Officers will step up their enforcement on people who illegally buy and sell animals along the Venice boardwalk and throughout the city of Los Angeles.
In an effort to protect pets and people, officials on Thursday announced that they will increase their focus on raising public awareness on a one-year-old law that prohibits not only the sale of animals on city streets and sidewalks, but also their purchase.
City workers will distribute 7,000 flyers throughout Los Angeles, mostly in the Fashion District and Venice Beach, where the problem is more prevalent. And, police will ramp up efforts to crack down on violators, according to LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith.
“Its a shame. Many times we’ve seen bunnies being sold with broken limbs, and when we’ve confiscated animals, man of them were dead in the box,” Smith said.
The L.A. City Council passed a law banning the purchase of animals on the street in August 2011 that imposes fines from $250 for a first offense up to $1,000 for repeat offenders.
“Sale of live animals on city streets poses a risk not only to the animals, but also to those who purchase them,” said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who introduced legislation banning the practice.
Some pets sold on the street carry infectious diseases that can be transmitted to humans, especially children. And, many animals are too young to be away from their mothers, according to Brenda Barnette, head of the city’s animal service department.
In the last month, 18 metal signs, measuring about two feet by three feet, were installed in Los Angeles, 12 in the Fashion District and six in Venice along the boardwalk.
In Venice, Voice for the Animals Foundation, a nonprofit based in Santa Monica, has tried to reduce the illegal practice by sending uncover volunteers to the boardwalk to alert police.
Meyla Kaplan, executive director at Voice for Animals, said that she and staffers have seen people carrying wheelbarrows of puppies as young as three weeks old to be sold along the boardwalk. She hopes fining people who buy street pets will dry up the market for the sellers.
Great - so now the right to have a pet is controlled by a "Municipal Corporation" - which gets to have a monopoly on the 'privilege' of deciding who gets to have a dog/cat/rabbit or???. My first Dog (a German Sheppard Alice, which I got as a puppy, and who lived a long, healthy and happy life), I got from a cardboard box on 3rd St. in SM (before it was a "Promenade"). To think that no one was protecting me from her, or her from me... It just gives me chills. Voice for Animals? Voice for a POLICE STATE, is more like it. I don't encourage people "selling" puppies, at 3 weeks or any age. But puppies cost money to get shots, and feed (even if it just means keeping their mom nourished while they're nursing). I suppose that the people who claim to be 'helping' the animals, are all for the no-breeding/mandatory spay/nueter laws as well - which turn animals into not just anthropo-centric human property, but a rare and expensive commodity, as well? Sounds like well meaning FASCISM - if it's even well-intended. What about puppies that are 8 weeks old? Should people be forced to take them all to the city's KILL- SHELTERS? And of course that would be turning themselves in, with evidence of some kind of crime, as well, right? Hey VFA - keep your SNITCHES out of Venice. MYOB. Get a LIFE!
Isn't there someone smoking in an apartment, whose cat or dog you could "save", by snitching-them-out, to the po-po?
People can still sell the animals from their homes. They can advertise on Craig's list or ebay or stick a sign on a post. They just can't sell them on the street. The sad parade of baby bunnies and tiny turtles that are sold on the street in horrible conditions is what prompted this. Plus, the people selling 3 week old puppies in Venice. I found one of these puppies, apparently dumped when it wasn't sold on the street, under a car 3 blocks from the beach. She was only 4 weeks old. I too think animals have rights, and one of them is to be safe from this kind of abuse.
So you're saying that now people have to sell 3-week old puppies on craigslist? how does that help anyone. Moving it from the public square simlly seems to relocate the 'problem', which you say is so prevalent. Wouldn' that make it that much easier to get away with? And when the city of LA amends the code to say, not simply on 'city streets' , but anywhere within city limits, what then. You've already established the precedent that this OK.