Civil service: under fire by activists, Jerry Greenwalt is trying to find a way to create a low-kill solution to the problems with animal control in Los Angeles.

SINCE taking the helm of the city agency that provides animal control and temporary shelter, Jerry Greenwalt, general manager of L.A.'s Department of Animal Services, has had his home splattered with red paint and the word "murderer" scrawled on his city-owned car. The leaders of animal rights groups generally disavow involvement in the vandalism, but have called for Greenwalt's removal, citing the large number of animals put to sleep by his department. Picketers have even targeted Mayor James Hahn's house in San Pedro over the issue, though no vandalism has been reported there. Greenwalt says he's doing the best he can with a tight budget, crowded facilities and animal overpopulation.

Question: How many animals come through the agency every year?

Answer: Last year we brought in 62,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, sheep, chickens, iguanas, turtles and birds. In any one day we probably have 1,000 to 1,200 animals in shelters. By state law we have to hold dogs and cats at least four days. Where we can move animals around, we keep them longer. The problem is we have a limited amount of space. We have only 375 kennels and we're running about 150 percent to 175 percent of capacity. A lot of pit bulls and Rottweilers have to stay in cages by themselves, which means we have to put five or six small dogs in one kennel together, which is not good.

Q: A few animal rights activists have called for your removal because of the city's euthanasia policy. How many of the animals in city shelters are killed every year?

A: I came to this job in October 2001. The year before that, the department euthanized 43,000 animals. Last fiscal year, we euthanized 32,000--a horrendous number, but a 25 percent decrease, which is significant. So far this fiscal year, we're already down six percent from the same period a year ago. I think it really shows that our people are hustling to find homes for these animals. Despite what people call us, we are making an impact on the problem.

Q: How does what goes on at the Department of Animal Services affect the quality of life of people living in Los Angeles?

A: Animals shouldn't be treated poorly, number one. We humans owe it to animals to not make them live in this situation. Number two, it's a safety and health issue. There are animals running in packs in the street, getting hit by cars, fighting with other animals. Packs of dogs are vicious and they carry fleas and ticks and rabies. But the real problem is that most people don't want to hear about it. It's easy for people to close their eyes to the problem and say it doesn't exist or someone else should take care of it, that it's not their problem. But the reality is, it's our problem, the entire city's problem.

Q: What went through your head when your home was vandalized?

A: When people are calling you a murderer, it's pretty tough. It's tough in that you always feel like you're doing the very best possible job saving animals and yet people come in and say you're not doing a good job. It's tough on the staff. They are on the front lines every day rescuing animals that have been abandoned or abused, seeking ways to adopt out animals.

Q: What about adopting a no-kill policy?

A: I submitted to the mayor in November a life-oriented, low-kill plan. No-kill is a general term that is used but I think everyone in the animal community will admit there's no such thing as a no-kill shelter--unless you're like the San Francisco ASPCA. They are an independent agency, not a city shelter, and they can choose which animals they're going to bring in. So they obviously choose adoptable animals. Obviously there are animals that come in that are too sick or too injured to be adopted. There are some that are so vicious that they should not even be near another animal, let alone another person.

Q: What's your budget?

A: We have a $14 million budget and 268 employees for a 24-hour operation. We have four people that handle the $4 million in licenses alone. It's a little tight. We have six facilities that cover 475 square miles and 3.8 million people, the same area for police and fire.

Q: What do the officers do?

A: We receive calls on inhumane treatment of animals, injured animals, and at night there are a lot of deer injured in the foothills. We receive a lot of coyote calls in the San Fernando Valley, in Santa Monica, even in Griffith Park. We have assigned two officers to pass out information on wildlife. We have coyotes, mule deer and raccoons.

Q: You've been criticized for not doing enough to adopt out animals.

A: In the past two years we have increased adoptions by roughly 22 percent. Our people are making a lot of phone calls mostly by contacting rescue groups, which work so hard to save animals. Last week we had seven female dogs with litters at one of our shelters. A supervisor got on the phone and was able to adopt out or place all seven of these females and their litters, so that's probably 45 dogs that we saved just by persevering and really caring.

Q: The city recently got a temporary restraining order against several animal rights activists. Do you think that was the right reaction?

A: I've been more than happy to sit down and talk with people about the policy that has been here for more than 20 years. The problem is these people have been attacking me personally, they vandalized my house, they spray painted on my wall, the garage, they dumped paint all over my city car, in the patio and all over my front gate. They picketed my house twice. It doesn't make things change. If they have some magic way to take care of these 60,000 animals, God, please tell me. I would love to be able to give each animal a good home.

Q: Many in the rescue community are upset about fees they now have to pay to rescue or spay and neuter animals.

A: The mayor and City Council are providing $1.1 million for subsidizing spay and neuter surgeries in the city. We have vouchers. We have free spay and neuter services to low income seniors and disabled. And we have a spay mobile that goes out to low-income areas of the city and gives free spay and neuters. We have mobile pet adoptions that go out three or four times a month and we advertise in the newspapers.

Q: There must be a way to get more animals to shelters that have space or even to work with retail stores that have empty cages where people would be willing to adopt.

A: For years, the municipal code restricted moving animals around to different shelters outside the city. But last June I proposed a new program so we could move our animals to other jurisdictions. We've already been contacted by five of six jurisdictions, saying send us your puppies, your kittens, your young dogs. Before, we were limited to moving animals to just three days a year. Now we're getting it approved so we go to places like Irvine and Glendale and Agoura. The ordinance is in the public safety committee right now and it should be passed in the next week of two.

Q: You're also working on upgrading the facilities so there's more space for animals.

A: We have a bond that was approved in November 2000 for $154 million. We are renovating two of our facilities and we're constructing five brand new facilities at different sites. It will bring the total number of facilities to eight. It takes the 375 kennels up to 1,300 kennels. At the same time, we're going to have spay and neuter hospitals in each one of our facilities and education rooms so schools and community groups can come in to a more pleasing environment.

Q: Do you have any animals yourself?

A: I have three, all of them rescued. A German Shepherd named Rosemary and two cats, Aubergine and Baba Ganoush. They're both diabetics so every morning I get up and give them their shots and every night I give them their shots. I've had animals forever. Our daughter still comments that the biggest photo we have in our house is of our former dog Sage.

INTERVIEW

Jerry Greenwalt

Title: General Manager

Organization Department of Animal Services

Born: 1941, Ft. Collins, Colo.

Education: B.A., Occidental College

Career Turning Point: Leaving the city's administrative office and joining the operations department of the Los Angeles Zoo--"It was one of those 'ah-ha' moments."

Most Admired People: Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln. "They were all people who strived to make things better for everyone."

Personal: Married for 39 years. His 31-year-old daughter is a lawyer.

Hobbies: Running his dog, playing golf and tennis.