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IN THE NEWS - 2006
Culver City News
January 12, 2006
Friends of Culver City Animals made another pitch for a full-time animal
control officer for the City. The group's estimate of the cost for starting
an in-house animal control system varies widely from the City's.
The City has contracted with L.A. County's Carson facility for several
years for animal control services.
Rose told the organization that Culver City couldn't possibly undertake
such a project at a time when the Council has temporarily stopped labor
negotiations with City employee bargaining units.
Gross said the impression that Culver City has never
had its own control officer is wrong.
Silbiger said the City should seriously
examine having its own system "because
we're a city that believes strongly in local control.. And this is
a health and safety issue, like with police, fire and emergencies."
Corlin said the City needs to apply more pressure to Los Angeles County
to have a dedicated phone just for Culver City to avoid long waits getting
through about animal emergencies.
Referring to the Friends and the need
for monitoring options, Vera said: "This
group isn't going away."
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Culver City Observer
January 19 - 25, 2006
Letters to the Editor
On Monday night, January 9, Culver City residents concerned about public
health and safety, and innocent animals unable to speak on their own behalf,
were given an eloquent and impassioned voice by their champions, the Friends
of Culver City Animals.
With an impressive array of facts - taken from a commissioned cost analysis
report prepared by a certified public accountant, and a concise and logical
line of reasoning - the speakers from Friends of Culver City Animals got
the attention of the members of the City Council of Culver City, as well
as the audience who crowded the hearing room in support of FCCA's goals.
At the urging of Ms. Deborah Weinrauch, the City Council
agreed to form a sub-committee consisting of Mayor Albert Vera and Vice
Mayor Gary Silbiger
to folloW up on the issues raised by FCCA. Ms. Weinrauch made it clear
that the stated goal of Friends of Culver City Animals is to implement
local control of animal related issues so as to provide for prompt
and compassionate animal related services - with an eye towards insuring
the
health and safety of Culver City residents and animals.
Ms. Weinrauch urged the members of the council to maintain a dialogue
with FCCA and to revisit this important issue in 60 days. During the interim
period she asked the council members to review the CPA report that was
now made available to them so that they could see for themselves that this
growing organization's goals are both realistic and financially sound.
It is gratifying to see that the members of the city council are now beginning
to appreciate the fact that bringing animal control under local authority
is as realistic and advantageous as having our police and fire services
under local control. Action in that regard will serve to enhance the quality
of our community and the well being of our residents.
Charles Aguado
Culver City
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Culver City Observer
July 6 - 21, 2006
Letters to the Editor
On Tuesday, June 20th, at approximately 7:45pm, I walked my dog to the
Culver City dog park. We'd been going to the park several times a week
since it opened and I enjoyed being able to exercise my dog off leash.
While we were playing I was viciously attacked by one of the large dogs
in the park while trying to protect my dog. The dog bit my left hand as
I was trying to get her off of my dog's throat, while its owner looked
on without acting. The dog's owner never tried to help me or contain her
dog. My hand became painful and started to bleed and swell immediately.
When I questioned the dog's owner, she
said her dog had "only attacked
one other dog before" and that her dog had all of its shots. She said
that she and her dog were "always at the dog park", so if
I had any questions I could find her there. She did not give me her
name
or contact
information. The dog had a collar, but I couldn't see the tags. The
owner seemed unfazed that this was the second time her dog attached
a dog,
and now a person at the Culver City dog park.
My hand worsened, so I took my dog home and went to the
emergency room at Brotman medical center. The intake nurse there told
me that any dog
who bites a human and punctures the skin must be quarantined for 10
days to screen for rabies. The medical staff at Brotman debrided and
bandaged
my wounds, gave me a tetanus shot and prescribed two antibiotics which
I took 4 times a day for a week.
I am a physical therapist and I work with disabled veterans. Because of
these injuries, I was unable to perform certain aspects of my job for several
days. Although I have medical insurance, I am sure that I will have significant
bills as a result of this incident.
Our dog park is on the far end of the city without an animal control officer
to patrol the park. I have never seen any official check on the dogs. I
don't know if the dog that bit me was vaccinated, and there was nothing
I could do when the owner wouldn't help me or give me her name. Certainly
she did not feel obligated to provide any information, probably because
she knew there would be no repercussions for these dangerous attacks.
As a resident of Culver City I am thrilled
to have a dog park within walking distance of my home. My dog and I
had become "regulars" at
the dog park, and for the most part enjoyed our interactions with
other dogs
and their owners. I am concerned, however, that with so many dogs in
one area, and without local animal control, that the injuries I sustained
could have been prevented, especially since the owner admitted that
her dog had
attacked another dog at the park.
If there was an authority to whom the
first attack could have been reported, perhaps the second attack, on
me, would not
have occurred. And by the owner's
own admission, since she and her dog are "always at the dog park",
is a third attack, possibly on a child or possibly more serious than
what I sustained, inevitable?
I attempted to file a police report several days after the incident. When
I explained the nature of my complaint, I was told that this was not the
business of the Culver City police department, and it was suggested that
I bring my concerns to the city council, which I did. I subsequently was
able to file a police report, and I also filed a report with the county
animal services. My dog and I have not returned to the dog park since this
incident occurred.
Regarding the services we receive from the county department of animal
control, four months ago, on March 6, 2006 I paid my dog registration fees
at city hall. To date, my check has not been cashed, and I have not received
my dog tags from the county, although I have a receipt stating my dogs
are registered. So, should anything happen to my dog and she was brought
to Carson, she would be considered an unregistered dog, although I did
my part to register her in March.
I hope that this information will help the city recognize the importance
of local animal control, especially now that our dog park is open and in
full swing. The public safety of both residents of Culver City and their
animals cannot be compromised, and if one serious dog attack can be prevented
in our city then resources will have been well spent.
Randi Woodrow
Culver City
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Culver City Star
July 13, 2006
By Anna Scott
Staff Writer
What to do About Bad Dogs at the Park
Pets: Attack on a Culver City resident raises the question of posting
a guard at the facility.
On a recent evening in the Culver City Dog Park, a physical therapist
stepped into a canine brawl to protect her dog from attack by a large pit
bull and came away with bite marks in her wrist so deep she had to visit
the emergency room.
The victim, Culver City resident Randi Woodrow - who frequents the park
with her mixed-breed, Bailey - reported the incident to the Culver City
Police Department the next day. The police referred Woodrow to the City
Council, who suggested she contact county authorities.
"The problem was...the [other dog owner] didn't give me her name," Woodrow
said. "It's wonderful to have a dog park, but [Culver City] has
no local means to monitor what goes on; we need local animal control."
Culver City's animal control services, including licensing, public safety
operations and humane control of domestic and wild animals, are currently
contracted through the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and
Control, located in Carson.
"They're just too far away to provide the level of service we need
in Culver City,"said Deborah Weinrauch, director of the grassroots
organization Friends of Culver City Animals, which has been working
to form a local animal control unit since May 2005.
"We get complaints [from residents] called into our hotline about
dead wildlife that's not being picked up, injured wildlife, strays, dog
attacks, residents who have lost pets," said Weinrauch. "If
we have somebody close, our laws can be enforced. Right now it's practically
impossible to crack down."
The need for a local authority has "absolutely" become
more urgent since the opening of the dog park on the corner of Jefferson
Boulevard
and Duquesne Avenue in April, says Culver City Mayor Gary Silbiger.
One of only four off-leash parks on the West Side, the park attracts dozens
of pet owners from both in and outside of Culver City every week.
"If there's a dog incident in our park," Silbiger said, "a
local control officer could be there in five minutes. If we call the
county, most of the time they don't send anybody; if they do, it could
be hours.
I think it's extremely important for Culver City to have its own local
animal control officer."
But others say the city doesn't have the resources.
"It's very expensive to have somebody work for the city," said
Councilman Alan Corlin. ''The decision to have [local] animal control
at this point would mean cutting something else. Do I think the county
should
be providing better service? Yes, and that's where I think our attention
should be."
Nonetheless, earlier this year the council assigned a sub-committee to
work with Weinrauch to investigate the feasibility of creating an animal
control agency in Culver City.
Over the past year, the Friends have collected more than 1,300 petition
signatures from Culver City residents, produced several animal-related
incident reports for the council's review and found a nearby animal welfare
organization willing to donate an animal control truck.
But Corlin remains skeptical. "When they get back to me with how
much it costs, then I can vote yes or no," he said.
Friends' members are working on a cost
analysis and plan to consult with officials in Torrance, where a "very successful" citywide
animal control unit was formed earlier this year, Weinrauch says.
The Torrance Animal Control Unit, under the jurisdiction
of the city's police department, employs two officers, one supervisor
and one administrator
full time. Since 2005, the number of lost pets reunited with their
owners in Torrance has more than doubled, according to reports.
Meanwhile in Culver City, dog owner Matthew Waldman, who brings his dog,
Socrates, to the dog park's fenced-in sandlots twice a week, worries
about the lack of an outside monitor in the neighborhood.
"There was one time another dog was charging [Socrates] over and
over," Waldman said. "I was standing right next to the owner
and I was surprised she didn't say anything. Finally, I had to stand
between her dog and my dog.
"Dogs get aggressive, but it all
comes down to people. Maybe it would help to have [an officer] do spot
checks at
peak hours; if people see a
person of authority they'll act accordingly. It's human nature."
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Culver City Star
September 7, 2006
by Anna Scott
Council in the dog days of summer
City Hall: Officials OK program to canvass for unlicensed dogs, but issue
remains unsettled.
City Council has decided to start a canvassing program
to register unlicensed dogs, but the new initiative leaves at least one
council member and local
animal control advocates feeling excluded from the decision-making process.
In June, the council's animal control subcommittee, made up of Mayor Gary
Silbiger and Vice Mayor Alan Corlin, met with representatives of the grassroots
organization Friends of Culver City Animals to discuss several issues,
including the problem of unlicensed dogs.
"[At the meeting] there was a long, protracted discussion about canvassing," Corlin
recalled. "I suggested, why don't the Friends go [door to door]" to
offer licensing services to residents known to be current or prior
pet owners.
"But [Culver City Friends of Animals Director] Deborah [Weinrauch]
said no, she wanted someone under the color of authority to do the canvassing," Corlin
said.
The program approved at last Monday night's council meeting will have
an L.A. County animal control official conduct the canvassing, and should
therefore meet Weinrauch's criteria, Corlin concludes.
Weinrauch, however, claims that the issue was not decided either way at
the June meeting and that the Friends were not properly notified before
Monday of city staff's proposal.
"We are pro-licensing and we are pro-vaccinations," Weinrauch
was careful to make clear first. "We pro mote... returning pets
to their owners whenever possible."
"But.. we had not resolved any
issue [in June]. [Monday] night the tone was that we thoroughly debated
it. It had
been brought up, there were
ideas bantered about, but it was merely in the discussion stage.
We were informed [of the proposal] at the same time as the rest of
the public."
Because she had not yet had a chance to confer with other Friends members,
Weinrauch said, she did not wish to comment on whether or not the group
is pleased with the new program.
If there are objections, however, they might be based on the fact that
a County official will conduct the canvassing, rather than a local authority.
The Culver City Friends have long lobbied for a local animal control officer,
which officials have said the city can not afford.
Currently, Culver City's animal care and control services including licensing,
public safety operations and humane control of domestic and wild animals
, are contracted through the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care
and Control, located in Carson, which Friends representatives argue is
too far away to provide prompt responses to animal-related emergencies.
"
They want an animal control officer.. but they don't have any idea of
what the real costs are," Corlin said this week.
Regardless, he added, at the June meeting
there was "a
discussion of specifically getting someone from the County [to do
the canvassing].
What came out of that meeting was, somebody's got to do it."
Weinrauch, however, isn't the only one
who takes issue with the subcommittee's process. On Monday, Silbiger,
who reportedly
left the June meeting early,
said, "During the time I was there, there was no discussion of this."
"The process wasn't done properly," the
mayor said, arguing that the proposal had not passed through the proper
channels
before coming
before the council for a vote.
"It went thoroughly through the subcommittee," Corlin
shot back, going on to point out that the mayor was aware after he
left the June meeting
that it would continue without him.
"Just like if I were to leave [the
council meeting] now, I wouldn't expect you to stop," Corlin said.
Despite the disagreements over procedure however, the council voted unanimously
Monday to adopt staff's proposal and local pet license canvassing will
begin in early 2007.
As required, the city will notify residents of upcoming canvassing efforts
through local newspapers, its community calendar, public service announcements
and cable crawlers on Channel 35.
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Culver City News
October 12, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Local Animal Control in Torrance
In response to Peggy Zimmerman's letter (Who to Call?,
Sept. 28),1 have some exciting news to report. Last week I was fortunate
enough to be invited
by the Friends of Culver City Animals on an exploratory field trip
to the Torrance Animal Control office. We were greeted by the mayor of
Torrance,
Frank Scotto, the police captain who set up the animal control program,
John Neu, and the staff of four full time employees.
The mayor proceeded to tell us of the overWhelming success of the program
in Torrance and more importantly, how it is self-sufficient and not a financial
burden to the city. Mayor Gary Silbiger was on hand to receive the information
and I assume he will be reporting back to the other council members about
his experience. One of the field officers told of a meeting with one of
their council members, who had originally voted against the project on
budgetary grounds, where she expressed a change of heart once she saw the
success of the program.
Of course the program succeeded due to the overWhelming support of the
community - the same community support that I believe we already have here
in Culver City.
So there is hope on the horizon, Peggy, for all of God's creatures who
are unable to help themselves.
Mehaul O'Leary
Culver City
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Culver City Observer
November 2 - 8, 2006
Letters to the Editor
I don't get it. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Where is the will of our Culver City Council to help ensure the health
and safety
of our residents regarding animal issues? Our Council appears to
have turned deaf ears and blind eyes to the presentations, signed petitions
and anecdotal material from Culver City residents and Friends of
Culver
City Animals (FCCA), all urging the employment of a local Animal
Control Officer to offset the delays, dangers and inconveniences associated
with the dependence on the
L.A. County Animal Control Officers' responses and the Carson animal
shelter located sixteen miles south of us. And yet our Council voted
to spend $85,000 for a temporary public art installation on Washington
Boulevard.
What is our Council's objection to hiring a local Animal Control Officer?
It surely can't be money. Where is the will? I don't get it!
Anita Jaskol
Culver City
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