The post-Phyllis Daugherty Dept. of Animal Services--Enter: Brenda Barnette

 In response to Ed Muzika's call to "stop" Phyllis Daugherty.

It's almost like we need to teach people how to participate in their government in this town. Why is that? Look at the last mayoral election. Pitiful, yet everyone complains about AV.

What is it about this city that makes people whine but do nothing?

Yes, chances are that no council members will be in their seats when you make your public comment. They're in the back making deals. Still, you must go if you are able. You can get free parking from your council district office with a phone call.


There was a time..oh... 5 years ago...when people besides Phyllis went to Animal Services Commissioners' Board  meetings. At night, on an off campus meeting (4x a year) there might have  be 100 people or more. Even in the daytime there were more than just Phyllis in her regular seat.

People gave up on the Board/Commission (it's a "Board" of Commissioners BTW...not a Commission). They are thought of as a rubber stamp and a lot of times they have been. Conscientious and courageous Commissioners have resigned or been fired for speaking their true opinions and trying to effect real change. Elections for officers are often fixed by the Mayor's office.

So why participate? Because only you can change it. I can't even count the number of times I have moved the Board or the Department to submit to the law. I was loud--persistent. They couldn't take it anymore and gave in.  Today, the last 5 months of meeting minutes were posted on the Board's LAAS page. Why? Because I demanded it...openly. Why were they withheld for so long when they had been approved a long time ago? Guess. The Secretary forgot? No. By design. Whose design? Guess.

Look at the city clerk's site. Search "animal." See how much LAAS legislation has been slammed through which you probably know nothing about since Boks left. Who did this? Kathy Davis? The Board?
Nope.

Don't call Phyllis or email her or harass her. She's excercising her rights from her one-person "movement." The only way to defeat her...if that's your aim...is to play the same game and outnumber her and out-argue her. These council members get antsy when the public shows up and get more "reasonable" and fair-minded. Magically. So show up.

Sadly, there are no night Board meetings this year. Budget cuts-- but that suits Linda Barth just fine. I think it's $400 per meeting for security and whatever. I can raise that. Do you think they'll accept it? I'm sure Barnette will like the idea of night meetings. We'll see. There will be changes big and small.

Personally, I'm hoping that Barth's (Phyllis has WAY too much influence over Barth) head rolls right over to another Department. Anybody?

Minutes- Where are they?

from Jeff de la Rosa to Linda Barth , Kathy Davis , Melanie Ramsayer , Irene Ponce , Ross Pool cc Councilmember Dennis Zine date Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 4:25 PM subject Minutes- Where are they? mailed-by gmail.com

Where are they past February? It's nearly August. If they have been approved, please post them on the website. Downloading gigantic files posted by a person with no understanding of digital audio files is not a substitute for the actual MINUTES as approved by the Board.

As you know, the City and the room where the Board meets is fully capable of "LIVE" and on-demand meeting video/audio. The taxpayers have paid for that. We also pay Ross Pool's salary and Linda Barth's salary and we don't do that in order to be dis-informed .

Thanks.

The Brenda Barnette "APPROVED" Train Marches On!

(Previously posted as a comment to Ed Muzika's LA Animal Watch)

I have (the) utmost respect for Michael Bell, and for good reason.

That being said, do we need more positive endorsements (for Barnette) with the ADL-LA still slamming-home their recent reincarnation to "friend of the Mayor?"

It seems to me that the purpose of this avalanche of "APPROVED" stamps only serves one purpose (because, hey...she's in, okay?): Discredit all detractors and skeptics.

It's really too bad that Barnette will have to depend on one "staffer" to "train" her in the ways of the Department, the Council and the City --the other "staffer" will fade back into the woodwork where she quietly collected her enormous pay before--and it's even more too bad that the former "staffer" will be her most "trusted" adviser.

If Ms. Barnett is as savvy as she appears (read: able to politic with the best of them), she will make a big media splash, be the nice lady on TV with the cute little animals (read: NOT PIT BULLS) and watch and listen closely to what is available to her.

Then, after we're all cozy-- someone should get the axe and move on to yet another City Department--or not. Only then, will Barnette have a real chance to make a difference..if that is possible.

None of her SHS (Seattle Humane Society) policies will work here. Not the selective intake policy, nor the pit bull policy, nor the temperament test policy. Will this Board, who has forever forbade temperament testing give in (to Bickhart) and allow these "un-adoptable" dogs to be labeled to death? That's one way to bring up your save rate numbers....but that kind of sounds like Ed Boks-style tactics... which fooled quite a few people before. We can only wait and see.

Linda Barth. The new face of L.A. Animal Services.

While Barth is only the Asst. GM, Kathy Davis has been propped up in the GM chair as a placeholder. In reality, Barth has been running the Department for at least 6 months while Ed Boks was being groomed for the exit door.

Davis has never been to a Board meeting and nobody knows anything about her. Don't expect a new GM anytime soon. They are either putting her there to fail, so Barth can take over or will let her sit there and take the heat and the money as long as she toes the party line.

Disabled woman's service dog STOLEN by Los Angeles Animal Services?

Cover up?

There are so many things wrong with this tragic story that it may be difficult for you to believe. However, I've verified everything personally. It's all horribly true. Help Mary O'Connor. please. The City has shunned her and stolen her friend, companion and trusted Emotional Support Animal, named "Hambone."

Mary O'Connor is a 32 year-old woman who loves animals. She loves her animals the best. s Mary doesn't just love her animals, she needs them. Mostly alone and living for the past few years on the razor's edge in Los Angeles, a doctor has prescribed these animals to help comfort Mary through the pain of 3 debilitating conditions, which make it nearly impoosible for her to hold a job. Endomitriosis, severe Depression and ADHD make every day a real struggle for Mary just to get through.

'"Hambone" is a 3 lbs. "tea-cup" Yorkshire Terrier, which Mary purchased from a reputable breeder because she needed a very small dog to take with her everywhere. "Hambone" is a registered Emotional Support Animal given the same privileges under the Law as any other Service Animal. Ham is not spayed-She is exempt as a working animal. She was only 9 months and is now 1 year old. She is micro chipped. Mary is disabled with 3 conditions and is lost without Ham. She can't sleep and worries about Ham constantly. How did Ham end up in the pound?

Mary O'Connor was evicted from her apartment for having animals. In Court, the Judge wanted settlement. Mary's defense was that her animals were registered support animals. True. Mary agreed to leave the apartment and the landlord paid her a settlement to avoid a discrimination lawsuit. It was a small settlement. With part of that money, she purchased Hambone.

Then it happened again. She was evicted again for having animals. This time she was physically removed from her home and abused by an L.A. County Sheriff Deputy on December 18, 2008. Los Angeles animal services seized her animals, including Ham. They told her to pick them up when she had a place to live. NO CHARGES WERE FILED. On January 9, 2009 Mary was raped in the City of Los Angeles. She had no dogs with her at the time. LAPD refused to press charges although Mary picked the RAPIST, "Noah" out of a line up.

Mary attempted to redeem the animals on January 12, 2009 and was told the following by Lt. Transo, an Animal Control Officer:

"Sorry to inform you but Hambone was stolen." No, they did not tell her prior to the day she came to pick him up.
"We think two customers stole her because they were left alone with her for 15 minutes." WHAT?!
"Sorry to inform you but 2 of your birds are dead."
They offered her another dog and other birds. WHAT?!

LAPD is investigating but Detective Jesse Linn is unable to devote any significant time to finding Ham. He does, however firmly believe that an employee from the North Central Animal Shelter STOLE THIS DOG. THIS TRAIL IS TWO MONTHS OLD AND GETTING COLDER BY THE HOUR.

Mary has petitioned and BEGGED the Department, City Council and LAPD to please find her dog-- especially since they know a City Employee stole her!

click to download REWARD/WANTED POSTER

Coincidentally, OR NOT, 5 teacup Yorkies were sold for as much as $5000 each by Ed Boks in his last grandstanding stunt for 2008. When? Two days after Hambone was impounded.

Please click here to sign petition. In your petition comments, please show your disgust for the behavior and inaction by these officials. Please email us to be on the list to distribute flyers to all vets, stores and other places where Ham may be spotted. LABoardwatch@gmail.com

Tell these City officials that they must investigate this theft and return Hambone to Mary O'Connor:
..The BOARD : Tariq Khero tariq...khero@gmail.com
Kathy Riordan ninekitties@..aol.com
Ruthanne Secunda secundar@..unitedtalent...com
Archie Quincey ajq1trq2@..aol.com,
Irene Ponce ireneponce@..earthlink.net

Mayor's Office:
Tell Jim Bickhart to "allow" the Animal Services Board of Commissioners to order a complete investigation of this case. The employees at the N. Central Animal Care and Control center MUST be questioned.
Jim Bickhart Jim.Bickart@lacity.org

City Council:
Councilmember Ed Reyes councilmember.reyes@lacity.org or ed.reyes@lacity.org
This unlawful eviction happened in YOUR district, Mr. Reyes; and the dog was STOLEN IN YOUR DISTRICT. Where is your motion to council for an investigation of employee theft at the shelter? Where is your motion for REWARD MONEY for the safe return of this dog and the arrest and conviction of this evil thief?

Councilmember Zine Dennis.Zine@lacity.org,
Councilmember Tony Cardenas cardenas@lacity.org,
Councilmember Jack Weiss weiss@.lacity.org,
Councilmember Richard Alarcon alarcon@lacity.org,richard.alarcon@lacity.org,
Management:
Ed.Boks@lacity.org,
Linda.Barth@.lacity.org

Ask these reporters why they will not cover this story.
Media:
Carla Hall carla.hall@..latimes.com,
Steve Mikulan smikulan@laweekly.com,
"Kovacik, Robert (NBC Universal, KNBC)" robert.kovacik@nbcuni.com,
"Dana Bartholomew" dana.bartholomew@dailynews.com

Today's East Valley Story. There are many.

You may remember the last 9 months-old bully I tried to save from the needle, but couldn't due to the phone problem which is years old and still not fixed.

Here's another 9 months old bully RED-LISTED , right on time (as his time ran out).



From NEW HOPE LISTING:
KONA A1010469 NEUTERED MALE, BLACK AND WHITE AMERICAN BULLDOG MIX (Pitbull in cognito).
Shelter: EAST VALLEY Condition: APPR HEALTHY Age: 9 MO.
This animal has been at the shelter since 3/26/2009 and on this list since 04/02/2009 (7 days from impound date he was redlisted-will die 4/10/09, 7 days after being redlisted).

From REGULAR LISTING (WHAT THE PUBLIC SEES WHO KNOWS NOTHING OF NEW HOPE):
KONA-ID#A1010469
My name is Kona and I am a neutered male, black and white American Bulldog mix.
The shelter thinks I am about 9 months old.
I have been at the shelter since Mar. 26, 2008.
This information is less than 1 hour old.

The Rescue : UNSUCCESSFUL

I know they close at 5 but so fucking what?! If they are still open they are still open:

4/5/09
12:05 PM- Called Valerie, EV New Hope Coordinator at 213-305-xxxx (is she? are there more than one.) and expressed interest ti KONA A1010469. Listed "APPR HEALTHY" with Elizabethan collar and heavily bandages right hind leg. "

No return call from Valerie.

4:51 PM- Called EV direct line. Rang 43 times. No answer. Call length 2 min 31 sec.
4:54 PM- Called 818-756-9323. Navigated to be directly connected to East Valley. On hold 1 min. Hung up to try again.
4:56 PM- Called 888-452-7381. Same as above. On hold 2 minutes.
Young man answers , "Thank you for calling.....how may I help you."
"I'm calling on impound number A1010469, Kona. The dog is redlisted I'd like to get him out and find out what's wrong with his leg
Young man: (interrupting)-"Give me a second."
Puts me on hold without telling me why I'm being put on hold.
On hold 8 minutes 20 seconds (now 5:05PM). Man never comes back on the line. I wait another 1 minute. Nope. Hung up.
5:05PM- Called 818-756-9323- Rings 21 times. No answer. Shelter closed.

I figure it's fine. He has 4 more days ...I'll call again on Monday (closed) but will get a rescue org to call.

4/6/09 12:36 AM-- Check LAAS site for KONA. ID NUMBER NOT FOUND.

So...he's either rescued/adopted or killed after only 3 days on the REDLIST. Can't wait to find out. I am not encouraged. If anyone knows, please comment below. Thanks.
What is the "bump schedule?" I feel they should kill no animals on weekend (no NH coordinator) or Mondays. Really, they should kill no animals while the shelter is closed.
.