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MINUTES
Meeting April 24, 2006
1. Richard Deppisch of LAAS spoke on Emergency Preparedness plans
relative to the city's animal population. He explained that the city has
an emergency preparedness budget of $154 M to deal with a variety
of possible disasters: earthquakes, fires, mudslides, flooding, large
scale
acts of terrorism and epidemics.
His role and that of LAAS is to work with LA County Health to handle the
evacuation of people and animals. Plans are in place for LA residents to
stay with their companion animals in hotels. Free micro-chipping is also
available.
Much information is available on LAAS.com.
Considerable interagency coordination has been set up. The OEM has,
for example, set up a Tsunami Task Force with a series of Tsunami
Inundation Zones.
An Emergency Operations Center has been set up in City Hall East.
Deppisch suggested consulting the HSUS website to review the status of
various pieces of legislation re Animals and Emergencies.
On a national level, the National Incident Management System of NIMS
coordinates
various agencies so they can work together in emergencies.
The City of Los Angeles also maintains Mobile Emergency Operations Center.
Deppisch also suggested a publication: "LAAS Emergency Preparedness.
What Does
It Mean to You?
City maintains Mighty Mover trucks for transporting multiple animals in
the
event it is necessary to evacuate all animals from city shelters.
Other suggested websites: LAAS Emergency Preparedness. HSUS Disaster
Preparedness.
Another resource: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Also Griffith Park as
an emergency resource: "a place to go" in the event of
emergency.
Disaster Preparedness Plan involves the office of the Mayor, 30
neighborhood
organizations, 18 hours training. Neighbors rely on the training.
2. Van Nuys Neighborhood Council DAW Tiffany Krog was not available to
provide her update on the East Valley Shelter Committee and Legal
Committee.
3. Greater Valley Glen Council DAW Charlotte Laws spoke on the action
taken
by the LA City Council in approving 13-2 the $39 M 3.5 acre
"Elephants of Surin" exhibit despite strong opposition from the
AR Community and various DAWS.
Laws suggested contacting Councilmembers, Bill Rosendahl and Dennis Zine
annd
thanking them for their "No" votes in opposition to the measure.
More importantly, on Tues, Apr 25, State Legislature is voting on Lloyd
Levine's
Elephant bill which will require minimum recommended space requirements
for
elephants in Calif. zoos and if enacted will supercede LA Council bill.
Laws also
referenced letter from Dir. of LAAS, Ed Boks that is available to
prospective
DAWS to present to neighborhood councils. Laws noted that DAWS
organization
now has 38 DAWS.
Laws also encouraged DAWS to speak out to city council members re a
proposed amendment to Elephant exhibit bill that would require that
minimum space requirements be met.
4. Lancaster DAW Elizabeth Wittelsbach announced that she was
postponing her talk on animal neglect and cruelty issues.
5. Arroyo Seco DAW Lezle Stein (323-225-6770) is in need of assistance.
She reported that she has started dog training program for low-income
people
at North Central shelter. Good news is that it has attracted a large
response.
Bad news is that she is inundated with phone calls. Her goal is to provide
training for all six shelters. So far, she has managed to cover two. She
has
been advised to submit a proposal to the city attorney's office. She will
soon be
meeting with Animal Behavior College trainees who may be coming to work
with
her. She is need of assistance from Spanish-speaking trainers and also
needs a dedicated phone line.
6. Studio City DAW George Shea spoke about effort to collect monthly
DAW Reports. Box score for March 06: 22 DAW reports; 09 DAWS reported
attending NC or City Council meetings. Shea offered option of phoning in
DAW reports to 818-765-1437.
Shea also stressed that DAWS who are active in other ways and not
inclined to attend NC meetings should continue as DAWS but seek out
committed individuals in their locales who would focus on attending NC
meetings, a view supported by Atwater Village DAW Bea Shapiro. Shea
also reported that Rite-Aid has agreed as of 3-31-06 to stop selling glue
traps. He urged DAWS to monitor drugstores and supermarkets to make sure
stores are keeping word to not sell glue traps.
7. Reseda DAW Missy Woodward was not available to give her report on
the LAAS
Mobile Pet Adoption event.
8. Encino DAW Sharon Brewer reported on
situation at Lake Balboa Park and Wildlife.
She displayed photos of ducks and geese and other animals being displaced
by
automobiles and officers on the scene refusing to take action to enforce
the law.
Brewer reported that at times she had to stand out in roadway to prevent
cars
from running over animals. Kris Kelly reported that she spoke with officer
in
charge at Rangers and that they have given control of park over to General
Safety Dept.
A meeting with General Safety Dept. is going to be arranged and,
hopefully,
a solution to Balboa Park situation will be found.
9. Kris Kelly introduced Jade to group who is at work on report re
"Pet Stores
in Los Angeles." Jade reported on picketing of pet store in Simi
Valley, also
Aquarium and Pet Store in Santa Monica which is believed to be selling
underage
puppies acquired from puppy mills. A discussion of laws re pet stores took
place.
Different laws for LA City and LA County. Kris Kelly urged education of
public
re buying of animals in pet stores as public is generally ignorant of
where pets
actually come from, etc.
It was noted that State Sen. Joseph Dunn has submitted bill to legislature
re dogs in cars.
Also noted was City of Angels Awards event in Encino, April 30 at which
Charlotte
Laws and Rich McClellan will be honored.
Time and location of next DAWS meeting has not yet been determined.
G. Shea
DAWS Secretary
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