L.A. City Council will hear shelter workers’ concerns
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The Los Angeles City Council agreed Tuesday morning to schedule a public hearing on shelter workers’ criticisms of Ed Boks, the general manager of L.A. Animal Services. Boks runs the city’s six public shelters, including the North Central shelter where you can find Vicky, above, available for adoption right now. (More on her below.)
‘I’ve heard from employees and activists, and I’ve heard the cries for help,’ said Councilman Dennis Zine, who moved to have the personnel committee he chairs hold the public hearing.
About 60 shelter workers and various animal welfare advocates came to council chambers as a show of support for the petition the employees have given to the council calling for the dismissal of Boks and Linda Barth, an assistant general manager at L.A. Animal Services. The City Council can’t fire Boks--he works for the mayor. But it can make a recommendation to the mayor.
In a letter to the City Council, dated Tuesday, Boks said he could respond to all the employees’ charges and contended that many of the staffers were chafing at ‘being held accountable for performance for the first time in many years.’ He added, ‘If these employees were interested in finding real solutions to legitimate problems then they should bring their grievances to me directly. My assistant general managers and I have an open door policy.’
No date yet for the public hearing.
(Vicky, above, is a female Labrador retriever mix, nearly three years old. She is considered sweet-natured and walks well on a leash. But she’s been at the shelter since June and her days are numbered. Her ID# is A0952754.)
--Carla Hall
