FOR ANIMALS' SAKE RESCUER LOOKS FOR RELIEF FROM RED TAPE, HIGH CITY FEES.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer

For 28 years, Jenny Abshire's home has been a refuge for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, mice and reptiles - lost or unwanted pets that she has bailed out of animal shelters throughout the Southland.

Abshire estimates she has spent $25,000 of her own money feeding, housing and providing medical attention for animals as they await adoption through Animal Rescue Volunteers, a nonprofit group she heads.

Because of the expense, she had high hopes for a new policy at Los Angeles city shelters that waives certain adoption fees for rescue groups. But Abshire now says the red tape involved is prohibitive and may keep groups like hers from performing their best work.

``It ain't happening,'' said Abshire of Simi Valley. ``They want us to fill out paperwork, and we have to send the paperwork in and be approved.

``In the meantime, thousands of puppies and kittens are dying.''

The Los Angeles Board of Animal Regulation Commission's policy took effect March 26, waiving the $28-per-animal spay and neuter deposit for female cats and dogs with litters and for the litters themselves.

The program - open to registered nonprofit groups in California that perform humane services in Los Angeles - is designed to encourage adoptions by relieving some of the financial burden on the organizations.

Under the Littler Spay-Neuter Deposit Waiver Program, the rescuer's home also can be inspected if a complaint is received.

Despite Abshire's complaint, Aram Salmasi, the city's adoption coordinator, said it takes only a few days to OK a group's application and e-mail notification of the approval to all six of the city's shelters.

But the groups also must submit monthly reports and proof of sterilization for each animal adopted, a task that Abshire said is overly burdensome.

``They are asking for a lot of paperwork and a lot of stuff,'' said Abshire, whose group has helped 3,500 animals find homes since 1994. ``We have enough paperwork to do.''

Abshire said she may set up a fund to bail out nursing females and their litters by paying the full adoption cost to avoid the hassle of the new policy.

According to Jackie David, a spokeswoman with the city's Department of Animal Control, said 70 percent of the animals brought to Los Angeles shelters are destroyed. Of the 73,543 dogs and cats impounded in fiscal 1999-2000, 53,772 were destroyed, documents show.

Abshire and other Animal Rescue Volunteers have other complaints about Los Angeles' animal shelters, saying that sickly animals are sometimes kept in the same space with those that aren't and that some shelter workers appear insensitive to the group's mission.

``It's a frustrating situation and it doesn't seem to be getting better,'' said Jane Zweig, a member of Animal Rescue Volunteers. ``They make us feel like we are putting them out in helping the dogs.

``They can't figure out why we bother to spend our time and money.''

David refused to respond to criticism about employees, saying the comments are subjective. And she said that anyone with a concern can file a complaint with the department, whose officials will investigate.

Dr. Richard McLellan, director of Animal Legislative Action Network, a lobbying group for animal rights, said Los Angeles' shelters are in need of improvement, although the situation had improved since Dan Knapp was named to head the department.

``We believe he knows exactly what needs to be done to improve the situation in the shelters,'' McLellan said. ``I think he's really the key to the turnaround as long as he is given the tools to do that.

``He needs money from the city in order to get his top people educated and get them to use the new techniques developed to improve the treatment of animals and improve the conditions of the shelters.''

Knapp is on medical leave until the end of the month and could not be reached for comment.

McLellan said that when the economy slumps, animal services are the first to be cut.

``I understand the frustration among people who see the conditions as they are, but they have to understand changes lag just behind attempts to make changes.''

McLellan's group is lobbying for additional money for the Department of Animal Control so employees can respond to abuse cases around the clock and the city can prosecute more abuse cases. The action network also wants the city to exempt registered rescue groups from a city regulation limiting homes to three dogs and three cats.

``Change has to begin with political pressure,'' he said. ``Unless it's brought to their attention, they won't do anything about it.''

Kathleen Riordan, an animal regulation commissioner and the daughter of Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, sympathizes with the rescue groups, saying more should be done to help their efforts.

``We've got groups of people who offer an incredible service to the department,'' she said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Jenny Abshire cuddles Ella, one of the many pets her group, Animal Rescue Volunteers, has saved from animal shelters.

(2) Jenny Abshire finds the paperwork for filing waivers to city pet adoption fees too time-consuming.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer