sutton078

Your spcaLA has been on the front lines prosecuting crimes against animals since 1877. We have also led the campaign to prove that it is no coincidence that those who abuse animals will often commit violent acts against people. Your spcaLA also set the national example in creating programs that strive to address and reverse this progression including the launch of the only mandatory animal diversionary program for juvenile offenders convicted of animal cruelty, bullying or other qualifying crime, in the country. That said, we partner with the   National Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse , of National Sheriff's Association, which is coordinated by Interim Executive Director John Thompson. John has worked tirelessly to rally the masses to convince the FBI to add animal cruelty crimes to the National Incident Based Reporting System rather than classifying these crimes as "other". This comports with the goal of the system to gather reliable crime data which can reveal pa...

Notwithstanding the fact that the NFL has been the most hospitable sanctuary for the vulgar and the violent, (animal abuse, domestic violence, bar fights etc.), I am hopeful that some good will come of the latest horror story involving the Raven's Ray Rice. It is not coincidental that violence against the vulnerable allows for multiple targets in the same setting. In other words spousal abuse and animal abuse, abuse of the disabled and elder abuse and so on and so forth. The crime is the same – the opportunity reveals the victims. These are all parts of one deranged whole. As early as the mid-nineties spcaLA (not affiliated with any other spca) began a domestic violence program, ( Animal Safety Net) designed to provide a safe place for pets of victims of domestic violence thus removing a very significant barrier which often prevented a victim from leaving an unsafe situation. The catalyst for this involved a woman who was repeatedly beaten by her spouse who (the spouse) also tortu...

courtesy spcaLA In response to members of the public and legitimate animal welfare organizations advising people to use caution if they wish to dump an ice bucket on their dog, a spokesperson for an animal welfare lobbying organization  glibly responded that there are more important things to worry about. Notwithstanding that those of us in the "hands on" business see endless cases of well-meaning accidents gone bad; it is a prime example of the arrogance of the ignorant. There is always something worse to worry about. Watching your son beheaded on the internet, acts of genocide in Iraq, incurable diseases, climate change or intentional acts of violence against the vulnerable are all good examples of worse things than pouring water on a dog. But imagine if any of us in the nonprofit sector or anyone pursuing a passion stopped their work because there is always something worse out there that is not remedied. We would all be paralyzed in existential hell. It is only because we ...

Courtesy of MSN.com link When people ask me - "why don't you get a real job" or "why did you give up prosecuting people" or "why should we care about animal abuse" - I show them an article like this - http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/after-5-year-manhunt-fugitive-couple-arrested   Note the treatment of both their children and animals. I never changed jobs - I changed my primary victim focus. But guess what! The defendants remain the same.  Criminals are criminals, bullies are bullies, and sadists are sadists. The connection between animal abuse and people abuse particularly in the areas of domestic violence and in the development of serial killers is air tight. We must stop the cycle of violence as early as possible, as soon as it is manifested, even as young as a preschooler. spcaLA, alone , has programs to do that which include the only alternative sentencing mandate for qualifying juveniles, a domestic violence safety net, and others targeting yout...

not ninjas Four fictional ninja turtles and one real disease. I love the ninja turtle movies but I also love turtles. Real turtles are not ninjas, not appropriate pets for youngsters, and not legal to sell if their shells are less than 4 inches in diameter . not a turtle Real turtles also carry salmonella which transmits to children and adults when hands are put in mouths, eyes etc without serious washing in between. Salmonella can be fatal to the young, elderly and vulnerable. Turtles also don't provide the type of sustained interaction that children like which often results in their being flushed, illegally dumped in a pond, or accidentally killed. Who needs that? It is also illegal in California and other places to sell animals on the street. Therefore if you see a vendor selling turtles, large or small, on the street, report it rather than buy one. Unfortunately, history tells us that whether the featured movie animal is a dalmatian, chihuahua, cat or turtle the ending is alway...

Courtesy spcaLA There seems to be an  epidemic of animal hoarding cases    involving 501(c)(3) not for profit corporations who characterize themselves as “rescues” or “no kill” shelters,  but are in fact the perpetrators of animal cruelty. It is critical that animal shelters, both public and private, screen, physically inspect, and research the reputations of these “rescues” before releasing animals to them or giving them pull privileges. Animal hoarding is defined as keeping higher-than-normal numbers of animals without the ability to properly house or care for them, while at the same time denying this inability.  Part of the problem is the hoarder’s incapability to part with any animal and thus, contrary to their representations will not work to find animals in their care new homes.    Pressure by sincere citizens and out-of-state organizations with deep pockets and misguided ideology can lead well-meaning, but ill informed city and county offic...

Courtesy Google Images Last week a bear was hit by a car and killed on the 101 Freeway. This is one of many incidents of wildlife encountering traffic while looking for food, water and the company of friends. Mountain lions and bears have turned up in residential yards, at school or, as in the case of a baby lion, in a Santa Monica office building. As we develop more cities and encroach into areas inhabited by wildlife, it is incumbent upon us to commit to doing our best to keep them safe and minimize the likelihood of chance encounters with people. We know there is a proposal to create a wildlife corridor at Liberty Canyon under the 101 Freeway which would connect two areas of natural habitat on either side of the freeway thus increasing the lions' roaming area while keeping them and motorists safe from accidents. Now, there is a motion before the  Los Angeles City Council  which would require the City Planning Department to consider wildlife corridors in any new ...