Marvin Mackie, DVM, fixed more than 250,000 dogs & cats in 54-year veterinary career SAN PEDRO, California––W. Marvin Mackie, DVM, 88, remembered by United Spay Alliance cofounder Esther Mechler and much of the rest of the humane community as “a pioneer in the affordable spay/neuter movement, died on September 23, 2025. “He brought so much […]
Dogo Argentino attack spurs notice of mayhem to shelter staff & volunteers
Frequent now, dog attacks on shelter staff & volunteers 20 years ago were almost unheard of LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY, SEATTLE––Los Angeles Animal Services employee Leslie Corea, 58, kennel supervisor at the Harbor Animal Shelter in San Pedro, is reportedly recovering from a May 31, 2024 in-shelter mauling by a Dogo Argentino pit […]
Shelter Animals Count: no mention of pit bulls, but data shows the crisis
“The question is not ‘Can they count?’, but ‘Can they reason with the data?’” ATLANTA, Georgia––Since Shelter Animals Count was formed in 2011 largely out of denial by several national animal advocacy organizations that pit bull overpopulation cannot be successfully addressed in a non-breed-specific manner, it is no surprise that the Shelter Animals Count […]
Jury orders L.A. Animal Services to pay $6.8 million to mauled volunteer
Finding of gross negligence comes with comparable cases against “no-kill” city shelter pending LOS ANGELES, California––Finding Los Angeles Animal Services guilty of gross negligence, a Los Angeles jury on May 31, 2023 awarded $6.8 million to German shepherd mix attack victim and former shelter volunteer Kelly Kaneko, 36. The Kaneko award came less than […]
“Peak dog” means no homes left––especially not for “behavior dogs”
“Peak dog” also means “Fix the problem before it gets worse.” LOS ANGELES, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO––City of San Antonio Animal Care Services did not mention “peak dog,” pit bulls, nor even spay/neuter in a September 1, 2022 bulletin lamenting that “Just this week, 26 dogs have been humanely euthanized due to our shelter’s capacity restraints.” […]
$20.8 million jury award for California dog attack
Retired police dog chased mail carrier before killing man, mauling woman UPDATE: The California Court of Appeal in February 2024 overturned the $20.8 million jury award referenced here, leaving the plaintiffs with only a much smaller settlement already received from defendant Alex Geiger. EXETER, California––A San Luis Obispo County jury on July 28, 2021 […]
Los Angeles Animal Services chief Brenda Barnette to retire in May 2021
Took L.A. to “no kill” at cost of soaring pit bull attacks LOS ANGELES, California––Brenda Barnette, the third-longest-serving general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services since World War II, has announced her retirement, effective in mid-May 2021. The City of Los Angeles has officially not yet begun what is expected to become a nationwide […]
L.A. city council approves TNR: “project does not encourage feeding”
Not encouraging feeding sidesteps most objections to new Los Angeles neuter/return cat control program LOS ANGELES, California––The long-awaited Los Angeles Citywide Cat Program on December 10, 2020 won unanimous approval from the Los Angeles City Council. “The Council vote clears the way for the city to use municipal funds to operate the Citywide Cat […]
Horsemeat, dog meat, & how “angel” Marc Ching fell from grace
Donors ignored years of warnings about convict turned “rescue” celebrity LOS ANGELES––Marc Ching, who in November 2018 offered to sell the city of Los Angeles vegan food for impounded dogs at a substantial discount, is reportedly to be arraigned in December 2020 on one misdemeanor count each of practicing veterinary medicine without a license, false advertising, […]
Mary Lou Simms, Lori Golden, & Linda Lord focused their lives on animals
Geese, cats, dogs & potbellied pigs were beneficiaries of their work Mary Lou (Andrews) Simms, a journalist for 60 years, best known as author of more than 30 exposés of purges of non-migratory Canada geese, died on July 19, 2020 in hospice in Tallahassee, Florida, from complications of a brain tumor. Simms died one day […]