Posted on 09/08/2005 10:50:02 AM PDT by SmithL
LOS ANGELES - Police say activists are stepping up their harrassment of a high ranking city animal control official, whose neighborhood has been hit by graffiti, stink bombs, threatening late night phone calls and a bomb threat.
The protesters' target is David Diliberto, who they blame for not stopping the city from euthanizing thousands of stray dogs each year. In July, police took five reports related to animal activists at Diliberto's home, including the bomb threat.
Last month, two people dressed as mortuary workers woke his family at 3 a.m., saying they needed to pick up a dead body, Diliberto told police.
"Unfortunately, the only thing they are accomplishing is terrorizing my kids," Diliberto said. "I have a daughter who asked me if she should be wearing a bulletproof vest while walking to the school bus stop. As a father, that's disturbing."
A judge in June 2004 issued a temporary restraining order requiring protesters to stay 100 feet away from Diliberto's home and his children's schools.
Pamelyn Ferdin, spokeswoman for the Animal Defense League, said the the group has done nothing illegal.
City officials say the number of dogs euthanized in city shelters dropped from 39,086 in fiscal 2001-02 to 29,624 in fiscal 2003-04.
They credit an aggressive campaign by the Animal Services Department to get more dogs adopted and to persuade owner to spay and neuter their pets.
An ARMED society is a POLITE society.
I assume this 'official' is a liberal democrat with no personal protection?
If your daughter is that frightened, sir, I hope you are doing something about it besides quoting her.
I have a better solution to the problem of stray and unwanted animals. Living in Los Angeles I see so many stray animals. It wasn't always this way. The Mexican's do not spay and neuter their pets. They let them roam the streets. It is a mess. If we got rid of the illegals our stray animal population would dwindle significantly. the other alternative is to chip every dog and cat in Los Angeles. If you run an ad selling puppies expect Animal Control to stop in and chip them. when someone takes an animal to the vet, he scans it and if it is not chipped he chips. Then when a stray is picked it is scanned. If the owner has not filed a missing pet report with Animal Control he is fined $1,000 and if he has no money to pay the fine he is given community service, such as picking up dog poop at the parks or cleaning the cages at the shelter.
If this was an abortion doctor who was being harrassed the FBI and all law enforcement would be providing round the clock protection and working 24/7 to catch the culprits.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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