Daily News: Where was Boks during the fire crisis?
http://www.dailynews.com/editorial/ci_10770787
By Phyllis M. Daugherty
Los Angeles Daily News
10/20/2008
When fires ripped through the San Fernando Valley last week, killing every living thing that could not escape, many of us cuddled our own pets a little closer, realizing that many out there might not see their owners again.
While police, sheriff's and fire agencies bravely fought for lives and property, Los Angeles city and county animal-control employees patrolled fire lines, inspected evacuated areas, and maneuvered through debris, smoke and cinders to save terrified animals. And they did save every one they could.
Horses whose owners could not cross the fire lines found them at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, thanks to coordinated efforts of animal-control officers and dozens of skilled volunteer equine rescuers.
A frantic woman who had to load invalid parents and a wheelchair into her car as flames rushed down her street found her singed kitty medically treated and comforted by the veterinary staff and animal-care technicians at the Northeast Valley shelter. An aged German shepherd temporarily left at the shelter was kept safe until she and her owner could return home. Dozens of others were picked up by their owners after the fire, and some are still waiting - hoping they are not forgotten.
Veteran animal-control supervisors and field officers manned the command center around the clock, dispatching mobile units while experienced shelter managers worked with employees to tend the special needs of injured and frantic pets and wildlife - a demonstration of the dedication and expertise of Los Angeles' animal-control professionals at all levels.
Most of the L.A. Animal Services' employees and supervisors involved in the fire-rescue effort are among those who recently signed a "no-confidence" petition regarding the lack of management ability of their newest general manager, Ed Boks. Boks retorted in an Oct. 6 letter to Councilman Dennis Zine that he is a "change agent" and referred to employees caustically as "veterans who were comfortable with their jobs as they existed before I arrived."
Speaking of arrival, where was Ed Boks throughout the inferno last week? Although one of his new executive staff members came to observe the performance of the seasoned officers, Boks - who rivals the mayor for photo ops and media events - was conspicuous by his absence and silence. The L.A. Animal Services Web site was devoid of a message from the general manager commending his troops and their county counterparts for their selfless and brave work. Did Ed miss that much of Los Angeles was in a state of disaster and that his employees were heroes?
It took tremendous courage and desperation for more than 50 percent of city Animal Services employees to publicly discuss the crumbling internal structure of their department. And city officials and residents should listen and act immediately to consider the following list of problems:
1) There is no policies-and-procedures manual for daily field and shelter operations.
2) There is no emergency-preparedness plan for a major disaster, including food and water provisions for shelter animals.
3) The department's formal employee-training unit has been disbanded.
4) There is no defined behavior-assessment process to assess animal temperament for the safety of employees and prospective adopters.
5) No instructions, plans or policies exist for the myriad new "programs" that Boks institutes in the shelters.
6) After a costly one-year "study," the city still doesn't have an effective dog-licensing plan.
7) The shelters are dangerously overcrowded because of Boks' obsessive mania to call Los Angeles "no kill" regardless of the horrific conditions it creates for animals and employees and the unnecessary suffering it imposes on impounded pets.
Phyllis M. Daugherty is director of Animal Issues Movement in Los Angeles. Readers can contact her via e-mail at animalissu@aol.com.
By Phyllis M. Daugherty
Los Angeles Daily News
10/20/2008
When fires ripped through the San Fernando Valley last week, killing every living thing that could not escape, many of us cuddled our own pets a little closer, realizing that many out there might not see their owners again.
While police, sheriff's and fire agencies bravely fought for lives and property, Los Angeles city and county animal-control employees patrolled fire lines, inspected evacuated areas, and maneuvered through debris, smoke and cinders to save terrified animals. And they did save every one they could.
Horses whose owners could not cross the fire lines found them at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, thanks to coordinated efforts of animal-control officers and dozens of skilled volunteer equine rescuers.
A frantic woman who had to load invalid parents and a wheelchair into her car as flames rushed down her street found her singed kitty medically treated and comforted by the veterinary staff and animal-care technicians at the Northeast Valley shelter. An aged German shepherd temporarily left at the shelter was kept safe until she and her owner could return home. Dozens of others were picked up by their owners after the fire, and some are still waiting - hoping they are not forgotten.
Veteran animal-control supervisors and field officers manned the command center around the clock, dispatching mobile units while experienced shelter managers worked with employees to tend the special needs of injured and frantic pets and wildlife - a demonstration of the dedication and expertise of Los Angeles' animal-control professionals at all levels.
Most of the L.A. Animal Services' employees and supervisors involved in the fire-rescue effort are among those who recently signed a "no-confidence" petition regarding the lack of management ability of their newest general manager, Ed Boks. Boks retorted in an Oct. 6 letter to Councilman Dennis Zine that he is a "change agent" and referred to employees caustically as "veterans who were comfortable with their jobs as they existed before I arrived."
Speaking of arrival, where was Ed Boks throughout the inferno last week? Although one of his new executive staff members came to observe the performance of the seasoned officers, Boks - who rivals the mayor for photo ops and media events - was conspicuous by his absence and silence. The L.A. Animal Services Web site was devoid of a message from the general manager commending his troops and their county counterparts for their selfless and brave work. Did Ed miss that much of Los Angeles was in a state of disaster and that his employees were heroes?
It took tremendous courage and desperation for more than 50 percent of city Animal Services employees to publicly discuss the crumbling internal structure of their department. And city officials and residents should listen and act immediately to consider the following list of problems:
1) There is no policies-and-procedures manual for daily field and shelter operations.
2) There is no emergency-preparedness plan for a major disaster, including food and water provisions for shelter animals.
3) The department's formal employee-training unit has been disbanded.
4) There is no defined behavior-assessment process to assess animal temperament for the safety of employees and prospective adopters.
5) No instructions, plans or policies exist for the myriad new "programs" that Boks institutes in the shelters.
6) After a costly one-year "study," the city still doesn't have an effective dog-licensing plan.
7) The shelters are dangerously overcrowded because of Boks' obsessive mania to call Los Angeles "no kill" regardless of the horrific conditions it creates for animals and employees and the unnecessary suffering it imposes on impounded pets.
Phyllis M. Daugherty is director of Animal Issues Movement in Los Angeles. Readers can contact her via e-mail at animalissu@aol.com.
Labels: dennis zine, ed boks, los angeles animal services, mayor antonio villaraigosa, phyllis daugherty
Posted by Shelby York @ 10/21/2008 09:30:00 AM
7 Comments:
I don't know where Boks was, but I personally witnessed LA City Animal Services pick up horses and relocate them to safety all day long Oct 11 at the Marek Fire.
The biggest problem was with LA Co Fire, Sheriff, and CHP who refused to release Kagel Canyon horses (in LA County) to LA City Animal Services for evac when the fire was bearing down on them and the horse trailer was right there!
This had to be the most dangerous bunch of bureaucratic BS crap I've heard related to these fires yet.
Wow...
Thanks for this, Haikula. It made my hair stand on end.
I think it was the Times or LA Observed where I read that Boks is threatened with being fired. Too bad, when he really SAID he wanted a no-kill agency.
LA County was legally in charge of horse rescue. The fires were 99.99% in the county, not the city. County is in charge of large animal rescue in general especially in these areas. Generally the city does not go in to help when it's a county fire. I'm talking animal control only. LAFD h as an agreement with county to help county with fires.
Hello Donna,
The credit goes to the author of the article, Phyllis Dougherty. I just featured it here. The good thoughts in it are hers.
Haikula
4:24 PM, I'm not sure what your point is.
County and city animal control worked together on this. Many of the animal evacuees were at city facilities.
I hope you are not trying to dismiss their efforts because County was in charge. City staff did their part and they did it well.
As one of the evacuees, I can honestly report that LAAS was there and did a great job.
Where was he? At the beach working on his suntan and checking out the girls.
IT'S FIELD WORKERS WHO SAVED ANIMALS NOT CEO TYPES LIKE BOKS THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S ABOUT. WHO NEEDS EXPERTS WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
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