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Culver City News
December 6, 2007 Letters Helpless in Lindberg Park We are Lindberg Park residents and happy with the level of service and local support Culver City offers, except for the animal issue. So far, in this season of joy, we and many residents have seen at least four stray /lost animals running our tree-lined streets, scared and hungry. For several days last week, neighbors collectively tried catching a tiny black chiuahua, a starving shepard mix who'd just given birth (no one knows where the pups are), and a kitten living under a neighbor's newly reconstucted home on my block, but were unsuccessful. Another neighbor witnessed a man in a van "dumping" an orange tabby cat on the street at Pickford and Cota and driving away. Yes, we called County of LA. Animal Control at Carson's facility for assistance, but they will not sweep the area to find these animals. They are too far away and not staffed to do so. Carson tells Culver City residents to contain the animal, call back with an exact address, and they'll come within a day or so. By that time, the helpless animal is long gone. The residents watch solemnly as "another one gets away" and alert our local Neighborhood Watch, but we feel helpless and confused. This is NOT an acceptable level of service for Culver City residents, nor for the animals within it's borders. When we moved here over a decade ago, Culver City had local, effective animal control on Jefferson Boulevard, who would come in a timely manner to investigate any animal concern. Other small cities have local, effective animal services and we deserve this, too. This is not an issue of residents being irresponsible for their pets, as a certain City Council person has suggested in the past. It is an issue of over population and unaccountablity, which is reaching crisis levels and will only increase here in Culver City. Our hope is that in the New Year, the residents and animals will have something to rejoice about: restored local, humane animal services for Culver City once again. We are grateful for the residents' group Friends of Culver City Animals for working tirelessly with our city officials to try and make this a reality. Dena & Craig Snedden Culver City |
