I have made countless calls to them in the past, reporting strays or injured animals, and am usually met with the same response: "we don't do that" (that, being assisting in whatever issue I was reporting).
How many times have I called to report a dog trapped in a car on a smotheringly hot day, to be met with a voicemail message, stating LACC is closed? On at least 3 occasions, those calls were made prior to 5pm. The message then directed me to the Humane Society --which was also closed. THEIR message referred me back to LACC. All the while, the dog in the car waited for relief. As a last resort, I was directed to phone the police. Isn't this why taxes pay for an animal control organization?
When they are on duty, they seem to have a bit of an inflated sense of that duty. LACC has been known for trespassing on the properties of private residences, and has been spotted peeking in private home windows, trying to see if there are unregistered, unlicensed pets inside. This is not speculation, this is fact. They claim to have a right, as "bylaw" folks, to investigate, but I'm sorry... unless I woke up in Russia this morning, this is a definite problem. Police need a warrant to search a residence, but the local dog-catcher thinks he/she is able to be a legal "peeping Tom"? That is exactly what it is-- voyeurism and trespassing, and I can tell you, if I saw anyone on my property peeking in my windows, they would meet the business end of a broom-- or, dare I say it, worse.
They claim to provide all these wonderful services -- and don't get me wrong, I'm sure they have saved many animals' lives --don't get your panties all in a bunch. Yes, they house, feed, and spay & neuter needy animals, but they are only sporadically available, and pick and choose which services to provide. They will collect stray dogs, but not cats. Apparently there are too many stray cats, so if you see one in dire straights, YOU have to catch it, contain it, and take it in. What are all these mandatory yearly licensing fees buying? They only pick up certain animals, and only during certain hours... Their own website states that they are only open until 4pm on weekends and:
After hours the City of London does not provide for the patrolling of dogs at large or the pick-up of stray dogs.
So, I guess if you find a stray or distressed dog at 4:01 on Saturday afternoon, you're out of luck. Don't bother calling The Humane Society... They don't deal with strays--- only surrended pets.
If you find a pet with no identification after hours, we would ask that you provide shelter for it overnight and call us in the morning to arrange for the pet to come to the Animal Care Centre.
And if you can't? Sorry, pup.
This is what burns me. Today, a local radio station announced that 3 wee kittens were stranded in the snowstorm. LACC would take them in, but wouldn't pick them up. These wee lives, in obvious desperate need of care and sanctuary, were left to fate, or to the generosity of local animal lovers. This was not some stray tabby, using an old lady's lawn as a litterbox... These are tiny babies, on the verge of freezing to death in the frigid dead of winter. That sounds like a mission for London's Animal "Care" Centre, if you ask me.
Or maybe all the field agents are too busy peeking in tax-payers' windows. I bet you don't find THAT service on their website.
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