Plan of Solutions for Los Angeles Animal Shelter

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Plan for L.A. Animal Services

Presented by:

Laura Beth Heisen

Introduction

This Plan for L.A. Animal Services focuses on our City's current issues and develops our current resources. The goals are challenging and interwoven, but readily achievable if action is properly structured.

Current resources include the City's vast and involved humane community, the local public's high sensitivity to animal issues, myriad community and cultural leaders and venues, and strong media resources. These resources are available yet currently underutilized. We must engage the population segments not currently involved with animal issues. Leaders and media within Los Angeles' multiple population segments and cultural groups must be approached and drawn into the effort to reduce euthanasia, control costs, and give our City a humane quality.

This Plan is designed to provide short-term and long-term solutions to two crucial and deep-rooted problems. One is enhancing the results of L.A. Animal Services' operations, that is, reducing euthanasia, controlling costs, and improving animal welfare overall. The other is advancing excellent public perceptions of L.A. Animal Services, through working together and cooperatively with the public and groups. It is important to select visible improvements which are quick to institute for immediate implementation, and to bring these to the public's attention, while also commencing more fundamental, genuine long-term solutions. This structure and chronology is the way to quickly reduce the current high level of tension surrounding L.A. Animal Services, while earning long-term public trust and loyalty, generating support for the Mayor, and gaining access to new and broader resources.

The overall goals are:

1. Decreasing the supply through spay/neuter.

2. Improving outcomes by increasing adoptions, owner retention, and animal welfare education.

3. Working successfully with all segments of the public, government, employees, media, the humane community, donors, and veterinarians.

4. Creating high constituent satisfaction through genuine euthanasia reduction, operational excellence, and establishing a beneficial presence in communities.

Strategic keys to achieving these goals with available resources are flexibility in coordinating with the City to meet any specific City requirements, developing and working cooperatively with community and cultural leaders throughout all population segments, government, rescue groups and volunteers, the veterinary and business communities and the media, as well as properly and consistently training staff and volunteers in methods and resources to prevent overpopulation and improve animal welfare and public satisfaction.

1. Spay/Neuter

a. General - Increase spay/neuter availability, improve referral methods, ensure training, increase veterinarian involvement:

Acknowledge the importance of saving the lives of animals currently in need of homes, while recognizing that adoption will not correct the fundamental problem of our excess ongoing supply of companion animals. To ensure long-term success, spay/neuter must be aggressively increased in terms of availability, accessibility, and affordability, the three "a's" of spay/neuter.

Train staff and volunteers to be conversant and enthusiastic regarding spay/neuter services. Ensure that every Department representative is aware of and readily provides spay/neuter resource information. The individual currently assigned to spay/neuter services coordination is relatively new to the assignment; work closely with that individual to provide proper training and direction. Provide comprehensive spay/neuter resource information on the LAAnimalServices.com website, with the Call Center operators, and at the shelters.

A top priority will be working with veterinarians willing to provide spay/neuter services, and groups and individuals willing to promote and/or fund spay/neuter services. Ensure maximum flexibility to assure that we seize all spay/neuter opportunities. With the top priority of achieving euthanasia reduction, be ready to meet and work with any legitimate veterinarian, individuals, or groups willing to provide spay/neuter resources.

b. Early-Age spay/neuter:

One source of overpopulation is "accidental" pregnancies before a female is spayed or a male is neutered, even if an owner intends to spay or neuter. Our shelters have provided early-age spay/neuter for years with enormous success. Mainstream the early-age spay/neuter procedure among veterinarians and the public, based on its benefits for the individual patient animal and for the overall animal overpopulation. The American Veterinary Medical Association accepts the procedure in an AVMA policy statement. Provide educational materials at shelters, community animal events and veterinary events. Train staff and volunteers regarding the general benefits of pediatric spay/neuter. Become visible at veterinarians' meetings, offices, and events to help educate and form partnerships to increase early-age spay/neuter services at private clinics and to motivate more veterinarians to work with the City.

c. Low-Cost spay/neuter:

Personally visit veterinarians and the local veterinary associations to promote low-cost spay/neuter and develop programs and partnerships between our shelters and area veterinarians to provide low-cost spay/neuter services. Maintain ultimate flexibility, since veterinarians have individual needs in terms of how many low-cost surgeries they are willing to provide, on what terms, and for what populations of owners or types of animals, days/times of low-cost surgery, etc. Encourage and work to facilitate low-cost spay/neuter in any manner acceptable to veterinarians and affordable to the Department. Ensure that low-cost spay/neuter service resource lists are readily available at the shelter, on the website, at City buildings and events, and at cultural, City, and animal events.

d. Spay/Neuter Clinics at the shelters:

Explore the possibility of establishing a spay/neuter clinic at one or more shelters, not just for animals adopted from the shelter, but also and importantly for pets brought in by the public for spay/neuter. Investigate logistical and funding options. [The $446,000 offered to the Department in 2004 to put a clinic in every new shelter to spay/neuter the public's pets is very possibly still available.] Determine feasibility of hiring or contracting with veterinarians to provide low-cost spay/neuter service for the public on behalf of the City, at our shelters or elsewhere. The benefit of City-sponsored spay/neuter is ability to oversee methods, including assurance that early-age spay/neuter is provided, and oversight of safety and other procedures. One unfortunate, very common complaint regarding the City's contract spay/neuter veterinarians is price gouging and forced acceptance of peripheral services. Cost control and quality control are enhanced when we operate our own clinics. Further, the Mayor can earn enormous public relations benefits by launching and providing this much-needed and much-desired service to the public. A large public relations campaign would accompany any such services.

e. Mobile spay/neuter clinics:

There are multiple vendors currently in postures of disharmony; immediate emphasis should be placed on negotiations and bridge-building to smooth relations with and among them, in order to best utilize their extremely important services, and to ensure the best public response to and utilization of these clinics.

Work with local community and cultural leaders, obtaining their knowledge of the most efficacious days and locations for the mobile spay/neuter clinic to visit and the best methods of advertising for their neighborhoods and their groups. Publicize widely to enhance the public's knowledge of the time and location of the services. Ensure the mobile spay/neuter clinic schedule is updated regularly and posted at shelters, at all City buildings, at community and cultural venues, and at all animal events, as well as on the LAAnimalServices.com website. Provide information about the mobile spay/neuter clinics in the general message portion of the L.A. Animal Services telephone hold message system.

The mobile spay/neuter clinics should be closely coordinated with license canvassing efforts, in order to achieve maximum benefit from both. The mobile spay/neuter clinics should be scheduled for locations in conjunction with license canvassing, so the canvassers can offer free, immediate and easily accessible spay/neuter to owners of unsterilized animals, very much increasing the incidence of spay/neuter and public satisfaction with the licensing process.

Explore all methods for increasing utilization of the mobile spay/neuter clinics, in terms of hours of operation and locations. Work with the vendors and the major humane organizations capable of potentially leasing and/or promoting the mobile clinics for special "spay day" events.

These special days, whether sponsored by the vendors, by humane organizations, or by the City, may target large dogs, pit bulls, feral cats, rabbits, or any other population of animal with a high incidence of euthanasia.

f. Targeted spay/neuter:

Work with veterinarians, humane organizations and the City in developing programs to target the animal population segments at highest risk of reproduction and the highest risk of euthanasia, i.e., pit bulls, large dogs, rabbits, and feral cats. Programs to include targeted spay/neuter days in the community and occasionally with the mobile spay/neuter van, and special voucher programs for these animal population segments. There are well-coordinated national spay/neuter special days (e.g., Spay Day USA), with which L.A. Animal Services should visibly participate, both for the spay/neuter this would achieve, and also for the public relations boost and the opportunity to network with more veterinarians who might then better cooperate with the City in providing low-cost and early-age spay/neuter services to clients' pets.

g. Effectively implement rabbit spay/neuter:

The Department is currently in transition to a rabbit spay/neuter policy and adoption fee increase. This is at the multi-year urging of a very large contingent of rabbit enthusiasts, for the purpose of stopping the proliferation of rabbits as well as stopping inhumane treatment of rabbits common after adoption at current low fees. Work to expedite this transition, legislatively, with appropriate rabbit spay/neuter veterinarians, and with the large group of rabbit enthusiasts who have offered to provide large amounts of money and volunteer time. The benefits will be humane outcomes for rabbits and greatly enhanced public relations for the Department; this would also represent a "first" in terms of partnering with a humane organization or group of humane organizations in achieving a comprehensive new strategy to correct overpopulation and increase humane treatment of animals. This is the type of collaboration the Department needs to fulfill its mission and goals, and this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that the Department truly wants to and can achieve these results in cooperation with others.

h. Educate children and adults:

Work with volunteers and elementary, middle, high and continuation schools to bring spay/neuter and humane education to the classroom, preparing the next generation for responsible animal ownership, and to go home and educate their parents. Develop volunteer speakers to appear at community events, Kiwanis meetings, Chambers of Commerce meetings, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, and other youth group meetings, and local religious meetings. Work with community and cultural leaders to bring spay/neuter education to areas with the greatest incidence of unsterilized animals and impounds. Develop bi-lingual educational materials appropriate for service areas.

2. Adoptions

a. Enhance presence in the community: Mobile adoption events, special events, and promotion:

Increase diligence in ensuring Department presence through listings in media event calendars, on the LAAnimalServices.com website, and in veterinary offices, pet stores, City buildings, and civic and cultural locations. Set up an EMail "tree" system to provide flyers to these outlets and humane groups, engaging them to display and distribute the flyers.

Mobile adoptions are an excellent means to help the animals taken out for adoption. They also can and should be used as an excellent opportunity to educate the public about spay/neuter, responsible pet ownership, pet training, and shelter animal adoptions. Educational materials should be available, and volunteer training should include all common animal issues and resources in addition to adoption procedures.

Tie mobile adoptions to civic and cultural events whenever possible, to reach the broadest audience for purposes of increasing adoptions, as well as for pertinent education, and licensing and vaccination events. This outreach will be an important part of engaging new population segments in the effort to help reduce animal overpopulation.

Work proactively and cooperatively with area rescue groups and business to create special events to draw attention to shelter animals, raise money for shelter activities, and bring shelter animals for adoption.

b. Enhance presence in the community -- Media:

Develop relationships with local media representatives to increase media attention to Pets of the Week, shelter animals and adoption motivators and events, information about shelter hours/location, and mobile adoption and spay/neuter events.

As "good news" stories about shelter animals and the progress of LA Animal Services arise, develop and call upon media contacts to ensure that good news is promoted in the media.

As L.A. Animal Services provides improved services, or achieves benchmark statistical improvements, enters into beneficial partnerships, or has any significant beneficial outcomes, focus on calling these items to the public's attention through the media. All press releases should be issued in, at a minimum, English and Spanish.

Establish yellow pages listing for the individual shelters under the “pet stores” heading, to offer the adopting public our humane alternative to pet stores.

Media include the large daily newspapers, local "throw" papers, internet newspapers, radio stations and talk shows (the Department should designate an articulate and knowledgeable representative to proactively seek opportunities to appear on the air and in the newspapers, either bi-lingual or different representatives fluent in each of the City's primary languages). Important media outlets are also the very large E-Group lists of animal shelter supporters (California Shelter Impounds, California Rescue Network, LARGA, etc.); it is highly valuable for the Department to have at least one visible representative active on these lists. This is an important means to convey information, and to learn of trends and resources. The Department employee identified with responsibility in this area should provide frequent reports to Department management on important developments and resources. Very often, important breaking news is seen on these lists first; they are also an outstanding indicator of public sentiment and priorities, which should be utilized in policy and planning strategies.

c. Establish the best animal care and presentation at the shelter:

One reason adopters do not visit shelters is fear of what they will see. Work to ensure quality care, cleanliness, and a welcoming, attractive facility. Work with volunteers and staff to groom animals as necessary.

For marketing the animals in the isolation and hospital areas, create a display case in the front of each shelter, in which appropriately sized photographs and key information about each isolated animal is presented in useful and attractive format. Ensure that the promise of showing isolated animals on the internet is a reality. Add to the internet listings of each isolation animal, as appropriate, the reason for the isolation, with indication of any need for ongoing care after adoption. Offer adopters contact information for private groups that will help to pay medical expenses for animals that are adopted from L.A. City Shelters. Work closely with City Engineering to assure adherence to proper disease transmission protocols while ensuring visibility of isolation animals at the new City shelters being built. Work with the U.C. Davis Veterinary School and Pomona's Western University Veterinary School to help reduce disease transmission; both of these resources are available yet untapped.

d. Train employees and volunteers to showcase shelter animals, discourage inappropriate adoptions, and encourage proper adoptions:

By taking available animals out of their cages, the public often sees animals as more relaxed and adoptable. Establish employee and volunteer training to facilitate appropriate adoptions in terms of matching lifestyle to animal, new animal to existing animals at the home, and animals with responsible owners.

e. Work cooperatively and willingly with rescue groups:

Rescue groups provide an enormous, still largely untapped, resource to shelters in terms of relieving the shelter of overcrowding by rescuing animals, and in terms of enhancing education and public relations.

It is unfortunately a fact in Los Angeles City today that many of these rescue groups have become disenchanted and over time have generated some of the intense negativity facing the Department and the Mayor's office today. By recognizing the need to cooperate in mutually beneficial ways, we can overcome this past animosity, and establish common goals and supportive alliances. With few exceptions, these groups want to cooperate. We can begin and, as successes arise (such as with the rabbit spay/neuter program), publicize these collaborations and encourage other groups to regain trust and join.

To gain this valuable benefit, designate an employee "point person" during each shift to facilitate rescue efforts. At the same time, require evidence of spay/neuter of sterilization-deferred animals by the rescue groups. Ensure that breed-specific and other rescue group contact information is readily accessible to shelter staff, volunteers and the public, so the shelter can contact breed-specific rescue groups when “their” animal specialty is at the shelter, to direct the public to rescue groups when the public would otherwise surrender an animal or is unable to find their choice of animal at our shelter. Emphasize that all employees have this responsibility even if not designated as the rescue "point person"; this will prevent unnecessary delays when the designated person is not available. Email could greatly enhance this effort.

f. Train for the best customer service:

Train employees and volunteers to provide the best customer service. Utilize experienced volunteers to provide breed and training information, and techniques to increase appropriate adoptions. Train staff to resolve complaints in a fair and satisfactory manner. Provide information about animals' special requirements including gentle handling, or staying away from an injured spot on the animal.

g. Ensure user-friendly facilities, hours, systems, cage cards, telephone, and website:

Create attractive facilities and train employees and volunteers to appropriately assist customers. Establish days and hours of operation conducive to maximum access by adopters (keep the "store" open for its "customers"); the recent increase in shelter hours is an excellent start but must be better advertised and then analyzed to determine the most effective operating hours. Provide helpful information on cage cards, including available date (not currently displayed for owner-surrender animals). Ensure that telephones are answered promptly and that the hold system has useful Animal Services messages. Have credit card acceptance capability, including on the website, for license renewals where rabies certificates have not yet expired. Work with rescue groups to establish the most effective system of designating interested parties, to facilitate adoptions without discouraging other potential adopters if the interested party does not appear. Set up the shelter to best showcase animals; creative cage placement in the shelter's high traffic areas will produce increased adoptions. Provide easy access on the website to adoption information; work with Pet Harbor/Chameleon to add a field for animal size and available date. This information will also greatly reduce calls to the shelters asking for this data; these preventable calls unnecessarily utilize employee time.

h. Foster programs for unweaned animals and general foster programs:

Enhance our network of foster homes for unweaned animals and for other animals. Keep this information readily available to staff and volunteers to call when appropriate animals come into the shelter or are available for adoption. Establish and train staff in procedures to maintain accurate record keeping of animals to ensure proper care and to ensure spay/neuter of fostered unweaned animals. Use the unweaned program to educate about early age spay/neuter.

i. Praise the older pet!

Many adopters incorrectly assume that older animals cannot be trained, or that they have "baggage." Train employees and volunteers about the reality that older animals are often the ideal adoption candidates. (Older animals are generally more quiet, need less exercise, and are gentler with young children than are young animals; older animals are often already socialized and trained.) "Good news" stories about an older pet adopted should be sought for media placement.

j. Foster homes to remediate individual animal adoption obstacles:

This program would await reduction in numbers of animals in need of foster space. As the numbers decrease, there will be more opportunity to send available animals to foster homes capable of correcting treatable medical and behavioral issues to make the animal more adoptable; the animal could then be returned to the shelter for adoption.

3. Prevent impounds

a. Animal training to reduce issues leading to owner surrender:

Work with area animal trainers to provide dog training at the shelters and to provide information on animal training issues most likely to result in owner surrender. Provide this helpful information on these issues in flyer or brochure format at the shelters, in a training library on the LAAnimalServices.com website, and for appropriate topics, on the L.A. Animal Services telephone hold system and video machines in the shelter Clerk window areas. Training materials can be species/breed specific, age specific, and issue specific. Animal training at the shelters can become an excellent source of public relations.

b. Improve adoption counseling to prevent mis-match of animal to lifestyle resulting in animal returns:

For example, many adopters are unaware that puppies and certain breeds are high energy and require more exercise and training than the owner is willing or able to provide; some breeds are not appropriate for homes with small children or small animals. Many issues, such as tendency to bark or fence-jump, are important for potential adopters to know. By preventing mis-matches, animals are more likely to stay in their homes and less likely to be returned.

c. Train employees and volunteers to provide resource information for owners seeking to surrender animals:

This includes the animal training described above, referrals to appropriate rescue groups, medical information/referrals to groups that provide financial help for animals' medical issues leading to possible surrender, information on spaying pregnant animals to prevent an unwanted litter if she is being surrendered because pregnant so she can be taken back home, and referrals to pet-friendly rentals (see below).

d. Facilitate and educate regarding pet i.d. tags and microchipping, and keeping identification information current:

Animals with identification can be returned to owners quickly rather than being or remaining impounded. Train shelter staff, volunteers, and rescue groups to encourage owners to protect their animals with i.d. tags and microchips. Stage microchipping events in the community, in conjunction with other events. Offer microchipping for the public's pets at the shelter. These are good public relations services.

e. Work with area leasing agents and landlords to offer pet-friendly rental resources:

A very common reason for owner surrenders is lack of ability to rent with a pet. Establish a means of keeping a current list of pet-friendly rentals accessible to the public. This would likely be a volunteer effort in order to prevent the City from appearing to favor one landlord over another; work with the City Attorney to provide the best method of delivering this information to the public. Existing studies showing that pet owners are valuable, long-term tenants who promptly pay their rent and cause no more damage than families with children. These studies should be provided, in writing, to landlords and leasing agents. Make available, in the shelter reception area, tenant guidelines for successfully obtaining rental housing with pets.

f. Prevent pet loss:

Visit local utility and delivery companies to educate meter readers, delivery personnel and others who frequently visit homes regarding the importance of securely closing gates to prevent escaped pets. This is unfortunately a common cause of pet loss, yet it can be easily reduced through training.

4. Improve attitudes toward and respect for animals

Each contact with the public is an opportunity to develop appreciation and respect for animals. Increase those contacts and make them positive through community, cultural, and animal events, mobile adoptions, the mobile spay/neuter van, employees and volunteers, schools and youth groups, and the media. Develop bi-lingual materials and bi-lingual volunteers as appropriate for the service area. This crucial process must be commenced immediately and continued with dedication.

a. Humane education in the schools and youth groups:

Work with volunteers and the school district to provide humane education and encourage field trips to the City shelters and animal events. As with spay/neuter, work with volunteers and local schools to bring responsible pet ownership and shelter adoption interest to the classroom, teach proper pet awareness and handling, preparing the next generation for responsible animal ownership, pet care and training, and to go home and educate their parents. Similarly, work with local youth groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and after-school programs. Develop compassion in youth for life-long benefits for animals and for humans.

b. Targeted education:

Work with civic and cultural leaders and the humane community to identify venues, media, and cultural groups where the greatest benefit can be achieved. Also work with these leaders to develop the most appropriate messages for targeted audiences in terms of need and delivery style. Throughout this process, engage and assist individuals to become representatives for the Department in their neighborhood or group.

c. Develop goodwill in the community-at-large and in targeted areas:

Use community and cultural events as an opportunity to develop goodwill. At a minimum, have Animal Services tables at these events. Department management should personally visit as many as possible, to establish and maintain relationships among all populations and provide education. Develop goodwill for the shelter and shelter animals, encouraging adoptions. Bring shelter animals for adoption whenever allowable and feasible. Provide animal services such as microchipping, low-cost spay/neuter, and training resources. Bring the mobile spay/neuter clinic. Establish relationships with civic and cultural leaders and develop volunteers; each person is a walking opportunity for educating their friends, co-workers, and family; encourage them to participate in Animal Services events and educational efforts. Through personal visits, develop friends in targeted communities to begin to spread the message, and develop shelter friends among key community leaders and volunteers; they in turn will help spread the message among their respective groups, and they can provide beneficial input and ideas for achieving the desired cultural changes. Work with local places of worship to develop volunteers and educators. Work with the City Press Office because the Mayor might wish to participate from time to time, demonstrating his eagerness to be part of the local communities.

d. Media:

Discussed generally below. Make extra efforts to develop media contacts and coverage regarding activities in targeted areas and regarding targeted animal populations most needing Animal Services assistance, including information, "good news" stories, and education through Spanish and other non-English newspapers, radio and television stations.

e. Strictly enforce crucial Animal Services functions beyond reducing overpopulation:

Licensing, abuse prosecution, and dangerous animal prosecutions all increase respect and protection for animals, which is also needed to prevent unwanted animals. These also strongly enhance the Animal Services core duty to provide public safety. Licensing also adds much to the Department's revenue, enabling the Department to provide additional services to reduce the overpopulation.

i. Licensing.

"Every contact should be a license check." That is, every time an Animal Services employee comes in contact with a dog, a license check should be part of the contact. This simple rule has been significantly increased licensing incidence in other jurisdictions and the value of the resulting licensing and spay/neuter (due to the license fee differential) will exceed the minimal amount of time employees will spend checking each license.

License canvassing will be made far more effective and efficient by tying it into spay/neuter van schedules, with the canvasser visiting just days before the van is to arrive locally. License canvassing will also be made far more effective and efficient by tying it in to utility lists of homes with dogs; these lists are available to the Department but are not used.

ii. Dangerous animal prosecutions.

Dangerous animal prosecutions currently could benefit from education in order to bring uniformity to results; this will ensure more equitable outcomes and will also send the right message to owners regarding what standards are enforced. Uniformity of enforcement and outcomes leads to greater compliance.

iii. Abuse/cruelty prosecutions. Abuse prosecutions have recently increased however convictions remain anemic. There has been only one recent conviction, and it was largely credited to LAPD's domestic violence efforts rather than to Animal Services efforts. The solution in this area is education of our own employees. This education should come from LAPD's investigation division, to instruct on how to properly build evidence for a successful conviction and how to protect chains of evidence; and from the City Attorney's office or other legal counsel regarding the necessary elements for, and presentation of, a case for successful conviction. Search warrants should be taught, since a warrantless search this year proved greatly embarrassing to the Department and lost an important case. The Department's one example of conviction should be followed in terms of publicizing, to alert the public to the consequences of abuse. Humane education should include segments on animal care and the link between animal violence and violence toward humans.

5. Target Los Angeles' predominant issues and develop programs to mitigate problems

a. Pit bulls:

The current General Manager has been quoted as stating that 80% of our L.A. Animal Services impounds are pit bulls and pit bull mixes. Very few of these dogs are adopted; most are euthanized. Pit bulls have attendant humane and cost issues, as well as public safety issues. Work with pit bull trainers to provide resource material for current and prospective pit bull owners, to ensure appropriate matches with the home, and to assist adequate training to better prevent safety problems. Target pit bulls for spay/neuter efforts, to faster reduce the numbers of homeless pit bulls. Work with the District Attorney to detect, properly build cases, and prosecute abuse involving pit bulls. These programs could be used to generate excellent public relations, for their humane and public safety aspects.

b. TNR:

Feral cats represent a large number of impounded cats, and they are almost always euthanized. Work with the excellent existing local TNR groups who educate and assist with feral cat trapping, sterilization, and release into appropriately situated managed colonies. Expedite implementation of the Department's TNR policy. This will have a marked effect on Department euthanasia, and will also do much to earn the appreciation of many humane groups eager to see TNR become a reality.

6. Media

This is a broad and important area of high importance to develop, since it plays a large role in establishing public perceptions of the shelter and City management. Media aspects have been discussed elsewhere in this Plan as appropriate to the topic. Develop media contacts as well as a knowledgeable, articulate, and passionate Department contact for the media to have easy access to the Department. As good programs are achieved and milestones are reached, work to publicize good news. Maintain efforts to work spay/neuter into all media communications. Obtain or create posters promoting spay/neuter and responsible pet ownership. Place Pet of the Week stories in local newspapers. Use the media to promote Animal Services events and services, including the media's event calendars and articles. As emphasized above, ensure that press releases are multi-lingual and that media outlets for all predominant languages in the City are reached.

7. Possible legislation

Work with City government and the public to study possible legislation to enhance Animal Services efforts and reduce overpopulation. License fee differentials, targeted spay/neuter requirements, etc. Legislation can be highly effective to combat Animal Services problems; yet, it usually comes at a price of some public opposition. Work to negotiate the most satisfactory results with the least public opposition.

One excellent opportunity is SB 861, recently signed into State law. This enables local jurisdictions to pass ordinances mandating spay/neuter by breed, yet importantly, it forbids breed specific methods of determining any animal to be dangerous. Many local jurisdictions have already acted to implement their ordinances. Los Angeles has not begun, and should begin quickly. It is extremely important, in the Los Angeles culture of attitudes toward animals, that the humane aspects of the ordinance be emphasized.

8. Donations

Donations of services, goods, and volunteer time increase the Department's ability to reach goals. Soliciting donations should be reviewed with the Mayor's office to determine the level of such activity considered proper. Grant writing is generally proper and efforts should be enhanced. Most of the items outlined in this Plan will engender the public trust needed for increased donations, including efforts to engage community and cultural segments, a genuine and visible reduction in euthanasia, greater accountability through honest and supportable statistical reporting, and increased spay/neuter services for owned animals. Donation lines should be added to and/or emphasized in all transaction documents, including adoption forms, license payment forms, and at City spay/neuter clinics as they are opened.

9. Throughout the process, coordinate within government to ensure compatibility of goals, messages, and methods

10. Throughout the process, maintain an open door and listen to employees, volunteers, the humane community and the public, and maintain maximum contact with the veterinary, business, and cultural communities

All can provide early alerts to potential problems, and all can provide extremely beneficial and creative experience, expertise, ideas and resources.

Concentrated emphasis should be placed on enhancing recruitment, retention, and utilization of volunteers. Volunteers are crucial. Volunteers are the Department's front-line interface with the general public and they are active and vocal in establishing public perceptions of the Department. Volunteer labor, resources, and ideas can be highly significant assets to the Department. Many of the elements outlined in this Plan will benefit from volunteer participation. Unfortunately, the L.A. Animal Services active volunteer base has dwindled and most newcomers are not staying more than short-term. Volunteers today express strong and widespread feelings of suppression by the Department, rather than the needed spirit of partnership. Recent rule changes should be reevaluated because they have resulted in losses of long-term key volunteers. Exit interviews should be conducted to learn the reasons volunteers do not stay active. Communications must emphasize respect and appreciation for volunteers. The Department should exercise flexibility to give volunteers greater latitude in suggesting and teaming on projects utilizing their individual talents and resources.

The benefits of an open door, cooperative posture for the Department are many. This will signal a change from the past. It will bring to the Department ideas, information, and resources heretofore not received. It will cause people to spread positive messages of the Department rather than the often negative messages now being spread.

11. Emphasize accountability and results: Throughout the process, compile and analyze accurate statistics on results of operations

Accurate and pertinent data compilation and analysis are crucial. This will honor the Mayor's emphasis on accountability in City operations. This will also enable the public to learn the results of Department operations. Improved statistical gathering and analysis will greatly enhance the Department's success in problem-solving management, by providing accurate measures of status quo, and accurate tracking of change. This will enable management to better identify areas of ongoing need, to better focus resources on target areas needing improvement, and to continue areas of success. One example is the extreme statistical evidence of increased impounds and euthanasia of unweaned animals during summer months (double that of winter months). This calls for concentrated special springtime spay/neuter efforts, both for the great reduction in the upcoming kitten/puppy season impounds and euthanasia it would create, and also for the positive public relations it would generate. The same statistical analysis should be used to confirm expected resulting impound and euthanasia reductions of unweaned animals, and to further motivate subsequent year efforts.

Where statistical results are good, we should create media attention. After a lengthy period of public distrust and discontent, accurate and open data-keeping will demonstrate to the public that the Department is sincere in efforts to improve. Accurate data reporting ensures accountability, in turn increasing public perceptions of honest government; this trust leads to more volunteers, more donations of resources, and more constituent satisfaction and positive attention for the City.

12. Above all, create an environment for saving lives and ensuring trust for all

L.A. Animal Services management must clearly demonstrate its intention to reduce euthanasia. The "saving animals' lives" theme is excellent, but it must become a way of life rather than three words. Processes must be evaluated and prioritized after analysis of life-saving results. For example, in evaluating a possible new program, the cost/benefits in financial terms should be determined, and the cost/benefits in euthanasia reduction terms should also be clearly defined. Policy and program proposals should be required to contain estimates of cost and numbers/degree of lives saved, animals placed, or public safety problems mitigated. The theme of saving lives within the budget should permeate everything L.A. Animal Services does, from its internal documents to employee and volunteer communications, to press releases.

Conclusion

A large and vocal constituency in the City of Los Angeles yearns for a humane, low-kill environment. Others in the City seek more universal goals of public safety, budgetary common sense, regulatory efficiency, and government accountability. This multi-faceted Plan is designed to appeal to them all.

Given the City's current budget and resource conditions, the Plan must be implemented in an organized and chronological fashion. For example, greatly enhanced spay/neuter efforts must begin immediately, and continue for the duration. Programs such as post-adoption training and foster home animal rehabilitation would be delayed pending reductions in overpopulation and greater availability of resources. By implementing the Plan in an organized manner, the public will quickly become acutely aware that L.A. Animal Services is smart, sincere, proactive and effective in reducing overpopulation and euthanasia, while staying on budget and providing needed animal regulation services. By focusing on developing positive programs and bringing good news to the public's attention, the Department can quickly regain public trust and recapture and broaden its volunteer resources. The current climate of negativity will quickly turn to cooperation and support, and the honest statistics we report will soon demonstrate great improvement.

Key to the Plan is a businesslike, monitored implementation, to ensure that scarce resources are spent in the most effective and efficient manner. Progress must be monitored accurately and with vigilance.

A future element of the Plan comes when Los Angeles City shelters have substantially reduced overpopulation to the point where we can stop euthanizing for space. As we reach milestones approaching that landmark, our effective improvements will become obvious. As our statistics and public relations improve, the Mayor can benefit greatly, using L.A. Animal Services as another example of his ability to solve long-standing problems, earning excellent operational outcomes, and great public satisfaction. With this organized and targeted approach to reducing euthanasia and building cooperation and public support, Los Angeles will become the role model for animal services departments throughout the nation.

Presented By:

Laura Beth Heisen, J.D./M.B.A.

Commissioner of the Board of L.A. Animal Services, 2002-2003

Founding Director and Officer, Animal Match Rescue Team, Inc.

CatNose1@aol.com

Los Angeles Animal Shelter News

Anti-Fur Protest Videos

2 videos - Peta and Last Chance for Animals