Pet Billboard Is Real . . . Too Real for Some

Imagine driving the kids to school and they see it: a billboard displaying 10 trash cans filled with dead dogs and cats, courtesy of the city of Los Angeles’ animal regulation commission.

They’ve tried gentle persuasion. Now, they’re into pure shock: Sterilize your pets or else.

The proposed billboard says “Birth Control Saves Lives” and gives the animal regulation department’s telephone number. The black-and-white photo next to the text shows 10 cans filled with animal corpses.

But the billboard art, which was donated by an animal regulation commissioner’s firm and is supposed to appear on boards donated by an outdoor advertising company, is raising eyebrows at City Hall, where word is slowly spreading about the department’s in-your-face new advertising campaign.

“It’s disgusting,” said one council aide. “How could they do that?”

But that is exactly the response the animal regulation commission had in mind when it approved the billboard, titled by the photographer, “Two Weeks Worth of Our Pets.”

“People need to understand the strategy behind this,” said Kim Hunter, the commissioner whose advertising and public relations firm is donating the artwork. “We have to raise the level of understanding of pet overpopulation. I wanted to show exactly what happens. . . . It’s reality.”

Before the boards can go up, though, the City Council must approve the donation of the 50 billboards by Vista Metropolitan Outdoor Advertising. The vote on the donation is expected to occur in the next few weeks unless, as seems unlikely, the question is referred to a council committee for review.

Councilwoman Laura Chick, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, which oversees animal regulation, said that although she agrees with the concept, she has “grave concerns” over the words and images.

“I happen not to be a real fan of shock value,” Chick said. “While the goal is one I agree with . . . I don’t know that this is an effective and appropriate way to do it.”

The animal regulation commission, however, unanimously supports the billboards--which are printed and ready to go if the council signs off.

“The situation has gotten so bad,” said Peter Persic, a spokesman for the Department of Animal Regulation. “Is it [the billboard] shocking? Yes. But is having to euthanize 60,000 animals a year . . . shocking? Yes.”

The department, he says, has tried a softer approach--coaxing pet owners into spaying or neutering their cats and dogs with more pleasant images of pets. “That hasn’t worked,” Persic said. “Now we’re taking another approach which is to show people the result . . . of the lack of responsibility.”

Some animal rights supporters say they too believe that the shock treatment may be the best way to grab attention, much like the state health department’s anti-smoking campaign. Those graphic public service announcements include a woman smoking a cigarette through a hole in her throat.

“They’re dealing with life and death and so are we,” said Bill Dyer, the Southern California field representative for In Defense of Animals. “Let’s be honest. This is an important statement, and it’s about time.

“People will say it’s not good for children to see it,” Dyer said. “But I think children will understand it.”

The city’s animal regulation department, which has a $7.2-million budget, has no money allocated for advertising or printing costs.

To Hunter, that is another serious problem. “The only reason the City Council is involved is because it’s a donation,” Hunter said. “This would not be an issue if we had our own advertising money. To throw a wrench into it now is ridiculous.”