Animal control & rescue
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, Jan/Feb 1995:
Greg Locklier of the Alabama Office of the Attorney
General, 1-800-392-5658, wants to hear from anyone who’s had dealings
with Ann P. Fields, Marge Jacobs, or Rebecca Garcia of Love and
Care For God’s Animalife Inc., a no-kill shelter in southeastern
Alabama, now soliciting funds under the name Care For Our Lord’s
Animals Inc., from an address in Cathedral City, California. Begun
circa 1983 by Fields and ex-husband Jerry, the organization has changed
names and post office boxes several times while dodging creditors, and
moved to Alabama from Georgia in 1988 to avoid closure for zoning vio-
lations. Fields has recently circulated a videotape purporting to show the
Alabama shelter, which Locklier believes was actually made at a shelter
near Palm Springs, California.
The newly organized Center for Animal Control will take
over animal care duties for New York City on schedule January 1,
promises director Marty Kurtz. The CAC is “inheriting the American
SPCA’s shelters,” and has hired much of the same staff, “but people will
see improvement,” Kurtz pledges. “We have a lot of experienced
employees who are eager to show what they can do in a new atmosphere,
where their ideas count,” he told ANIMAL PEOPLE. The Coalition for
New York City Animals, formed by longtime ASPCA critics, has called
on New York to provide low-cost neutering, adoption promotion, and
animal rescue services modeled after those of Los Angeles, San
Francisco, and Las Vegas. ASPCA president Roger Caras says the ‘A’
will now move in that direction––and will try again to build a state-of-the-
art shelter, three years after completing a $5 million shelter notorious for
serious deficiencies since the day it opened.
The United Federation of Teachers Humane Action
Committee funded free neutering and vaccination of 100 pets belonging
to New York City low-income families during December. The Fund for
Animals neutered second pets of eligible families free of charge.
The Napierville, Illinois city council has authorized construc-
tion of a $381,000 soundproofed animal shelter adjacent to the police sta-
tion. It will replace a 20-year-old structure that was closed briefly last
spring due to disrepair by the state Department of Agriculture.
Daniel P. Boyle, DVM, who resigned as animal warden in
DuPage County, Illinois, effective October 31, had already become
director of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter in Virginia effective
September 3––and collected his $58,000-a-year DuPage salary at the same
time as his $77,632 Fairfax salary for nearly two months. That gave the
Fairfax County supervisors an excuse to put him on “indefinite paid
administrative leave” on December 2, which local sources believe means
“severance.” Known in Illinois as an anti-trapping animal rights activist,
Boyle was attacked by Fairfax activists almost from the day he was hired,
because of his confrontational approach to assessing animal behavior.
Boyle declined ANIMAL PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Scott County, Minnesota, on December 20 appointed a
c o m m i t t e e to probe charges that longtime animal control officer Robert
McAllister keeps dogs in filth and neglect. Kennel inspections in 1990
and 1991 by the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies found multiple
deficiencies; a repeat visit on December 10 reportedly discovered the
same conditions plus violations of euthanasia drug storage and rabies con-
trol protocol. McAllister has been suspected of selling dogs to laborato-
ries for more than 20 years. One town whose animal control contract
McAllister formerly held reputedly saw reclaims of impounded animals
jump from 33% to 80% after replacing him.
Pennsylvania governor Robert Casey on December 12 signed
into law HB 2542, requiring humane officers to receive instruction on
cruelty laws, animal care, and rules of criminal law enforcement as con-
ditions of becoming certified. The new law, applauded by most humane
groups, is a triumph for the Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network,
which steered it past efforts by puppy millers to gut humane enforcement.
Effective January 1, California humane officers will have to
take 20 hours of training in animal care and 40 hours of training in state
law at accredited post-secondary institutions. The requirements were
reportedly adopted partly in response to the idiosyncracies of Barbara
Fabricant, 68, widow of reputed organized crime figure Sid “The Squid”
Fabricant, whose front door bears the motto “Support your local Hell’s
Angels.” As a well-regarded animal rescuer fed up with her inability to
prevent cruelty, Fabricant several years ago formed the California
Humane Task Force, appointed herself captain, outfitted herself with a
uniform and a .357 magnum revolver, put flashing lights on her 1977
Plymouth, and deputized more than 20 people. Her subsequent clashes
with other law enforcement and humane agencies recently filled a full
page of the Los Angeles Times. Though a paid subscriber, she did not
respond to ANIMAL PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Nonleather shoe dealer Frank Zigrang, of Heartland
Products, is organizing a new humane society to serve Humboldt County,
Iowa, after the Fort Dodge Humane Society––on whose board Zigrang
sits––resolved to stop accepting Humboldt County animals. Zigrang is
also the volunteer animal control officer for Humboldt County.
The 1994 PetsSmart Humane Excellence Award was shared
among Cats In Need of Human Care, of Pomona, California; the
Greenville Humane Society, of South Carolina; the Animal Foundation
International, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and the Humane Society of
Tucson, Arizona.
Appeals recently posted on the America OnLine “Pets and
Society” bulletin board indicate that two medium-sized no-kill dog shel-
ters, the Animal Rescue Foundation of Topeka, Kansas, and Martha’s
Sanctuary of Kirkwood, Missouri, are on the verge of closing due to loss
of sponsorship. They house 250 and 100 dogs, respectively.
National Animal Control Association executive director
Johnnie Mays has asked ANIMAL PEOPLE to look into how on-call
requirements with inadequate backup and relief affect animal control offi-
cers. We’ll take your first-hand testimony by fax, mail, or e-mail; see
contact information on page 2.
The county commissioners of Medina County, Ohio, on
December 15 rejected the Medina County SPCA’s request for $18,000
annual funding with which to hire a humane officer because, according to
commissioner Ferris Brown, “You can find 60 million humane violations
if you want.” Added commission president Patricia Geissman, “Of all the
things on our list of priorities, this is not even at the bottom of the list.”
