Animal Control Officers Told to Halt Leash-Law Crackdown

The Los Angeles Animal Regulation Commission Wednesday night ordered city animal-control officers to halt a disputed crackdown on dogs running loose in Laurel Canyon Park pending completion of an investigation into complaints by pet owners.

The surprise 5-0 vote by the commission drew cheers from about 75 dog owners who appeared at a special commission hearing on leash-law enforcement in city parks.

One commissioner stressed that, although the city will not issue citations, it still will have “one or two officers” periodically patrolling Laurel Canyon Park. The park in the mountains above Studio City has been the scene of weeks of confrontations between the city officers and dog owners who let their pets run loose.

Situation Called Volatile

Describing the situation as volatile, Commissioner William Putney said the commission wants the animal-control officers to get people “to try to cooperate, which is better than confrontation.”

The dog owners filled a City Hall meeting room to recount their personal stories about what was called “Gestapo-type tactics” of animal-control officers.

One pet owner cited an incident in which “six or seven” animal-control officers allegedly swooped down on the park, with two Los Angeles Police Department patrol cars as backups, to pursue one dog owner.

“This has been overkill of the worst kind,” Jane Purse said after recounting how she saw a pet owner handcuffed by the officers. She said she also was threatened with arrest for allegedly interfering with an officer when she approached the handcuffed man to offer to take care of his dog.

Took the Fifth

Fred Karger complained that he received a citation, even though his dog was on a leash. But, when asked by commissioners if his dog was on a leash before officers arrived at the park, Karger, who had complained about officers spying on pet owners from a bluff above the park, said, “I plead the Fifth,” a reference to the constitutional amendment’s protection against self-incrimination.

The commission called the hearing last week in response to dog owners’ complaints about purported overzealousness on the part of animal-control officers enforcing the leash law.

The commission previously asked Robert Rush, general manager of the city’s Animal Regulation Department, to investigate the complaints. But Rush said he needed to have dog owners give him details of the alleged abuses.

“I have a duty and responsibility. Parks are for everybody,” Rush said, referring to other users of the park who object to the dogs running loose.

76 Citations Issued

During the weekends since March 2, animal-control officers have issued a total of 76 citations to owners of dogs running loose in the park, Rush said. The citations carry a fine, which rose last month from $43 to $46.

Brian Petrunich, a Studio City attorney who says he represents many of the dog owners, said at the hearing that he was pleased by the commission’s action halting the sweeps through the park.

But, Petrunich said, the ultimate solution to the problem is the establishment of areas within city parks in which dogs would be allowed to run free.