Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The LAAS Easter Surprise Story by Brenda Barnette

It's a beautiful morning with the sun shining and everyone is sporting new Easter outfits. The Churches are holding services for one of the most sacred Christian holidays. Then it's time for rejoicing! The grownups have finished hiding all those Easter eggs, wonderfully colored and just waiting to hear the screams of discovery from the children. The table is set with delectable foods, some passed down generation to generation just for this holiday. The prayer has been said and everyone is ready to dig in and eat themselves into a stuper.

KNOCK, KNOCK on the front door. Everyone should be here. Maybe Uncle Ernie made it after all. Who could that be? Cleo, the dog, runs to the door barking. The door opens and there is a uniformed officer.

"Hi, I am an LA Animal Services Officer and you have a dog that is not licensed." says the person. "You are in violation of the law and I'm here to collect that license" The children see the uniform and start crying, they think it is the police taking their family away. The food goes cold, not to mention the embarrassment from the entire family. "Cleo doesn't have a rabies certificate. Can you come back?, they ask. "No, I need the money NOW. I'm here to license, so give me $20 and we'll get the certificate when we can." Cleo isn't spayed. "That's OK, give me the 20 bucks. I have a "goal" to meet and I'm getting paid overtime." You can spay her later. Here's a star I can stick on your license. It means it's not valid, but the City needs your $20."

Can you think of any more disrespect to the taxpayers of this City or elected officials than to collect dog licenses on a religious holiday" Most people are either out of town or have their families visiting? That plus the costs of collecting these WANNABE licenses, not even valid licenses? It reminds me of collecting taxes in olden times, no respect, just take the money and run. Licensing was created to serve a purpose, to make sure dogs are vaccinated against rabies, not to fill animal control coffers. Barnette is taking the money only to save her ass at this point. Let me repeat, licensing has fallen 15,000 since Barnette came to LA. The officers are only collecting about 3 a day apiece on time-and-a-half pay.. And all the while the streets are collecting stray dogs while these ACOs are assigned to go door to door but ignore humane violations. Plus it doesn't serve the purpose of which it was intended, to reduce canine rabies by a vaccination program. 

Maybe Barnette is of another religion and cares nothing for the second biggest Christian religious holiday. Nah, I vote she is just being her usual stupid self!








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