Los Angeles Needs a Healing

For the past years, Los Angeles City has been in upheaval over how its shelter system has been run. From GM Dan Knapp who was literally was run out of town to today, we have seen the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services in turmoil. It is definitely not the worst shelter system in the world, but when you are speaking about the death of healthy, treatable and LOVABLE animals, it really does not matter.

Many people have ideas on how it could be better, but the factions fight, and politics, personalities and power struggles override the welfare of the animals almost all of the time.

Today we have a possibility of a new General Manager that has success in saving more lives than the run of the mill death camps. All of a sudden, the groups who were the biggest adversaries of LAAS and the Mayor are supporting her while others are on the attack. Why? Who is correct? Which information is valid? And pertinent to how she will run the shelters and ultimately save the lives of cats, dogs, wildlife, bunnies and more? No one knows yet.

The most important element here is how we as an animal community conduct ourselves. We must do our due diligence without vitriolic attack. It is hard when we who are saving animals see the perpetration of them everyday and feel so helpless. It makes us take up our shield and sword for the animals because we feel that is the best way to protect them. Sometimes however that is not the most productive way of saving lives although being a warrior for the animals is what is needed. It is how we fight that matters – FOR the animals or WITH each other. Are we helping to make long lasting changes in the lives of shelter animals? That is what we have to ask ourselves. Are we conducting ourselves in a life-sustaining manner or are we going to burn ourselves and everyone else out?

The Japanese call it Kokoro: Fighting Spirit. We must all embody that without massacring each other. The animals insist on it.

In the end, we know that big change must happen. Our movement is a revolution and we must never lose site of that. We need to be proud of what we do and do it proudly.  I hope no one ever shies away from the word “No Kill” because it is a concept we must achieve everywhere. It will happen if we don't buy into the old, medieval lies that brought us here.

Christi Metropole, Executive Director
Stray Cat Alliance – Building a No Kill Nation, One Stray At A Time