Animal Shelter Reforms Urged

About 150 animal lovers -- some clutching their favorite pets -- gathered for an animal rights summit Sunday aimed at stopping the euthanasia of thousands of stray cats and dogs in the care of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department.

The Save the Animals Summit at Loyola Marymount University was held to launch a campaign to change city policy so that breeding control is emphasized citywide over population control. About 40,000 to 60,000 stray animals are put down by the city each year, a figure that activists called unacceptable.

“We’re not going to let it happen anymore,” said Warren Eckstein, a pet radio show host who organized the event. “We’re going to stop the killing.”

Shelter volunteers, animal advocates, veterinarians and pet owners denounced the department’s practice of euthanizing unclaimed pets. Their grievances ranged from complaints about policies of not accepting credit cards to pay for adoptions to concerns about conditions inside the shelters.

“The lines are long, the staff is surly, they’re not open on nights for people who work,” said JoAnn Wagner, a Los Angeles animal rescuer and former shelter volunteer. “It’s like they keep raising more and more fences for the people who want to get animals out.”

Jeff Fleiss, an organizer who attends Animal Services Commission board meetings, said the city hasn’t done enough to stamp out ineptitude. “It’s just inefficient,” he said. “Like the credit card issue. They keep saying, ‘We have to look into it.’ ”

Paul Jolly, an Animal Services commissioner who attended the summit, said the animal rights activists hinder the work of saving stray cats and dogs by unfairly attacking the department. “Obviously, there are issues with the department. It’s troubling,” he said. “Unfortunately, I see the same problems in other big cities.... Other cities have bigger euthanasia rates.”

Jim Bickhart, an aide to Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, said the councilman would ask the council’s public safety committee to hold an official hearing on shelter reforms. “We do have some work to do there,” he said. “We have some attitudes to change.”