Prosecute LA City shelter worker who abused animals.
- by: Animal Welfare Advocates of Los Angeles.
- recipient: Los Angeles District Attorney's Office
Manuel Boado, a veterinary technician at a Los Angeles animal shelter, was recently fired after officials found that he had subjected dogs to inhumane treatment while euthanizing them at the West Valley Shelter.
We, the animal welfare community of Los Angeles, CA want Boado to be prosecuted by the LA District Attorney to the fullest extent of the law, as well as to enforce a permanent revocation of his RVT license.
As reported in the LA Times: "Manuel Boado, 64, was discharged by the city's Civil Service Commission, which concluded that he failed to sedate the dogs he was trying to euthanize, brought dogs into a room with other dead animals and inserted euthanizing needles into jugular veins — a practice officials say was not permitted."
One shelter worker testified during the termination proceedings that she heard Boado tell a dog to "just die already," according to a report submitted to the commission. A second worker said he walked into Boado's work area and found two dead dogs on the floor and a third half-covered in blood. A third employee, animal care technician Carolina Martinez, said she became sick to her stomach working alongside Boado, where animals were "struggling, shaking and urinating." She said she had to temporarily leave the room at the West Valley shelter in Chatsworth.""It is totally unconscionable to add an element of fear if you're about to take an animal's life away," Brenda Barnette, the department's general manager said. By failing to provide sedation, putting live animals next to dead ones and yelling, Boado needlessly created a "fear factor" among animals being euthanized."
Barnette recommended Boado's firing, but did not consider referring Boado's case to the district attorney's office for prosecution, focusing exclusively on removing him from her department.
Under local, state and federal laws, Boada is guilty of animal abuse and should have been prosecuted by the LA District Attorney's Office. Please sign this petition encouraging the district attorney to pursue criminal charges against Manuel Boada, and to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.
We the undersigned request that the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office pursue criminal charges against former LAAS veterinarian technician Manuel Boado, for animal cruelty at a city shelter.
Even though Boada was subsequently terminated from working within the Animal Services Department for the aforementioned crimes, he not only continues to retain his RVT license, but as a city employee he can still be transferred to another department within our city government.
Per California Penal Code Section 597(a) animal cruelty is a violation punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, or by a fine of not more than $20,000 or by both the fine and the imprisonment. Therefore, the District Attorney’s Office is required by law to enforce the laws created to protect the animals in our city.
As taxpayers and concerned citizens, we find the lack of prosecution of Manuel Boada to be unacceptable, and strongly urge the District Attorney to initiate an investigation immediately, and to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
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