What’s in a Name? Plenty
The Animal Care Services Video Tour
“In April of 2006, the City Council adopted a dog breeding and transfer permitting process as part of the municipal code,” said John Keisler, acting business manager of the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS). Keisler gave the ordinance’s purpose as a way to better manage the breeding, movement and sale of animals around the city. The individuals who fashioned the ordinance include Long Beach Animal Control (now Long Beach Animal Care Services), the humane animal community, registered breeders and concerned citizens, including Judy Crumpton, one of the writers of this column. This was the beginning of an effort to ensure responsible pet ownership and humane treatment of animals. The ordinance, Keisler stated, requires all adoption groups, private individuals and businesses involved in this business to register with ACS. ACS has also hired a breeding and transfer enforcement coordinator to promote outreach, registration and enforcement, which is carried out by investigating advertised dog and cat sales by posing as potential buyers to see if a violation has occurred. Citations are written and fines are levied. So far this year, 41 enforcement actions have taken place and 12 have resulted in citations that may lead to court actions.
Since then, there have been several incidences that led to change in the way animal control has been run, beginning with Keisler, who conducts oversight and planning of change, and renaming the facility. And it’s not all in the name. It’s all about the animals. Many of you have written questions and concerns, which we attempted to address through Keisler.
In this section of our series on pet overpopulation and in the interest of last week’s National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, you’ll see that ACS isn’t the pound or a holding tank, and the furry residents are not the ones who have committed the crimes that put them there. We hope that you’ll be encouraged to visit ACS after seeing this and—if you feel ready, willing and able—to take home one or more of the real sweet stars of this production.
If you have further questions or want information, visit longbeach.gov/acs or contact [email protected]. Call 570-PETS (7387) if you want to report an animal-related issue or inquire about a lost pet.