the madison barkley installments

Madison's Installment #8

Boks/Barth claim to increased adoptions, unmasked.

An earlier installment revealed an outrageous claim that was later confirmed by Boks/Barth. The claim that LAAS has reached over 95% Phase I No-Kill.

This installment will illuminate how Boks/Barth, who thus far have created NO new adoption programs since they began management of LAAS, claim that they are responsible for increased adoptions.

Let's use a simple analogy. Two sweater boutiques open. Little boutique contains 10 sweater shelves on the sales floor, while Big boutique contains 100 sweater shelves on the sales floor. At the end of the day Big boutique claims they had a more profitable day because they sold 90 sweaters verses Little boutique which only sold 9 sweaters.

By simply counting sweaters, one would agree that Big boutique is more successful. In reality, or if we "normalize" (using a Boksism) the number, Little boutique and Big boutique sold the same percentage of sweaters. Big boutique has larger capacity space and therefore can provide a greater selection, providing more customers with what they need. So they bought more.

This may seem simplistic but it is precisely what Boks/Barth are claiming and the proof is below.

As you can clearly see from the following series of charts, dog adoptions fluctuated but did not increase substantially until one thing happened. That thing is the opening of the new $159-million dollar Proposition F animal shelters. Those shelters were approved by voters on November 7, 2000 and had nothing to do with Boks/Barth. Boks takes credit for the increased adoptions. But in reality, Boks deserves no credit. He merely had the serendipity of walking into Los Angeles right before the new shelter started to open. You will remember that each shelter opened at a different time. The time each shelter opened is noted on the charts below and you will see, it matches.

*The numbers below appear on the LAAS website. Click on link, select the district shelter and click on "dogs".

http://www.laanimalservices.com/about_stats_care_center.htm

North Central Shelter Dog Adoptions
Year Ending: August	Dog Adoptions: New Hope
07/08	2,944
06/07	2,591	New shelter opened 10-2006 ($10.6-million)
05/06	2,176
04/05	2,106
03/04	2,261
02/03	2,199
01/02	2,073

East Valley Shelter Dog Adoptions
Year Ending: August	Dog Adoptions: New Hope
07/08	4,288	New shelter opened 5-2007 ($23.4-million)
06/07	3,522
05/06	3,214
04/05	2,980
03/04	2,948
02/03	2,785
01/02	2,727

West Valley Shelter Dog Adoptions
Year Ending: August	Dog Adoptions: New Hope
07/08	2,773	New shelter opened 8-2007 ($17.8-million)
06/07	2,192
05/06	2,130
04/05	2,072
03/04	1,862
02/03	1,915
01/02	1,985

West LA Shelter Dog Adoptions
Year Ending: August	Dog Adoptions: New Hope
07/08	1,509	New shelter opened Nov-2007 ($25.5-million)
06/07	834
05/06	875
04/05	828
03/04	869
02/03	910
01/02	908

Harbor Shelter Dog Adoptions
Year Ending: August	Dog Adoptions: New Hope
07/08	956	New shelter opened June-2008 ($18.7-million)
06/07	748
05/06	778
04/05	651
03/04	651
02/03	665
01/02	663

MORE PROOF:

If adoption increases were due to any Boks/Barth adoption programs, wouldn't they happen across-the-board at all the shelters? They don't. Here is what happens:

The increased adoptions took place at different times. That is because the new shelters opened at different times. Not because of any Boks/Barth adoption program.

There is no new SLA shelter. Consequently there is no significant increase in SLA adoptions.

South LA Shelter Dog Adoptions
Year Ending: August	Dog Adoptions: New Hope	( No new shelter )
07/08	3,700
06/07	3,675
05/06	3,338
04/05	3,329
03/04	3,248
02/03	3,575
01/02	3,238

If we want more adoptions, Boks/Barth better get busy asking voters for another $159- million.

Just like the sweater analogy gives the illusion that Big boutique sold more sweaters then Little boutique. This proves that the only reason adoptions increased is due to the increased holding capacity in the new shelters and that the adoption increases have nothing to do with Boks/Barth.

We have now unmasked that Boks' biggest claim to fame, increased adoptions, was caused by the bigger new shelters and not by anything Boks/Barth did and even with the increased adoptions, euthanasia has still increased by 37%.

What exactly have Boks/Barth been doing?

Madison

the madison barkley installments

Madison's Installment #9

Unmasking Ed Boks euthanasia directives.

Yesterday, Thursday September 11, 2008, at approximately 5 PM, Ed Boks went to the East Valley Shelter with three public adopters and an LAAS volunteer. Boks said he wants to speak to a supervisor regarding how they choose which animal will be euthanized.

Boks first questioned the supervisor himself. Boks then instructed the supervisor to submit to interrogation by members of the public and Boks allowed the members of the public to continue interrogating the supervisor. Exercising this employees right, the supervisor declined to submit to the interrogation without union representation.

Ed Boks is setting up the employees to throw them under the bus for his own euthanasia directives.

It was only two months ago that Ed Boks sent his e mail directive on euthanasia. Boks sent his euthanasia directive on July 13, 2008. In it, Boks states:

1. "Place ALL animals on the Red Alert immediately, with the exception of animals the Center Managers believe the public will adopt within a reasonable amount of time."
2. "Place all incoming stray and owner relinquished animals on the Red Alert at the time of impound."
3. "Animals employees or volunteers (trainers) have a vested interest in can be discussed and can be held up to 21 days, but only with Center Manager approval. The animals are not to be held any longer without GM [Ed Boks] approval."
4. "Manage euthanasia decision using the Minus One Goal DAILY."
5. "I [Ed Boks] will assist the respective Center Staff next weekend when the bulk of these animals complete their seven day Red Alert to help them select animals for euthanasia using Minus One goals as a guide."

Boks almost never visits the shelters. What is the special occasion that gets Boks to actually show up in a shelter? To help select animals to be killed.

Boks' directive covers the time span from impound through euthanasia, yet Boks NEVER mention ADOPTIONS.

Once again Boks solution is warehouse or kill.

When Boks blames the shelter staff for their euthanasia decisions or numbers let's remember the staff is simply following Ed's directives.

Madison

I would like to clarify the e mail I sent out this morning.

Ed Boks' July 13, 2008 euthanasia directive was directed only to "East Valley and SLA" the two shelters with the highest impound rate. Boks states in his e mail directive "I have directed East Valley and SLA to take the following steps to respond to the overcrowding in these centers. These directives are to continue until Center animal population are within reasonable limits."

Once again, Ed Boks offers only two solutions
WAREHOUSE or KILL!

In response to a number of individuals asking me why center managers are not planning their own adoption programs. Let me clarify the matter. Adoption events require funding and administrative support, the only people able to authorize adoption events are Ed Boks, Linda Barth and Kathy Davis.

Madison

the madison barkley installments

Madison's Installment #10

Boks euthanasia moratorium. NOT.

In my last installment (#9), I addressed Boks directive to have all animals at South LA shelter and East Valley shelter Red Listed immediately including all incoming strays and owner surrenders with the exception of animals the center Managers believe the public will adopt within a reasonable amount of time. Boks directive also stated that he would visit the Centers to help select the animals to be euthanized.

Today, I am unmasking Boks new directive that Boks sent to all LAAS Centers, this time requesting a "moratorium on all behavior" euthanasia.

Here is the e-mail Ed Boks sent to all LAAS Centers on Sept 11, 2008:

Remember that, up until this new directive, it was perfectly fine in fact encouraged to kill animals for behavioral. Why? Because medical and behavioral DO NOT count as euthanasia according to Ed Boks' Phase I "No-Kill" definition.

Now Boks states that "Center Managers may continue to authorize space/time euthanasia." However, in the same breath Boks states that he expects the staff "to effectively use the Plus One/Minus One."

Well here is the problem.

Remember, Boks' Plus One/Minus One equation means that Center Managers MUST adopt one more animal then they did the same day of the last year and kill one less animal then they killed that same day last year. For example, if last year a Center adopted 10 dogs/cats, then that center is expected to adopt 1 more dog/cat same day this year, meaning they are expected to adopt 11 dogs/cats same day this year. If that Center killed 1 dog/cat same day last year, then that Center is expected to kill one less dog/cat same day this year, meaning no dog/cats be killed that day.

So essentially Boks is stating in his new directive that "Center Managers may continue to authorize space/time euthanasia", but are "expected to effectively use One Plus/Minus one." The problem? What do Center Managers do with the animals that cannot be killed due to "Minus One"? Warehouse. Which will lead to inhumane conditions and/or animals either fighting or becoming sick, leading to euthanasia under medical because they are considered unadoptable under medical. This will enable Boks to keep killing animals, while maintaining the illusion of his 95.75% self-defying "Phase-I No Kill".

It is clear that Boks gave the staff directives that are impossible to adhere to and end up in the same result.

Note that nowhere in this directive, as always, is there any mention of fresh ideas that will increase adoptions or reduce intake.

Once again Boks solution is Warehouse or Kill.

An additional problem with this particular directive is Boks' statement that "only AGM Kathy Davis, Captain Louis Dedeaux, and/or I [Ed Boks] may approve euthanasia for reasons of behavior."

Is Boks planning to have AGM Kathy Davis, Captain Dedeaux (who held the title of Animal Behavioral Health & Safety Coordinator, before being assigned to manage the West LA shelter ) and himself, spend their days running from shelter to shelter to assess the behavior of animals being considered as behaviorally unadoptable. Who will be running the WLA animal shelter, managing LAAS operations and writing Boks' blogs while Captain Dedeaux, AGM Davis and Ed Boks are busy driving around in LA traffic between 7 city shelters.

And are we doing temperament testing now?

Way to go Boks. Any population reduction ideas yet?

Note that in this directive, as in all others, Boks does not provide the staff any innovative ideas or resources for increasing adoptions and reducing intake. Nevertheless, Boks does not hesitate to blame shelter managers and staff for not increasing adoptions and not "managing euthanasia".

Has Boks forgotten what his job title is?

Madison

the madison barkley installments