Animal Shelter

I'm glad Maxine Andrews-Laurell read and responded to my letter. I know I should have called the animal shelter by the time I got to where I was going, but I just didn't think about it. Besides, it was a Saturday morning, and no one is there on weekends, and I didn't think the shelter could do anything if the cat wasn't confined. I couldn't stop to rescue the cat myself because I was in heavy traffic that was moving fast. I appreciate Maxine's suggestions and I will remember to keep the phone numbers of the animal shelter and the police when I go out, and contact them the next time I come upon a situation like that again.

Laura Sturza MEETING AT 6:30 P.M. TUESDAY Major items to be considered: Airport Authority Commissioner Report Revising and establishing specifications for jobs in the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. Revising specification and classification of Animal Shelter Superintendent. Chandler Boulevard bikeway project update. Video playback for citizens during council meetings. Midyear work program update -- Burbank Water and Power.

Ryan Carter CIVIC CENTER -- On the heels of a recent high-profile dog-mauling trial in Los Angeles, city officials are looking into updating municipal code to deal with vicious dogs in the city. "We're still in the research mode, but it's certainly a possibility," Deputy City Atty. Jina Oh said of the proposal to deal with dogs that attack humans and other animals. Animal shelter officials said 20 to 35 reported dog-bite cases occur in the city each year.

It looks like the three members of the City Council -- Stacey Murphy, David Golonski and David Laurel -- are afraid that Bob Kramer is getting all the limelight. Put down you egos and let the man continue with the animal shelter where he has done a successful job. I don't see how those three could improve on what Kramer has done after looking at his track record with this project. One more thing I would like to add (Will Rogers, are you listening), Bob Kramer has done more for the citizens of Burbank in these past years that the whole bunch of you all put together.

Summer cooling centers offered The Park, Recreation and Community Services Department is offering public cooling centers to give residents relief from hot temperatures during the summer months. The McCambridge Recreation Center is open to give residents refuge from the afternoon heat. Senior citizens can visit the Joslyn Adult Center after 8 a.m. every day. For more information, call (818) 238-5300. Grant to benefit animal shelter The Burbank Police Department will utilize a $5,000 grant from the Walt Disney Co. to acquire improved equipment and housing for the city's animal shelter.

Mark R. Madler Higher fees for towed vehicles and medical care at the animal shelter were among the proposals made by the Burbank Police Department for the new city budget. While the Police Department's total budget has gone up $2 million from last year, the increased towing fees are expected to bring in about $10,000 more per year, and the vaccinations for dog and cats will bring in $32,000 more per year, Police Chief Thomas Hoefel said. The department's current budget is $32.9 million.

MEETING AT 6:30 P.M. TUESDAY CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS -- 275 E. OLIVE AVE. Major items to be considered: Application to permit 25 acres of movie equipment storage to airport adjacent property. Treasurer's quarterly report. Compensation for election officers and rental of polling places. Donations to Animal Shelter. Designating police and fire representatives to acquire federal surplus property. Approval of final tract map, 4447 Lakeside Drive.

I would suggest the $25 be returned. I certainly could use it to help pay the electric bill. As an aside, is anyone else getting tired of seeing Bob Kramer on Channel 6? I rarely view this channel anymore but tuned in yesterday. Nothing but "Mayor on the Street," "Best of Mayor on the Street," plus reruns of "Mayor on the Street," plus episodes kept repeating of the animal shelter. If they can't get him off since he is now ingrained, can't they give some opportunities to students at Burbank High or the other high schools?

Ben Godar The Burbank Animal Shelter, which officials say has lacked direction for more than year, might finally find its new superintendent among a group of seven applicants interviewing Tuesday. The shelter has been without a top administrator since December 2001, when longtime Supt. Fred DeLange resigned to run the Glendale Humane Society. The Police Department supervises the Burbank shelter, and in January, Capt. Gordon Bowers was assigned to oversee it after officials became aware that some administrative tasks were not getting done.

Ryan Carter A sign posted outside Pamela Miller's home reads, "No Trespassing ... All domestic animals are $15,000 each. Property is for sale for $1 million." Some said it was a symbol of Miller's devotion to her dogs. But for Burbank Police investigating Miller for keeping 86 dogs inside her home, it's a sad testament to misguided effort. After being seized July 26, the dogs were placed at the Burbank Animal Shelter and the privately owned Landmark Kennels across from Miller's house in the 100 block of West Linden Avenue.

A pair of inseparable dogs were adopted last week from the Burbank Animal Shelter only to be returned three days later, prompting reminders from shelter staffers that especially when it comes to pets, patience is a virtue. Molly, a 12-year-old fox terrier, landed at the shelter with Pica, a two-year old Chihuahua-beagle mix. Their former owner gave them to the shelter months ago before entering the hospital. The pair has lived at the shelter for seven months, but they're not alone.

Gypsy, a German shepherd mix who was brought to the Burbank Animal Shelter with an injured knee, earned her nickname “hero girl” after having to endure two more weeks of pain and a trip to an outside clinic for an X-ray. But soon, others won’t have to endure Gypsy’s trials. Veterinarian Centers of America Animal Hospital in Burbank this week kicked off a fundraising drive by donating $4,000 to the shelter for an in-house X-ray machine that should cut down on the diagnosis times and lead to faster treatment.

A new year may mean a new start for the critters at the Burbank Animal Shelter. Beginning this weekend, the shelter is expanding hours to be open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We have the largest number of visitors on Saturdays and we hope Sunday will do the same for us," said shelter Supt. Brenda Castaneda. Sunday hours were recommended during an audit of the shelter's services two years ago and Castaneda has been working to meet the suggestions. "We will evaluate how Sunday hours have worked in July," Castaneda said.

Children at Westminster Preschool learned just as much as their adult teachers about caring for puppies and kittens Monday. Eva Sippel, who is in charge of shelter community relations and volunteers, and seven members of the Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter brought several kittens and a Labrador puppy and talked about pet safety. The youngsters, ages 3 to 5, were shown how to approach a dog they don't know and how to hold and pet an animal. "I believe it's important to teach kids how to approach an animal so they are not afraid and they can learn what wonderful friendships exist between animals and people," said Sippel, who is a volunteer.

Days before animated feline Kitty Galore was scheduled to leave the Warner Bros. studios for the big screen, kitties galore prowled the company's Burbank lot. Fifty homeless animals visited the grounds Wednesday as Warner Bros. Studio Facilities officially made the Burbank Animal Shelter its pet cause. Workers in the division, which provides production and post-production services, helped organize a pet adoption event with a dozen animals finding new homes. That was just the beginning of the connection between the studio and the shelter.

DOWNTOWN — The City Council on Thursday moved to lessen the blow of proposed cuts to police, fire and library services, using a patchwork of other funding sources to stave off hiring freezes and program reductions. The moves are expected to prevent fire officials from enacting a temporary two-month station closure and freezing three firefighter positions, and would largely maintain the hours at the animal shelter and library. City Council members gave the go-ahead to use $1.44 million from a rainy-day fund and another $1.25 million in police and library funds to bridge the anticipated gap. Burbank officials began the budgeting process with proposals to freeze vacant positions, cut public services and raise service rates to bridge a projected $5.8-million overall budget shortfall for 2010-11.

BURBANK — Hundreds waited for hours at the most crowded dog vaccination clinic in the Burbank Animal Shelter’s history Saturday, with many hoping to take advantage of low fees, they said. Animal control officers had to order more vaccines to keep up with the high demand for shots during the two-hour clinic, which ran long after the planned 11 a.m. ending time as pet owners, their dogs in tow, continued to join the line at the headquarters of the Burbank Police and Fire departments.

The Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter are devoted to providing medical, social, behavioral and financial care for at-risk animals and are dedicated to eliminating animal homelessness in our community. The nonprofit organization has 70 volunteers in addition to 40 kitten foster parents who, according to the group’s president, Molly Stretten , have donated close to 6,000 hours of volunteer service in the first half of 2008 alone. To show their gratitude to all of the volunteers, especially Dr. Martin Small , a retired Burbank veterinarian who donates his services to the shelter, the organization staged a volunteer appreciation barbecue at Small’s beautiful hillside home Sunday.

Caitlyn Batchelor came home one day and asked her mother if there were any old blankets around. The Bret Harte Elementary School second-grader wanted to donate the blankets to Operation Blankets of Love, a volunteer organization that provides blankets and bedding to local animal shelters and rescue groups. “I feel bad for the animals, and I don’t want them to feel cold,” said Caitlyn, 8. She is one of several students at the school who contributed 212 blankets to the organization, which was started in January by Burbank resident Eileen Smulson.