MAKING L.A. LEADER OF THE PACK ANIMAL KILLING ON WAY OUT, BOKS SAYS.Byline: DANA BARTHOLOMEW Staff Writer Animal Services boss Ed Boks isn't content with the 7 percent drop in dog and cat deaths during his first year in office. In his drive to make Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. a no-kill city, he aims to double the decrease in 2007. ``There's a clear recognition in Los Angeles that pets our part of our family,'' said Boks, general manager of the Los Angeles Animal Services Department. ``We're not only making up for all the years of neglect. We're taking the lead.'' During his first year as alpha dog of the city's most-embattled department, Boks claims to have increased shelter services and brought kill rates to an all-time low. The city's six animal shelters last year euthanized 19,215 dogs and cats -- a 6.6 percent drop from 2005, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the department. In its most dramatic decrease, city shelters cut dog deaths by 14.2 percent. Of the nearly 7,000 dogs destroyed, 41 percent were pit bulls. Cats didn't fare so well, with a 1.3 percent drop in euthanasia. Of more than 12,000 cats killed, 48 percent were orphaned kittens too young to survive on their own. ``Target populations we have to focus our resources on in 2007 are our pit bulls and our cats,'' Boks said. ``As we get our feral cat “Stray cat” redirects here. For the band, see Stray Cats. Feral cats are the descendants of domesticated cats that were abandoned by their owners or that strayed into wild areas from their homes. and pit bull populations under control, we will take yet another giant leap toward no-kill.'' Some critics, however, remained deeply skeptical of the former clergyman -- accusing him of not only fudging his numbers, but fumbling key opportunities to save animals. They charge him with straight-arming his most vociferous critics, rebadging old programs and failing to fill 10 critical veterinary positions. They say that a state law requiring city shelters to spay spay v. To surgically remove the ovaries of an animal. spay, spey to remove the ovaries. See also ovariohysterectomy. spay hook see spay hook. and neuter neu·ter adj. 1. Having undeveloped or imperfectly developed sexual organs. 2. Sexually undeveloped. n. A castrated animal. v. To castrate or spay. neuter 1. their animals would have reduced euthanasias -- Boks or no Boks. ``Even (if) the general manager didn't do anything at all, which is just about what you've got, the numbers would go down,'' said former Animal Services Commissioner Laura Beth Heisen. Boks has also drawn fire for the department's association with a ``Hooters This article is about the two restaurant chains collectively using the shared Hooters brand. For other uses, see Hooters (disambiguation). Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Inc based in Atlanta, Georgia, and for Neuters'' bikini contest A bikini contest is a beauty contest where women compete against each other in bikinis. Bikini contests can take place in bars, nightclubs, at beaches, and beauty pageants. and for biblical scripture being placed on and removed from his city blog. ``I am presently disappointed with the results of his management,'' said Michael Bell
Michael Patrick Bell is an actor and voice over artist, born April 10, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York. of Encino, founder of Citizens for a Humane Los Angeles. ``I cannot see any evidence of, or any attempt to conduct, a no-kill policy. Others lavished praise on the manager hired to turn around an outmoded animal-shelter system besieged be·siege tr.v. be·sieged, be·sieg·ing, be·sieg·es 1. To surround with hostile forces. 2. To crowd around; hem in. 3. by angry activists. Unlike some predecessors, they say, Boks has spent thousands of dollars to treat injured animals that previously would have been summarily euthanized. They also praise him for partnering with rescue groups in spaying/neutering people's pets and finding homes for shelter animals. ``It's a tough row to hoe hoe, usually a flat blade, variously shaped, set in a long wooden handle and used primarily for weeding and for loosening the soil. It was the first distinctly agricultural implement. The earliest hoes were forked sticks. being head dog catcher,'' said Teri Austin, president of the Amanda Foundation, the region's largest rescue group for dogs and cats, which operates a mobile spay-neuter clinic with city funds. ``I would say (Boks) has made the most difference of the last 10 people who have held that office.'' A flamboyant manager who'd lowered animal deaths in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. and Phoenix, Boks was hired in January 2006 by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. to replace Guerdon guer·don n. A reward; recompense. tr.v. guer·doned, guer·don·ing, guer·dons To reward. [Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin Stuckey, fired amid storms of protest by animal-welfare groups. Some of the most strident activists questioned Boks' qualifications and accused him of bringing his ``Ed Boks Show'' -- and hyped-up promises -- to Los Angeles. Many others took a wait-and-see approach to Boks, the city's fifth Animal Services chief in five years. During 2006, Boks claims to have launched an array of programs aimed at increasing pet adoptions and reducing animal deaths by 10 percent each year. He also managed to increase his annual budget from $18.5 million to $25 million and hired 178 new workers, including two widely praised assistant general managers. This year, seven new state-of-the-art animal shelters are expected to increase kennel space from 595 to 1,770, giving each animal more time for adoption. Much more is needed, everyone agrees, to achieve the no-kill goal of local activists. In addition to new programs targeting unwanted pit bulls and feral cats, Heisen recommended offering low-cost spay-neutering at all city shelters. Others say it will take an entire community willing to treat animals like family -- and not dump unwanted pets at city shelters. With roughly 1,200 animals each day at city shelters, people must learn to look there for pets. ``We need to shine a light on ourselves -- how we can better care for our animals,'' said Scott Sorrentino, co-founder of the North Hollywood-based Rescue & Humane Alliance, presenter of the ``Paw-fect Match'' event. ``Every person who buys an animal (elsewhere), instead of going to a shelter or rescue group, is indirectly killing an animal.'' dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3730 IF YOU GO A ``Paw-fect Match SuperAdoption'' will be held, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at all six city animal shelters, with discounted adoption fees and animal training. Call (888) 452-7381, or see www.laanimalservices.com. CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: Ed Boks, general manager of the city's Animal Services Department, spends some time with puppies at the North Hollywood Animal Shelter. Boks has overseen a reduction in euthanasia of dog and cats by almost 7 percent. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer Box: (1) IF YOU GO (see text) (2) Animal euthanasia Put down redirects here. You may be looking for Insult This article is about euthanasia of animals. For human euthanasia, see Euthanasia. Animal euthanasia (Greek, "good death") is the act of inducing humane death in an animal. stats Source: Los Angeles Department of Animal Services |
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