MINUTES
San Francisco Commission of Animal Control & Welfare
January 15, 2015

 

1. Call to Order and Roll Call 5:35pm
Commissioners present: Annemarie Fortier, Shari O’Neill, DVM, Davi Lang, Sally Stephens,
Russell Tenofsky, Julene Johnson, Mirian Saez, Sherry Hicks

2. General Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Commission with comments or recommendations on
items within the Commission’s jurisdiction other than the items on the agenda at the beginning
or end of the meeting, but not both.
Unnamed - I would like to recommend that SF adopt the federal definition of service dog to
not include emotional service dog. Can I do anything to try to encourage that? I am a board
member in a condo association. We have an no dog rule, but someone moved in with a dog
and the person has a service animal and the person claims he does not have to follow the
rules. It is well known that people are abusing the service animal statutes.
No further public comment. Public comment closed.

3. Approval of Draft Minutes from the November 20, 2014 Meeting
No comments, approved.

4. Chairperson’s report and opening remarks
none

5. Commissioners’ Reports
Director Saez - Update on Animal Care and Control. I would like to thank the rescue
partners as we strive to achieve and acceptable adoption rate. The executive search update - the
city administrator’s office has posted a job description. It is hoped that the City Administrator’s
office will announce someone in February. Additional hires - We have added two shelter assistants;
five animal care officers hoping to start first week in February. One permanent technician. Animal
care behaviorist hired, which was formerly funded by friends of ACC now funded through ACC
directly. Vicious and Dangerous Dog - process completed, hearing officer hired. Another
veterinarian has been hired, and Sheri O’Neal will join ACC as the second veterinarian.
Commissioner O’Neal - I am very excited about this next phase of my career. However, I
must now resign my seat as there would be a conflict.
Commissioner Stephens - Thank you for your service to the commission. The seat that Sheri
holds is specifically for a veterinarian who practices in San Francisco, but does not necessarily live
in San Francisco.

No public comment. Public comment closed.

6. New Business
A) Sale of Ivory in San Francisco and Poaching of Wild Elephants. Recent investigations
have revealed that California ranks second in the nation for sales of ivory, with San Francisco
and Los Angeles leading the way. Wild elephants are being slaughtered in the wild solely for
their tusks to supply this market. The Commission will discuss what can be done to stem the
tide of ivory sales and educate people about the slaughter of elephants for their ivory tusks.
The Commission will also discuss what can be done in San Francisco to end the sale and
importation of ivory.
Commissioner Tenofsky - The State Assembly is bringing up the issue with AB96, with the
Assembly Speaker backing it herself. There was a ban on ivory since 1979, but since 1996,
ivory sales have doubled, due to loopholes in the original legislation. Other states have also
proposed bans, including New York and Washington. Locally, Supervisor Weiner has put
forth a board resolution to support and endorse AB96. Rosemary Alice is here to update us
on status of elephants worldwide. And a representative from Supervisor Weiner.
Adam Taylor from Supervisor Weiner - We are drafting a resolution to support AB96. We do
want to get a resolution through the board, which demonstrates support from an area that
is critical in the importation of ivory. We will update the commission on the expected dates
of discussion and approval.
Rosemary Alice, co-Founder March of Elephants and NASA software engineer - Thank you
for supporting this effort and supporting our march. These great beasts are leaving the
planet as we speak. (photos of dead elephants) Ninety-six elephants are killed daily to
support the ivory trade. (Photo of African clearing). There is a stream that traverses though
the salt like here. Elephants come here to talk to each other. Scientists have captured the
sound of animals speaking to each other. My 6, 2013 poachers killed 26 elephants including
4 calves. Calves are killed in order to draw out the mothers, who are killed for their ivory.
Forest elephants are the most vulnerable in Africa. Recent report by Save the Elephants
found that more than 100,000 elephants were killed in the last three years. Exctintion looms
within a generation. It is primarily China’s market that drives the trade, but the US is
second, with San Francisco second biggest market. The market has surged in recent years
in San Francisco. The laws are hard to enforce and much of the sponsorship of the trade is
sponsored by terrorists, who kill wild life and trade body parts in return for arms. Ivory sells
for $1200-$1600/pound in the black market. AB96 closes a loophole in previous legislation,
including ivory from all animals, including walrus and rhinoceros. I will leave you with a
song from the elephants, it is speeded up infrared sound. We cannot be the generation that
allows elephants to disappear from our planet. (audio played). Thank you for your time.
Abbey Tuller, Communication from SF Zoo. As you may know, SF Zoo is home to Ellie, 43
years old, the oldest black rhino in captivity. The zoo is proud of its work with black rhinos
during this critical time in their conservation. We support AB96. The goal of this bill is to ban
elephant ivory and rhino horns. At least one rhino each day is killed for his horn. It is a
$2billion industry. Much of the ivory trade is legal due to confusing laws. The law urges
other countries to ban the sale of ivory also.
Discussion of practical issues around goal of passing resolution that does not conflict with
the Board of Supervisors and/or State Assembly.
Proposal to send letter supporting AB96 to State Assembly and Board of Supervisors.
Public comment
unnamed speaker - Asking for support of AB96 and Wildlife Trafficking Bill the US Senate
has proposed. I have gone door to door around San Francisco seeking support for elephants
and the ban on ivory. Residents across the spectrum of race were shocked and saddened to
learn that these animals may become extinct. At one point, I found an old man at the shrine
for St. Francis in North Beach. When the old man finished the brochure, the old man pushed
aide all the papers about the shrine and invited me to put the brochures on the table there.
Regardless of background, people wanted to see San Francisco say no more of this.
Annie Govanderly - March for Elephants. I am in full support of AB96 and anything else we
can do to strengthen and support that bill to show the city, state and world that we want to
save the last elephants and rhinos.
unknown speaker - (presents folder to commissioners) We have suffered from a schizoid
situation where we are aligned with St. Francis and on the other hand, we are implicit in this
slaughter. It creates a subliminal guilty discomfort, which is good and bad. It is a good thing
because to get out from under that feeling, we are moved to action. When all the laws are
passed and we collect ivory being relinquished from people who own it, we should burn the
ivory and begin healing. One thing we need to worry about still, that is how to embrace the
Chinese community. (time)
unnamed speaker - We are currently undergoing the sixth largest world extinction. It is so
vitally important that we save these animals. Without them, the world will not be the same.
They exist for their own reasons, we need them for the environment and to balance our
nature and I want to pass AB96 and to help with the wildlife extinction problem that we
have brought up.
Maria Lucy Ellison - I did not prepare anything, I thought it was a march, but I wanted to
thank everyone for supporting this bill. I am here because I am an animal advocate. I am
here to support this bill because we have seen the facts that these animals will soon be
extinct if we do not take any action. If we think about our pets, we think of them with love.
We think of wild animals, but only people who work with them really understand them, but
we should think of them as beings, similar to the pets we have at home. They have feelings,
they have love, they have their families. We do not have the right to do something like this.
We must avoid the suffering. They are important to balance nature. Elephants dig holes,
which makes the soil wet because they dig so deep, other creatures can drink from the
water because the elephants dig so deep. They spread seeds. We need to live in harmony
with them. We see that the ivory demand in San Francisco driving the slaughter of
elephants, but not only the animals are dying, people are dying, too.
No further public comment. Public comment closed.
Motion to send a letter to Assembly members Ting, Chew and Atkins and all the SF
Supervisors saying we support AB96 and want to go on record as supporting it.
Motion carries.

7. Old Business
A) Commission Presence on Social Media. Continuation of discussion of what kind of
presence the Commission should have on social media.

Commissioner Stephens - Commissioner Haines is not here, so we will postpone this until next meeting.

B) Sam Francisco Zoo Update. A representative from the Zoo will update the Commission on

recent changes at the Zoo including in the gorilla enclosure,
David Beauchin, SF Zoo - On November 7, we had an accident were a young gorilla was
killed while shifting into the building, she was caught under a closing door after darting under the
door. This animal was raised by the primate staff until she was six months old. At that time, she
was handed off to her grandmother, Biwang, who has been a successful surrogate for other
primates at the zoo. When she died, we took her into the enclosure so the other animals could see
that she was dead. We focused on the mother. We hired an outside consultant to investigate the
incident. Terry Maples came from Atlanta, where he has great experience with gorillas. The gorilla
exhibit is over 30 years old. Kabibi was the 5th infant raised there. Dr. Maples published a report
which made various recommendations including: buddy system for employees when transferring
animals; retrofit of existing doors; upgrade training program, we have hired new trainer;
recommended advisory committee of local animal professionals; back-up generator; installation of
emergency stop buttons throughout building; enhancement of maintenance inspections;
communication with the community. Many of these are done, although the advisory committee is
not done yet. Maintenance is ongoing. The facility had passed all AZA and USDA inspections at the
time of the incident. Any question about the keeper that day is being handled internally through
our own investigation. We have a number of geriatrics at SF Zoo. We limit breeding, so we end up
with not many young animals. In SF, we have the oldest polar bear, the oldest chimp, the oldest
black rhino. Part of our wellness program is to assess aging animals. Questions?
Commissioner Tenofsky - Do you have plans for further breeding of gorillas?
Beauchin - Our association does have a breeding program that is reassessed every two
years. The goal for gorillas is 200 individuals, but we have recommendation to breed more.
Commissioner Tenofsky - Can any of us have a tour of the zoo?
Beauchin - Yes, sure.
Commissioner Johnson - Can you describe some of the enrichment that you do, especially
with the older animals?
Beauchin - Normally it is around food and feeding. For gorillas, it includes scatter feeding,
ropes. Changes in the set-ups is a big part of it, different combinations of animals. Some of them
enjoy videos, but it varies. I don’t encourage technology, I prefer promoting interaction among the
animals. For Biwang to care for an infant was very enriching.
Commissioner Stephens - There used to be places in the enclosure where people would be
above the gorillas, which is very unsettling for the gorillas. Those areas are now closed.
Beauchin - We have had the goal to raise the animals and not have them surrounded on all
sides of them.
Commissioner Johnson - Does the zoo have a long-term plan to do something with the
gorillas? Do primates belong in a zoo? Does the zoo think about this.
Beauchin - There is not a plan to discontinue working with gorillas. We may move away
from chimps, but not primates.
Commissioner Johnson - The National Institute of Health has said they will move away from
working with primates. I was wondering if the zoo was doing something similar.
Beauchin - There is a movement to re-home chimps who had been pets.
Commissioner Tenofsky - The NIH recently retired most of their chimpanzees to sanctuaries
in Florida.
No public comment. Public comment closed.

8. General Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Commission with comments or recommendations on
items within the Commission’s jurisdiction other than the items on the agenda at the beginning
or end of the meeting, but not both.
Unnamed speaker - I am concerned about the way animal safety is treated in San
Francisco. Specifically, a dog in my neighborhood named Destiny owned by Robert Washington.
Destiny attacked a dog in 2012. VDD hearing deemed him dangerous. July last year, another dog
was attacked, the dog suffered severe injuries. The owner of the injured dog was also injured. The
owner of Destiny did nothing to intervene. There was a hearing about this matter and 15 people
from the neighborhood spoke on this matter. It is a considerable concern in the neighborhood. At
the hearing, Mr. Washington was defiant that his dog was not viscous or dangerous, he refused to
leash or muzzle his dog, feeling it is an unfair curtailment of her enjoyment of life and told the
hearing officer that if he said he would muzzle his dog, it would be a lie so he refused to even
make the promise. Officer John Denny, the hearing officer at the time, assured us that that the
system had failed us and would not let this happen again, issued a determination that Destiny, who
was at the time in custody, would have to be put down. The neighbors view this at a shame, but
given the owner’s attitude, was the only option. I left town for two weeks, returning to find that
Destiny had been returned to her owner. That the cost of storing her by the city had been waived
and all this due to the threat by the dog owner that the city would be sued. I investigated this and
was told by City Attorney Bumgartner….(time called)
Commissioner Tenofsky - what part of the city and what dog park was this?
Sergeant Hicks - Prescita park.
Commissioner Fortier - Sergeant Hicks, can you tell us where this case stands?
Sergeant Hicks - I encouraged all the people in the neighborhood to go to the hearing and
lend their voices. The dog owner was not cooperative, did not want to prevent further injury to
other dogs. The process went through, the decision was made, but was curtailed by the City
Attorney’s office who put a stay on the destruction of the dog when the owner promised to muzzle
the dog. But the dog owner is not cooperative still. Even though ACC supplied him with a muzzle. It
is still ongoing. And I have not forgotten this case.

Commissioner Stephens - this issue was not on the agenda, so we cannot talk about it too much.

9. Items to be put on the Calendar for Future Commission Meetings

Public comment -
Unnamed comment - will the AB96 follow-on discussion be added to the agenda?

Commissioner Stephens - the agenda will be posted a week before the meeting. And the
public can recommend items at any time and if a commissioner decides to take up the issue, it will be added.

10.Closing Review of Task Allotments and Next Steps

11.Adjournment 6:58pm