Hold Marcia Mayeda accountable for all six LA County shelters

On 12/03/2007, the news reported about the horrific and senseless death of a dog impounded by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control at the Carson Animal Shelter, under the management of Department Director Marcia Mayeda.  That dog, Zephyr, died as a result of the Department's systemic neglect, mismanagement, and violations of its own policies and procedures, as well as both state and federal law.   Nothing has changed.  The report about Zephyr's death, including the lack of heat at the Carson shelter, generated as outpouring of support from the humane community.  People brought hundreds of blankets and towels to the shelter for the health, safety and comfort of the animals.  But, in another display of unimaginable incompetence, instead of providing those donated towels and blankets to the suffering animals, Department employees stored them outside in the rain, next to the freezer in which the bodies of dead animals (often infested with maggots) are kept.   I have photographs depicting this atrocity.  Furthermore, during this past weekend, volunteers photographed medications that should have been administered to the animals carelessly strewn on the shelter floor.  And, not surprisingly, another dog died needlessly after being infected with a deadly disease because of the Department's simple failure to vaccinate him, as per Department policy.   These and other egregious violations of Department policy and state and federal law have been repeatedly brought to the attention of Ms. Mayeda and other Department supervisors, who continue to consistently fail to hold those responsible accountable.

Photos demonstrating Department misconduct and mismanagement can be downloaded at http://strongcoders.com/LACDACC/LACDACC.zip.

Among other things, the Department has engaged and continues to engage in the following violations of Department policy and procedure and/or state law and/or federal law.

* Use and possession of illegal substances on County property (Federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. §§841, et seq.,; California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, Health & Safety Code §§11350, et seq.; LACDACC Substance Abuse Policy HR270)
* Routine failure to hold employees accountable for breaking department policy and procedure and state and federal law (LACBOS Employee Accountability Policy 9.020)
* Firing and suspending of employees and volunteers for bringing departmental misconduct to the attention of department heads (California Whistleblower Protection Act; LACBOS Retaliation for reporting fraud, waste or misuse of county resources prohibited Policy 5.02.060)
* Causing unnecessary suffering, sickness, and death due to the foregoing violations (Civil Code §§1834, 1846, 2080; Pen. Code §597; LACDACC Code of Conduct; LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140; LACDACC Sick and Injured Animals Policy OPF180)
* Not providing animals requiring veterinary/medical care with veterinary/medical care or stopping veterinary/medical care when veterinary/medical care is still required (Civil Code §§1834, 1846; LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140; LACDACC Sick and Injured Animals Policy OPF180)
* Routine failure to provide adequate nutrition, shelter, exercise and water and to treat animals kindly and humanely (Civil Code §§1834, 1846, 2080; Pen. Code §597; LACDACC Code of Ethics; LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140; LACDACC Kennel Responsibilities - General Duties Policy OPK130)
* Killing animals without first engaging in reasonable efforts to identify and locate the animal's owner or make the animal available for adoption to the public (Civil Code §§1834.4, 1846, 2080; Pen. Code §§597f, 597.1; LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120; LACDACC Impounded Animals with Traceable Identification Policy OPG150)
* Refusal to release animals scheduled to be killed for any reason other than irremediable suffering to a non-profit rescue organization that has requested custody of the animal (Food & Ag. Code §§31108, 311752, 31752.5, 31753, 31754; LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120)
* Not providing animals in clear need of emergency care with the necessary care (Civil Code §§1834, 1846; LACDACC Code of Conduct; LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140; LACDACC Sick and Injured Animals Policy OPF180)
* Failing to report violations of policy and procedure and wrongful euthanasia as per department policies and procedures (LACDACC Disciplinary Guidelines Policy HR131; LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120)
* Routine failure to vaccinate animals upon impound, isolate animals that are not vaccinated, and vaccinate animals who have been impounded for more than 15 days with a second dose of vaccines. (LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140)
* Routine failure to isolate sick animals away from the general population (LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140)
* Routine failure to perform an intake examination by the shelter RVT or veterinarian upon impound (LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140)
* Routine failure to scan animals for microchips upon impound and before euthanasia (Food & Ag. Code §§31107, 31108; LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120; LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140)
* Routine failure to medicate animals as prescribed and ensuring animals swallow their medication (Civil Code §§1834, 1846, and 2080; LACDACC Maintenance of Animal Health Policy OPK140; LACDACC Sick and Injured Animals Policy OPF180)
* Wrongful killing of animals (Food & Ag. Code §§31108, 31752, 31753, 31754; LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120; LACDACC Holding Time and Available Dates of Impounded Animals Policy OPG140; LACDACC Impounded Animals with Traceable Identification Policy OPG150)
* Killing live animals in front of dead animals and allowing dead animals to be in view of live animals (LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120)
* Routine killing of purebred animals without first contacting the appropriate breed rescues (LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120)
* The inaccurate classification of animals and killing those animals on the basis of the erroneous classification before the statutorily required holding period has expired (Food & Ag. Code §§31108, 31752, 31753, 31754; LACDACC Euthanasia Policy OPK120)
* Holding animals in areas of Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control shelters that are not accessible to members of the public (Food & Ag. Code §§31108, 31752, 31753, 31754)
* Failure to band animals with their impound number upon impound (LACDACC General Duties Policy OPK130)