

Supported Proposition F to fund construction of modern new animal shelters.

Voted for the "Hayden bill" to improve the humane treatment and adoptability of shelter animals.
http://www.antonio2005.com/vision?id=0004