It’s been brought to my attention that L.A. County DACC director Marcia Mayeda has started a new policy regarding dogs “who have bitten people or other dogs.” These dogs are now not allowed to be made available to the public, and further, no longer able to be saved by partnered rescue’s who are even willing to sign a liability waiver.

More importantly… How do they know that the dog has ever bitten a person or another dog? Does a surrendering owner’s admission suffice? Because if so, that’s simply the word of someone who’s chosen to abandon their dog. I know from seeing it with my own eyes that many people will often just make something up as to take the onus off of them as they are doing the surrendering. Per a recent conversation with one of my animal attorney friends, they’d deem a dog constituting a “legitimate exception” to the Hayden Act as one that’s had “multiple incidents” of dangerous or vicious behavior and that such behavior “must have been documented by animal control” prior to the animal being impounded.

So this question begs to be asked: How many dogs are being killed, being refused a chance at safety even when somebody wants them, because of an unsubstantiated claim made against them? If there is any truth to this new policy existing then at best it’s something that needs clear caveats attached, and at worst something that is being instituted illegally. It sounds like in many cases it would be a violation of the Hayden Act to me.