VETERANS DAY WEEKEND A NO-KILL WEEKEND

Date: November 6, 2006

To: Neighborhood Council Leaders
From: Department of Neighborhoods Empowerment
Subject: LA ANIMAL SERVICES DECLARES VETERANS DAY WEEKEND A NO-KILL WEEKEND

LA ANIMAL SERVICES DECLARES VETERANS DAY WEEKEND A NO-KILL

WEEKEND FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL ANIMAL CARE CENTER

General Manager Ed Boks Challenges Angelinos to Adopt Animals from Shelters,

Spay and Neuter, and Practice Responsible Pet Guardianship

In an demonstration of commitment to lifesaving for the homeless animals of Los Angeles, LA Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks has declared this Veterans Day Weekend, November 10-November 13, a "no-kill" weekend for the North Central Animal Care Center. For this period, LA Animal Services will implement a moratorium on the killing of healthy/treatable animals and focus on saving as many lives as possible through redemption (returning lost animals to their guardians) and adoption.

LA Animal Services is committed to humane, non-lethal solutions to the City's pet-overpopulation crisis, calling on the citizens of Los Angeles to adopt from local animal shelters, to spay/neuter their companion animals, and to practice responsible pet guardianship.

"No one wants to see healthy or treatable animals killed," stated Boks, "and with the public's help, Los Angeles can be the first major city in the United States where humane euthanasia is practiced solely as an act of compassion for irremediably sick or injured animals."

The centerpiece event for the weekend is the 2006 "Pumpkin" Festival, presented by the Rescue & Humane Alliance-Los Angeles (RHA-LA), which will be held on Sunday November 12th at the newly-expanded North Central Animal Care Center located at 3201 Lacy Street in Los Angeles. A dog, a cat and a rabbit named "Pumpkin" will kick off the Festival, which runs throughout the day from 11am to 5pm. The goal is to empty the shelter of available animals. Professional animal trainers and adoption counselors will be on-hand throughout the day to assist members of the public, and LA Animal Services is offering free microchips for animals adopted at the Festival. In addition, every adopter will receive a valuable gift bag filled with toys and treats for their new "Pumpkin."

LA Animal Services and RHA-LA, a coalition of local animal organizations, have partnered on several projects since Boks became the General Manager in January, and the "No-Kill" Weekend at North Central is another significant effort in the implementation of an overall "no-kill" policy for the City's animal care centers.

"Progressive 'no-kill' animal sheltering is not a myth or an impossible ideal," said Scott Sorrentino of RHA-LA. "It is first a decision, and then an act of will. Los Angeles has made the decision, so if we can all work together to successfully implement 'no-kill' policies at one shelter, we can create a model to bring this same level of life-saving to all of the shelters throughout the City."

Boks underscored the need for cooperation from the public. "We can't emphasize enough how much we need the public's support to take this initiative from a special weekend program to a permanent and sustainable policy."

Animal Services officials stated that spaying and neutering, practicing responsible pet guardianship and increasing adoptions are the essential elements of "No-kill."

"Ending pet overpulation is only possible when all pet guardians spay and neuter their companion animals," Boks said. "Responsible pet guardianship is only possible when our actions are consistent with the understanding that a pet is a life-long commitment, a member of our family, and a living being who deserves our love and compassion. Achieving 'No-Kill' and increasing adoptions is only possible when our local Animal Care Centers and non-profit humane organizations are the first places people go when they decide to bring a companion animal into their home. LA Animal Services cannot do any of these things alone. We urge all Angelinos to put these life-saving practices into action in their communities and in their homes. Pet overpopulation is not an animal problem, it is a human problem and each of us is either a part of the cause or a part of the solution to this problem."

LA Animal Services has over 1000 dogs and cats and other species available for adoption at any given time. For more information on what you can do to help Los Angeles become the safest city for animals in the United States, visit www.laanimalservices.com or call 1-888-4LA-PET1.

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For more information on the Veterans Day No-Kill Weekend, please call the Public Relations office of LA Animal Services at (323) 224-3548. For more information on the "Pumpkin" Festival or the Rescue & Humane Alliance-Los Angeles, please call Christina Kilby at 818-926-6429, or email chris@rhala.org.