DOGGONE DEAL; ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR TO TAKE BUYOUT PACKAGE AND RETIRE.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy and Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writers

Under attack from animal-rights activists and facing pressure from Mayor Richard Riordan, Los Angeles Animal Services Director Gary Olsen announced Tuesday he will retire in September and become a consultant for the city.

The price tag to taxpayers: a one-year consultant's contract worth $100,000, matching his annual salary. In retirement, Olsen will get a $64,800-a-year city pension.

Olsen's departure is part of a major overhaul of the long-criticized department that is aimed at bringing in an outside general manager, expanding shelters and personnel, and ultimately ending the practice of having to put dogs and cats to death, officials said.

``The Animal Services Commission was not satisfied with his leadership,'' said one commissioner, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Riordan spokesman Steve Sugerman said the mayor wants to make the city agency a ``model department.''

Olsen's consulting contract with the city is intended to ensure a smooth transition and allow him to research issues of interest to him, including how best to control the city's pet population, officials said.

``It's time to move on,'' Olsen said in an interview after he emerged from a meeting in the mayor's office, where details of his departure were worked out with Deputy Mayor Kelly Martin and Animal Services Commission President Steve Afriat.

``I want to focus in on some of the roots of the problem of animal control,'' said Olsen, 53. ``Pet overpopulation is the No. 1 issue. If we don't get to that and really focus in on it, we'll just be fighting all these fires over and over again.

``I'm hoping that the consulting contract will allow me to do that. The mayor and commission support that.''

He denied that his decision was forced by the commission, saying, ``There was no negative evaluation at all.'' He dismissed criticism from animal-rights groups as well, noting: ``That comes with the territory. That was fine.''

But sources said Olsen is stepping down under pressure from Riordan and the Animal Services Commission.

Afriat avoided direct criticism of Olsen but conceded that the department is in trouble.

``I think the department has a lot of problems, but I think the problems are more a result of a lack of resources,'' Afriat said. ``I think everyone in the department, including the general manager, has some responsibility for it.''

Afriat said the commission unanimously voted to support Olsen's buyout.

But Councilwoman Laura Chick, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee overseeing the agency, said she wanted to look at the terms of the consulting contract. The deal needs City Council approval.

``I want to make sure this is real work and not some fluff,'' Chick said. ``We certainly need a change over there. This gives us an opportunity to look at what the department has done and what we want it to do.''

Olsen actually has 27 years with the city but is being allowed to buy back disability time he took away from the job and use military service credit to get full pension benefits with credit for 30 years of service.

Afriat said the credits are available to any city manager and that Olsen is not getting any special treatment.

Animal-rights activists said they are glad Olsen is leaving because they believe city animal services have deteriorated in the 3-1/2 years he has been general manager of the department.

``The man has been absolutely useless. He has never done any good,'' said Barbara Fabricant, a Canoga Park resident and leader of a group called the Humane Task Force.

Fabricant said the $100,000 buyout would be better spent improving services to animals.

The one-year contract also was denounced by Joel Fox, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, who noted it follows a recent decision to give Police Chief Willie L. Williams a one-year, $170,000 contract in exchange for his leaving his post early and agreeing not to sue.

``They set a precedent with Chief Williams, and now they're going to have to do this for everyone,'' Fox said. ``A year's severance pay seems excessive.''

Afriat defended the contract, which also will have Olsen work to facilitate the opening of new clinics for spaying and neutering, expansion of the East Valley shelter and transferring dog-license collection from a contractor to the department.

``Gary has a lot of talent and ability in the field of animal regulation,'' Afriat said. ``Where he might have had some weaknesses in budget and personnel matters, he certainly understands policy issues.''

But Sugerman tried to distance Riordan from the contract deal.

``If that action will be taken, it will be to help facilitate the transition in the leadership of the department and to take advantage of his expertise,'' he said.

Olsen and the agency have been under attack for several months over how it treats animals, its capture of loose animals and its investigation of cases. Most recently, it has been embroiled in a controversy over whether a coyote or human killed a small pug owned by an Encino woman, Avis Louise Wilkinson.

The department has insisted that the pet was killed by a coyote while other animal-rights activists as well as the veterinarian who tended to the dog said it was attacked by a person.

Madeline Bernstein, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles, said she thinks the city should use the change to bring in outsiders to review the agency.

``They should look at the department like a CEO brought in to restructure a corporation,'' Bernstein said. ``Since we are looking at a change in September, it seems like the timing would be right to look at everything that's being done.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO (color) Gary Olsen

Criticized by activists