Why Rescues in Long Beach Rescues Need to Stop Enabling LBACS' Killing

Today we're going to address the "don't criticize the rescues" issue that raises its ugly head every so often.

This is the third wave of rescues that has taken on the problem of the shelter in just my 13 years of animal advocacy for Long Beach animals, 10 of which I spent rescuing Long Beach animals.  Sadly and naively, every rescue wave thinks they're going to be the ones to change the shelter, if they can just get Ted/the Mayor/Marie Knight/ to listen when they ask nicely.

Anyone who really and truly cares about our shelter animals has to come to the understanding that remaining silent or trying to gently persuade the City on this issue is the same as opposing reforms at LBACS. And opposing reforms at LBACS means supporting the killing of animals. 

Why is this? Because Mayor Garcia uses rescue groups who don't speak up and demand change as a shield to deflect criticism for not reforming LBACS. As long as rescues don't speak up, don't complain, don't loudly and repeatedly tell him and City Council that the adoptions need to happen and the killing needs to stop, Mayor Garcia will continue to allow LBACS to continue killing. The silence of these rescues provides Mayor Garcia with a safety net, his psychological justification for believing that he's not a bad person for letting these animals continue to be killed. And some of these rescues are apparently okay with that as long as they can save this one, two, twelve or 20 dogs in front of them and ignore the fact that since City Manager Pat West was hired, more than 46,000 dogs, cats, kittens and puppies have been killed. And also ignore the fact that between now and 2053, which is when the contract with SpcaLA expires, another 40,000 animals will be killed.

It is a spectacular case of not seeing the forest for the trees. And it's killing our shelter animals.

So Long Beach will slowly weave and stumble toward a save rate that could have been achieved years ago. 

Since Mayor Garcia was elected, nearly 6,000 animals have been killed. The unnecessary killing could stop with just 7 more adoptions a day. With a strong adoption program, a viable foster program and appropriate behavioral enrichment and rehab programs, this could happen. But until folks start speaking up, Garcia will just let the killing continue.

Find Your Voice, Long Beach. Speak up!

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