BRIEF: LA County's Marcia Mayeda is refusing to release a dog to an animal rescue which goes directly against California law relating to rescues who give notice about saving a dog that has no report of negative behavior or medical condition. No one in California has the courage to enforce the laws which protect our animals and stand up to Los Angeles County Director of Animal Care and Control Marcia Mayeda.

Below you will see two letters. One is from Lori Wagner, Animal Advocate who represents various rescues and constituents in Los Angeles County. The second letter is by Robin and Southern California Chow Chow Rescue Network who has been attempting to save 2 dogs in the care of Los Angeles County Animal Pound's Marcia Mayeda.

This is what you get when you have a Director of Animal Care and Control who has been at her post for 20 years. It's a misuse of power and sadly LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn (#HahnTheCon) stands by and does nothing.

LETTER ONE
All Board of Supervisors and key staff are alerted as this is not limited to just Castaic in Los Angeles County.  This is a County-wide policy Marcia Mayeda is carrying out in all of the County pounds!

Castaic must be stopped from killing this dog that rescue wants to save (see email thread all the way from bottom to the top, below):  From Castaic, this morning: "... the male chow “ Kylo” A5449533, will not be made available for adoption."  (Transalation:  They want to KILL him!)  The female 8 month old puppy, “Liea” A5449534, will be available for adoption partners only. ...."   They both deserve a chance to live with rescue, AND THE LAW REQUIRES IT.

Kylo and the pup were both surrendered by the owner and reason given 'not having time' for them - NO BEHAVIOR ISSUES, and this Chow has harmed NO ONE!  Ask yourselves WHY do dogs come in with absolutely NO issues and end up dead for reacting to the County's pound people?   This is an issue of deep concern to the public and it should be to all of you, too!?  PLEASE INTERVENE AND STOP THIS MADNESS NOW!  It wasn't that many years ago that Danny Ubario (2nd in command now) and Marcia Mayeda emphatically the County wasn't taking this kind of action - killing dogs that didn't harm anyone instead of allowing rescue!  Read from the bottom up for pics and all the communications which indicate NEVER has either dog harmed anyone and owners reported NO behavior issues - NONE.   After weeks of impoundment, flashing teeth is a death sentence?  A rescue is most suited and has the necessary resources to assess and properly place dogs and puppies with ANY issue.

Immediately after impoundment March 20, 2022, rescuers began trying to get information about these two (2) OWNER SURRENDERED Chows.  Both dogs/pups are terrified, as they should be - their lives are in danger.    Why?   Because of their fear and shyness and 'flashing teeth.'   One must ask what were the County pound people doing when the 'flashing teeth' occurred?  Do they not know that's a normal reaction to fear?  Why does this happen, day in and day out, regularly?   Neither have bitten and it's suspect that either 'tried to bite' as that claim is regularly made by County untrained personnel when they exaggerate behavior to justify the killing - all in the interest of protecting the public safety.  For instance, County claims that 'tried to nip' is a 'bite.'  Not unless skin is broken is there a 'bite.'   County should know that and yet they have exaggerated, over the years, and continue to do so.   The pattern, historically, is that this County seeks out justifications to kill.   What is needed, actually, is protection from the Well Paid Animal Abusers in charge and making these insanely absurd decisions to kill perfectly great dogs and puppies with rescue to take them!

This County has reached beyond the insanely absurd in killing dogs that rescues want, that have not tried to harm or actually harmed anyone, as is the case with these Chows.   Weeks of rescuers trying to get info. and now one has to be killed for behaving like a normal, betrayed, dog that is scared out of its mind in Castaic - turns out, for good reason!
Castaic is not the only pound in the County to make these inhumane and incompetent decisions.   

Let's not forget Casper, the FRIENDLY Chocolate Lab Mix that was so deadly that he could not go to rescue, after rescue was already confirmed and Baldwin Park, in an unprecedented move, made a second assessment, which is completely abnormal for any of your pounds to do, and claimed Casper had 'tried to attack' or 'did attack' his handler and other dogs.   Yet, Casper was returned to his owner with NO mention as to ANY aggression or deadly behavior.   So much for 'public safety!'   As well, the County's own ordinance prohibiting putting dogs together that are known not to get along.  I provided that Code in Casper emails that remain unresponded to by this County, including Baldwin Park's mismanagement.

This absurd nonsense and misinterpretation of CA laws must stop immediately   You are killing perfectly terrified dogs that are just fine when they exit your pounds where they are subjected to abuse, torture, and incompetent personnel who have, what, four (4) hours of 'training' which consist of a 1/2 day class about Dogs Playing For Life, and then, voila, they are a "Professional Assessor" making life and death decisions on dogs and puppies like these Chows and Casper AND so many more...

You are releasing - as you should - dogs that have bitten, that have killed  or harmed other pets, with waivers.  90% or more of those dogs were 'provoked' which effectively excuses the 'bite' under CA law and your own County ordinances.  You have IMMUNITY from liability as a government agency under the CA Govt. Code 820 (?) and CA is a 'strict liability' state which translates to the owner of the pet is strictly liable for any harm to anyone by that pet.   The County has NO liability so stop claiming you do and misrepresenting why you don't want to release the dogs when it's obviously because these PoundMasters and your Director Marcia Mayeda prefers killing for some reason known only to her.   This is abuse of power and it is a violation of CA law!

Release these Chows and allow them to live as is allowed and even required under CA laws!

I apologize for any redundancy but I am in a rush trying to confirm my calls to all you Supervisors' offices and get followup to intervene and save these deserving Chows!   
Please advise.

Thank you for intervening and saving our State Shelter Pets!

Lori Wagner


LETTER FROM RESCUE
Dear Castaic and LA County,

Regarding Kylo (A5449533), we never asked for Kylo to made available to adopt, I asked that he be allowed to go to a rescue. To refuse a rescue for a dog that has not bitten anyone who is shy and scared seems rather inappropriate. For two weeks, your shelter ignored my emails also on this dog, and never provided any video or owner surrender notes as has been requested. We just obtained a video of this dog which I hope you all watch.https://www.facebook.com/783968124/videos/pcb.10163695871273125/7246802902059121 . A volunteer took this video, and has not found this dog aggressive.

Why is this dog not being made available to rescues, and why are you planning to euthanize this young dog? The owner surrender notes show no behavior issues or bites, and the dog appears to be shy and scared as is typical for the breed when in a shelter environment. Many scared dogs may flash teeth at some point, that are not aggressive dogs. This should not be a reason to euthanize a young dog, and refuse a rescue. I am adding Marcia to this thread in hopes that you reconsider this position.

Thank you for Leia’s notes though. In one area, you say she is only available to adoption partners, and then further down, you mention she can be adopted out so this is rather confusing.

I also notice your shelter has not been sending regular emails for Rescue only dogs which I thought was a policy to help find rescue placement. Why is this not being done, or where are these emails?

I have worked closely with staff and volunteers many times at your other locations and placed many chows and chow mixes this way by working together. I do not recall a single time when your staff refused a rescue on a chow that had not bitten anyone.

Thank you again for your consideration to save both Kylo as well as Leia. Please note we are not a rescue but a rescue network for chows and mixes and have arranged rescue on hundreds of dogs, as we work closely with many shelters, rescues and private parties.

Robin and Southern California Chow Chow Rescue Network