2nd Animal Regulation Panel Member Resigns

Gini Barrett on Monday became the second person in as many weeks to resign from the Los Angeles Animal Regulation Commission, the controversial panel that has been under fire for years from animal rights activists.

Barrett, a Sylmar resident, said she is stepping down at a time when the Animal Regulation department overseen by the panel has been improved. She said she will devote more time to her full-time job as western regional director of the American Humane Assn.

“This is a good time to leave,” Barrett said. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the last six years and the city has finally committed to rebuilding the department. There is money in the budget.”

Barrett has criticized what she called underfunding of the agency in the past. Barrett, the wife of former Assemblyman Richard Katz, said Monday her resignation is effective June 30. She was appointed to the panel in 1993 and served as president from 1994 to 1996. Current commission President Steven Afriat said he will resign in September.

Two months ago, Riordan appointed his daughter, Kathleen, to replace Kim Hunter on the commission. Afriat is departing after heading an unsuccessful campaign by a majority of City Council members against a new charter, which the mayor supported.

The new charter would change the Animal Regulation Commission from one with decision-making power to an advisory role.

“She [Barrett] has done a tremendous job,” said mayoral spokeswoman Jessica Copen.

Councilwoman Laura Chick said Barrett and Afriat are “talented and dedicated” and their resignations are setbacks for the agency.

The departures of Afriat and Barrett were welcomed Monday by some animal rights activists.

“I have always felt that Ms. Barrett and Mr. Afriat were pretty much part of the problem,” said Michael Bell, a founder of Citizens for a Humane Los Angeles. “It was a constant war between those two commissioners and [some elements of] the humane community.”

Animal welfare advocate Carole Ellis said it is time for a change.

“Gini has been on the commission for a long time. It’s time for new ideas,” said Ellis, one of the activists who helped find a new department general manager last year.

Barrett said that the agency enjoyed better funding recently. In this year’s operating budget, the mayor boosted spending by 26% to $10.3 million, increasing the staff by 49 positions to 231 workers.

Barrett said it was a good start, but added “It’s going to take a number of years to clean up 15 years of neglect.”

Barrett said a larger staff doing more preventive work might also cut the number of unclaimed stray cats and dogs put to death from 55,000 to 40,000.