MINUTES
San Francisco Commission of Animal Control & Welfare
Thursday, April 17, 2014
1. Call to Order and Roll Call at 5:36pm
Commissioners present: Susanna Russo; Annemarie Fortier; Shari O’Neill, DVM; Jennifer Mieuli Jameson; Sally Stephens; Rebecca Katz; Russell Tenofsky; John Denny
2. General Public Comment
No public comment.
5. New Business (Note out of Order)
A. Coyotes. Discussion only to remind Commissioners and the public about how to be “coyote aware” in City parks, especially as the “pupping” season begins. Rob Ruiz, Chief of Marin County Parks will give a presentation about normal coyote behavior, what you should do if you encounter a coyote, and things to be especially careful of during “pupping season”.
Chief Ruiz - Thank you, Commissioners. I have worked for Marin parks for 32 years. Coyote is a member of the dog family, which includes dingos, wolf, canines. Native to North America. The coyote population grew when the early settlers started to eradicate wolves. In 1982, there were no coyotes in Marin because from the 1920s to 1970s, they were poisoned. I saw my first coyote in East Marin in 1995. Since then, there are many coyotes in Marin. He has a large triangular ears, run with tail down. They help control rodent population. They can eat 10 gophers a day. They scavenge the ecosystem. During the drought season, the scat from coyote has mostly fruit and vegetables. Also eat lizards.
(pictures of coyotes climbing tree for fruit, coyote scat)
Coyotes communicate by vocalizing, yelping. Maybe 30 vocalizations, but not much research, so hard to know what they are saying.
Lifecycle - December -Feb breeding. Feb - April den site location. April and May - birthing. May - August raising pups, September thru December dispersal. Where we see a lot of interaction between people and coyotes is during breeding season and when they are raising pups. They usually have 4-10 pups, but loose half of them before age six months.
Chicago has seen an increase. There may be 2,000 coyotes in that area now. In Marin, there might be 2-20 mountain lions. None in San Francisco.
Coyotes arrived in San Francisco about 2004. There were some coyotes in the park in San Francisco, who were killed, and genetic testing showed they came from Marin.
500,000 coyotes are killed each year (photos of killed coyotes)
Killing coyotes is counter productive, as the Alpha male and female mate. If the Alpha male is killed, then the other males are free to mate, which increases the population.
Lethal control does not lead to a “Super Coyote”, they are very smart and resilient animals.
In 1981 there was a girl in Southern California who was killed by a coyote. I believe the family was feeding the coyote. So one known case of a human killed by a coyote vs. about 20 people a year killed by domesticated dogs.
How to protect yourself - keep food inside, area lit. Walk dogs on leashes. Especially in Golden Gate Park, there seem to be a lot of dogs off leash. People must be careful as coyotes will protect their dens.
Appreciate coyotes and keep your distance.
To keep a coyote away, make noise and “haze”.
The mission of Project Coyote is to foster coexistence through advocacy.
Questions:
Stephens - Is there a time of day when there are more likely to be interactions with coyotes, people and their pets?
Ruiz - yes, around sunrise and dusk.
Officer Denny - What does it mean when you hear coyotes howling at night?
Ruiz - they might howl for location, for example, if they have found food. What sounds like 30 coyotes can sometimes can be only 2.
Commissioner Fortier - Outside of the pup season, do coyotes engage with dogs? My dog has chased them to try to play.
Ruiz - They can, they are the same family. But it is hard to know what they will do. Sometimes they can be friendly, sometimes very protective.
Commissioner Stephens - At SFDog, we tell people to keep the dog close to you, especially if they have poor recall. But it is not only at dawn or dusk, it can be anytime, correct?
Ruiz - They are active at all times. I brought pelts to demonstrate the difference between foxes and coyotes. The grey fox weighs between 7-10 points. The coyote is 20-40 pounds. It’s bigger.
Stephens - How big is a wolf?
Ruiz - a wolf can weigh up to 150 pounds, so much bigger.
Commissioner Tenosfky - Thank you for the presentation. I have only seen coyotes by themselves. Aren’t they pack animals?
Ruiz - They will travel with family members, pups, yearlings and a couple. But sometimes a juvenile will stay with the mother later.
Commissioner Tenofsky - Do they typically stay in the same area?
Ruiz - In San Francisco, they are still doing studies, so it seems that the territory is ½ mile to 24 miles.
Public Comment
Martha Hoffman, Feral Cat Program at Golden Gate Park. We have done huge reduction of cats in the park and people will ask if the reduction is due to the coyotes. But I tell them no, it’s because we take care of the cats. I have never had a problem with coyotes in the park.
Commissioner Stephens - I’d like to ask Martha a question about feeding protocol due to coyotes.
Hoffman - We feed in the morning. We never leave wet food. We even remove the dishes from wet food. We can leave dry food and water. The people I know who have had problems feed in the evening and leave food.
Richard Cooper, Telegraph Hill resident. There is a coyote who lives on Telegraph Hill, who has been there for about a year. Hazing can be overdone. Sometimes neighbors come out and haze, make noise, even when the coyote is not doing anything. We have to be careful how we use hazing, so as not to condition the animal to ignore the noise.
Ruiz - We want coyotes to know that humans are not a food source. It must be done in an educated way. They are very intelligent animals. Hazing always works, if there is a dangerous situation.
Commissioner Stephens - should we haze if we just see one?
Ruiz - You can blow a whistle. It is important to let the animals know that humans are not a food source. It depends on your own personal comfort safety zone. When they get into your personal safety zone, you should haze.
Commissioner Tenosfky - I think that coexistence is the key. It’s our world and their world, too.
3. Approval of Draft Minutes of March 20, 2014 Meeting
Minutes approved
4. Chairperson’s Report and Opening Remarks
A. Remembrance of Virginia Handley. She used to come several times a year to talk about legislation. She died on March 20 at age 68, of natural causes. She and her mother co-founded the Animal Switchboard information hotline in 1970, a resource for the public regarding animal issues and referrals. Virginia then became a lobbyist for animal welfare. Founded PAW-PAC in 1980 , a lobbying group for animal rights. Kept tabs on legislators votes.
B. Update on Commission Vacancies and Appointments to the Commission - There are three Commissioners who are up for reappointment - Russo, Fortier and O’Neill. If anyone is interested in applying, they can apply online. Anyone is welcome to apply.
No public comment.
5. New Business
B. Animal Care and Control Budget - ACC is chronically underfunded and understaffed. The budget has gone to Mayor, the Board is having hearings on the budget. April 30 is meeting on ACC budget. It is a public meeting and all Commissioners are welcome to come, to speak, but not to speak to each other so as not to create a quorum.
Discussion about letter to be sent to Mayor and Board of Supervisors urging funding for ACC.
Commissioner Russo - Could Rebecca Katz talk about the priorities for ACC?
Rebecca Katz - Staffing. We have been understaffed for a while. It’s hard to keep up when staff gets sick. When serious cases come it, that takes its toll. We have requested a PR position, as people do not know how we differ from privately funded organizations. The public does not understand open admission vs. selected admission. We struggle with that. We have requested funded for behavior training. It used to be a grant from a privately-funded organization, but now comes from Friends of ACC. There are not a lot of shelters that make elderly dogs available for the public, and we do. We provide the services that San Francisco want from us.
Another thing is disaster planning. We had funding for a disaster planner, but that funding was not renewed. We requested a part-time vet and another tech. No end to the need. The SPCA is an important partner of ours, and help us do what we do. Last year, we took in about 11,000 animals on a budget of $4.5million. Our partner took in 5,000 animals with an annual budget of $22million. We are very proud of our work.
No public comments
Motion to send revised letter to Mayor and Board of Supervisors approved.
6. Old Business
A) SFPD Vicious and Dangerous Dog (VDD) Unit. Discussion to urge the Board of Supervisors, Mayor, City Administrator and Police Chief to appoint a part-time contract person to serve as a Hearing Officer for VDD hearings. Sergeant Sherry Hicks has been appointed as Investigator. However, there is not a designated hearing officer, which might present the appearance of a conflict of interest. Letter has been drafted requesting a hearing officer from SFPD.
Officer Denny - I want to thank the Commission for all the support over the years. This stems from the tragic death of Diane Whipple, who was mauled to death outside her home. When homicide charges were issued, there was no record of past issues with these dogs. Upon investigation, it was found that there were at least 66 instances of aggression by the dogs.
After that case, dog bites and “near misses” were investigated by the VDD unit. Before that, often calls were ignored, or sent to ACC, who did not have the capacity to investigate.
SFPD Command Officer Joe Garrity - The SFPD Chief is very committed to the VDD unit. We have used them for search warrants, for education of officers. The department has an ordinance regarding dog bites. It will be revised, has been worked on for a while.
Officer Denny - The investigator and hearing officer must be separate roles.
Commissioner Russo - If things move forward, we would have an investigator but no hearing officer? What would be the point?
Commissioner Fortier - The issue is one of integrity. Our letter should state that without two separate roles, enforcement of any ruling might be subject to endless appeals.
Rebecca Katz - Maybe it is worth asking for an opinion from the City Attorney about the possibility of lawsuits that can be supported and follow due process.
Motion to approve revised letter urging independent hearing officer be assigned to VDD
approved.
Sergeant Hicks - I have worked with Officer Denny and was very impressed by the unit. I have been an instructor at the police academy. I am a dog owner, I have a lot of empathy for people with animals. The person in this position must be an animal lover, but also a people lover, too. I helped Officer Denny with a case involving a dog that was killed in Huntington Park. I was working at a station and had a lot to do, but I put out leaflets, and someone called me and that broke the case. I retire in nine years, and I look forward to building on the work that Officer Denny has done in the unit.
Public Comment - Rose Malendez, retired SFPD. It is very important that the public understands that the police department is there for them. It is important that the city maintain the unit. The unit gives the police department for community outreach.
Public Comment closed.
Motion approved.
B) Support for AB2140 - The California Orca Welfare and Dolphins in the Waters near San Francisco. Continuation of last month’s discussion and possible action to send a letter to the SF Board of Supervisors encouraging them to support the free and safe passage of all whales and dolphins in our coastal waters, the San Francisco Bay and its estuaries, and to encourage citizens to do all within their power to protect them and preserve their natural environment.
Commissioner Tenofsky - The Commission agreed that this is a positive step for the Commission. New letters of support from City of Malibu, which already passed a resolution. A letter of support from the International Marine Protection Project, very well known organization. The trainer of Flipper, the dolphin, wrote a letter of support. Supervisor Campos’ office was supportive and how to proceed. We are reaching out to various local organizations and our effort is gaining traction and support. All agree that the City of San Francisco should support the free passage of dolphins and whales.
Commissioner Stephens - My concerns are the same as they were last month, which is that there is not any particular issue that this resolution addresses, more a general sense of the city.
Public Comment -
Laura Bridgdman, Internal Marine Mammal Project. In my work, I also work with scientists, researchers and ethicists. I have done extensive research into studies, about 40 years of research and over those years we understand that Cetacean are much more intelligent than we believed. This resolution before you reflects the research of the top scientists in the field.
These beautiful creatures deserve this from us. So many stories, even back to ancient Greece, about dolphins helping humans in the water. When they see a human in the water, the person looks completely helpless, and help that person back to shore. We should return the favor and help secure safe passage for our waters.
Commissioner Fortier - What does this resolution do for the shipping lanes? What are the practical implications? How would this impact commerce?
Commissioner Tenofsky - It wouldn’t. Recently, shipping lanes were changed, specifically to help whales. Government, private organizations came together because they saw increased whale strikes and to protect the animals. As we discussed with the coyotes, we must find a way to coexist with these animals. Recently a grey whale was filmed in SF Bay, between Angel Island and Golden Gate Bridge. It is a very important time of year with whales migrating.
Public Comment closed.
Commissioner Fortier - I appreciate all the work that went into this. As I reflect on how I vote on this issue, which is an admirable one, I defer to more senior members of the commission who have experience. I wonder if other commissioners have changed their position on this measure.
Commissioner Stephens - Because there is not a specific issue being addressed, and that much is outside of SF jurisdiction, I worry that if we go to the Supervisors on this, we might push our credibility a bit. They might stop listening to us if we continue to come to them. But personally, I am supportive of the measure. And I do not want to stand in the way of the measure.
Commissioner Tenofsky - I want to reiterate that the Supervisor was very supportive, so must have thought it was important to take her time to meet with us, talk to us, returned our phone calls and lead us to other people who are supportive. I think this sends a very strong issue that these are issues that we are concerned about.
Commissioner O’Neill - I have similar concerns as Commissioner Stephens, there is not a direct impact, we just have an opinion.
Commissioner Jameson - I don’t see the harm. Why not go ahead with it.
Commissioner Fortier - If we were to come in front of the Board of Supervisors every month, we would lose our clout with them. Does this measure put us at risk of losing clout with the Board? I do not know. That is where I defer to the more experienced people. I would hate to take away the voice of the animals in our city when they do need us to speak on their behalf.
Commissioner Jameson - I think it would show that we are doing our job if we bring issues regarding animal welfare to their attention.
Commissioner Russo - I supported the measure last month and I continue to support this measure. I agree that this is my job to say that I am concerned about this. We represent the City of San Francisco and we believe that most citizen are concerned.
Commissioner Stephens - Something like this has come into the news a bit more with the Sea World legislation. So as long as we are not interfering with people’s activities, but asking people to be mindful of these animals that are passing through.
Commissioner O’Neill - Commissioner Tenofsky has done a lot of work, contacting organizations. And if we do send a letter, it may go nowhere.
Commissioner Tenofsky - I would like to address what I see as the two main issues. First, I think it is absolutely our jobs to bring forth whatever issues we think it is our duty. And I appreciate the idea that we should not bother the Board. But in my time here, we have not send any letters to the Board of Supervisors. Of course, we do not know what will happen in the future, but we should not let that stand in our way of doing the right thing. It seems something that most people already agree with, it only increases public awareness as sea life activity increases.
Resolution to send letter to the Board.
Resolution passes with support of all Commissioners.
7. General public comment.
No public comment.
8. Items to be put on the Calendar for Future Commission Meetings.
Commissioner Tenofsky - Other Commissions have social media sites. Is this something we could do?
Commissioner Stephens - We are not able to post to our website, but there is a webmaster for the City who controls it.
No public comment.
9. Motion to adjourn at 7:57pm
Motion to adjourn passed.
