I was pretty excited back in 2001, when I voted for Antonio Villaraigosa for the first time. Me and my roommates at UCLA really thought he was going to win, and that we were helping to elect the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles during just our second year living in the city. So, when he decided to go for a rematch with James Hahn in 2005, I threw him my support early on. I voted for him in the primary, rather than my other top choice Bob Hertzberg, because of my nostalgic memory of his first campaign. And, I really thought that the city would change for the better under his youthful, vigorous leadership. But this diary is less about Villaraigosa, and more about the failure of Los Angeles city government in general, and the Department of Animals (seriously) in particular.
About four months ago, my neighbors brought home 2 fully grown Rotweillers and placed them in a cage in their backyard. Rotweillers, which need tons of outdoor activity to stay healthy and happy, do not thrive in a chain link fenced in environment with a slab of cracked concrete for a floor. And they have been letting their owners know! All night long, they bark and howl, unusual for Rotties which are not known to be loud animals. A little research on wikipedia, however, unveiled that Rotties DO bark (and how!) when they are distressed, neglected, or trying to get their owner's attention. So, after about three nights of sleeplessness, I decided to talk to my neighbors (who, as you may have imagined, are not friendly people). Long story short, they denied a problem existed and actually slammed their door in my face.
So I filed a complaint with the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services. I received a letter in the mail, letting me know that my neighbors had been warned about the barking, and that if the barking continued for 15 days, I should file a second complaint, but that I had to wait for the full 15 days to pass before filing the second complaint. The barking continued, and I complained again a few weeks later.
The next step in this bureaucratic nightmare involved a mediation with my neighbors, where our attendance was mandated by city ordinance. The mediation was scheduled for 30 days after I filed the second complaint. One more month of sleepless nights: that's okay though, I figured, this will all get worked out soon! Needless to say, my ever-so-considerate neighbors failed to show up at the "mandatory" mediation. So, the Animal Services officer in charge told me (and two of my fellow complainant neighbors) that the next step in the process was an Administrative Hearing to determine what to do about the barking problem, this time without imput from the dog owners.
When I called the city this morning to ask about the status of the administrative hearing (i.e., when is it scheduled for, etc.), I was told that the Department of Animals had lost the file on our neighbors, and, that I'd need to refile an initial complaint which would start this entire process over. From the time I filed the initial complaint about the barking dogs until today, roughly 3 months have passed. I refuse to wait another 3 months to remedy this situation because of incompetance in Los Angeles city government (which, by the way, is not limited to the Department of Animals).
Meanwhile, I see a lot of flash from Antonio Villaraigosa but not too much substance. Sure, he's busy attending every freaking event where a photographer is sure to be, flashing his pearly whites for the camera. But, I want to see a mayor hard at work, ridding the city government of bureaucratic waste and addressing the actual needs of the city's many citizens.
Mostly, however, I want my neighbors' dogs to shut the F*** up!