L.A. County Animal Control needs to coordinate efforts

In response to Robin Kahrs' letter addressing the issues June Slayton raised about the Los Angeles County Animals Control (LACAC) during the wildfires:

I expected LACAC Director of Communications Michelle Roache's typical spin that the agency would "investigate" the concerns.

News reports of goats burning to death in Malibu and a wolf dying of smoke inhalation in Canyon Country indicates these were the results of LACAC not responding to evacuation requests from fire and sheriff's departments respectively.

As a hard working and dedicated shelter volunteer, your invaluable service caring for homeless animals must always be distinguished and honored separately from LACAC employees who are paid by taxpayers to do their jobs. LACAC must be publicly held accountable when they fail. Your teamwork is admirable but unfortunately, LACAC's volunteer handbook prohibits you from speaking on behalf of the agency.

Ms. Slayton specifically requested information from LACAC Director Marcia Mayeda who is ultimately responsible for her agency's actions, or lack thereof. She is obligated to inform taxpayers if conditions were unsafe to evacuate the goats or if LACAC did not have the authority to evacuate the wolf or other wild animals. There appears to be no coordination plan between county agencies for animal evacuation when disaster strikes, but state law requires such efforts.

Finally, I admire how the Agoura shelter staff creatively maximized space by kenneling animals in exercise pens and the clinic. These alternate kenneling options should continue to be used as long as LACAC unconscionably allows several dog kennels to remain unavailable while the refurnishing project has streched out over 17 months. Then the Agoura shelter can restart its prior program of taking in condemned animals from the other five LACAC shelters. In fact, LACAC could make a county-wide no kill commitment if such creativity were implemented at all county shelters. Rebecca Arvizu Agoura Hills