L.A. Animal Products and services staffer says he regrets remarks about hanging canine

A best Los Angeles Animal Products and services staffer who oversees the town’s dog-walking program mentioned this week that he regrets contemporary feedback he made about hanging canine and hasn’t ever harmed animals.

Juan Rivera, director of volunteer techniques, advised staff at a up to date assembly that he’s scared of huge canine, however small ones can also be controlled as a result of he can strike them, in keeping with a former volunteer who mentioned he used to be made acutely aware of Rivera’s feedback.

When requested this week in regards to the remarks attributed to him, Rivera expressed be apologetic about.

“I’d by no means harm an animal and feature by no means mistreated one in my existence. Whilst my remark used to be most effective about self-defense, I be apologetic about my phrase selection and perceive they gave the unsuitable impact,” Rivera advised The Occasions.

Rivera set to work at Animal Products and services in April, in keeping with a LinkedIn profile that used to be taken down in a while after The Occasions requested the mayor’s administrative center in regards to the profile and Rivera’s loss of revel in with animals.

Rivera is a musician and has revel in within the arts, training and healthcare, in keeping with the profile.

The dept in large part is determined by volunteers to workout canine and perform a big selection of different paintings at animal shelters. The Occasions reported closing month that some canine aren’t walked for weeks or months at a time and that Animal Products and services is dealing with a serious staffing scarcity.

Media scrutiny of the shelters has exacerbated tensions between Animal Products and services body of workers and a few volunteers, who can face dismissal in the event that they publicly disparage the dep..

Rivera’s feedback in regards to the canine have been made public via Claudio Kusnier, who volunteered for 3 years on the West Valley refuge till his termination this week. Kusnier known as in to a gathering of the Board of Animal Products and services Fee sooner or later after his termination and relayed Rivera’s remarks.

Kusnier advised The Occasions he used to be terminated via Rivera for causes that he disputes and known as himself a “whistleblower.”

Harrison Wollman, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti, mentioned the mayor has “0 tolerance for any habits this is violent towards animals, and his body of workers is operating with Los Angeles Animal Products and services management to make sure the placement is correctly addressed.”

Tale continues

Wollman mentioned Annette Ramirez, Animal Products and services’ intervening time basic supervisor, used to be acutely aware of Rivera’s feedback prior to they have been made public at this week’s board assembly.

“She right away notified a manager for additional investigation,” Wollman mentioned.

When requested if Rivera confronted any self-discipline for his remarks, Animal Products and services spokeswoman Agnes Sibal mentioned the dep. doesn’t touch upon body of workers investigations. She additionally declined to touch upon Kusnier, calling it a body of workers factor.

Councilmember Paul Koretz is scheduled to carry a 2nd listening to on stipulations on the town’s animal shelters once subsequent week. Ramirez mentioned on the first emergency assembly known as via Koretz that the dep. has enough body of workers to run 4 shelters however operates six.

The loss of body of workers and an inflow of animals is stressing the dep.’s device of depending on volunteers to stroll and workout canine, body of workers and volunteers say.

As head of volunteer techniques, Rivera should make certain that volunteers are skilled to care for huge canine and to securely get them out in their kennels, Kusnier advised the Occasions.

“How can he carry out the ones tasks if he’s scared of huge canine?” Kusnier requested.

Susan Berin, who volunteers on the town’s West Valley animal refuge, mentioned Friday that “it’s very demoralizing” to peer volunteers being suspended or terminated, as it way there are fewer other folks to stroll canine.

She declined to weigh in on Rivera’s feedback however mentioned division body of workers have protections that may stay them from dropping their jobs, however volunteers do not have identical safeguards.

“Who’s on our aspect?” Berin requested.

Rivera advised The Occasions that he works at Animal Products and services “on account of my love for animals and my want to lend a hand convey them a greater existence, and I will proceed to do the entirety in my energy to make sure our volunteers are treating our animals with compassion.”

He helped arrange a puppy adoption at Dodger Stadium and requested for 100 volunteers to come back for the daylong match, in keeping with an electronic mail despatched to the volunteers. Ramirez advised this week advised Animal Products and services commissioners that it used to be the dep.’s maximum a hit cellular match of the sort, with 62 canine followed.

This tale at the start gave the impression in Los Angeles Occasions.