Juveniles Sentenced to spcaLA for Violence "Cure"

Your spcaLA and the Juvenile Division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office have united to bring spcaLA’s award winning  violence prevention program to the Los Angeles juvenile system. This mandated, alternative sentencing program,  jTLC™.works by re-instilling empathy into teens with the aim of "curing" violence.

In a  two-day, court-mandated course, teens are paired with shelter dogs and offered intensive sessions designed to help at-risk youth identify and break the cycle of violence.  The jTLC™ candidates are carefully selected by the District Attorney’s Office along with the Juvenile Court judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys. 


These children learn coping and anger management skills and gain self-esteem with the help of our shelter dogs. We instill in them compassion and empathy – which steers them into a more positive direction.


For the last two years, spcaLA has pilot-tested the jTLC™ program with juvenile offenders from communities like Long Beach and Sylmar.   80% of the offenders have avoided trouble and have not, to date,  re-offended.  jTLC™ is unique to spcaLA and Los Angeles County.  Other communities, like New York City, have inquired about the program and how they can introduce it into their own juvenile systems.


“As an animal lover, retired Police Sergeant and currently Los Angeles County District Attorney Juvenile Offender Intervention Program (J.O.I.N.) hearing officer, I knew from experience and studies that the direct correlation between animal cruelty and domestic violence, child abuse, bullying and school fights is factual,” said Lianne Osendorf.  “The cycle of abuse will continue unless there is intervention to break the cycle. The collaboration of the LA DA and spcaLA to bring awareness and intervention to these minors is a major step in doing just that. Thanks to Melanie Wagner, Director of Humane Education, and her staff and some very caring District Attorneys the program has been a phenomenal success.  With few exceptions the minors that participate come away from the experience with new found respect for animals and people. The weekend class focuses on teaching minors how damaging abuse can be not only to animals and people but also to the person inflicting the abuse.”


jTLC™ attendees range from teenage girls who were convicted of bullying to an animal abuse offender who, at 8 years old, was bullied by his brother to injure a rabbit.  Now at 14 years old, he was sentenced to jTLC™ for hitting a dog in the head with a brick. 


Just as violent offenders learn how to desensitize their natural feelings of empathy by abusing animals, we can turn the tables and put it right back in!


People always ask me why do I spend my time insisting that we be kind to animals when there is so much violence against people in the world. My response is that articulated in the 1870s by George T. Angell - "I am working at the root of the problem."

Is This News to Anyone?

courtesy spcaLA -rescued from breeder

NBC just reported that "AKC-registered breeders raising dogs in 'miserable" conditions". Really?

What do AKC (American Kennel Club) breeders, puppy mills, pet shops, professional breeders, and opportunistic breeders (those that cater to fads or animal movie stars) have in common?  They profit from the sale of these pets. Ergo, the more they invest in care and husbandry the less the profit or the higher the prices must be. Essentially, the pets are considered inventory and not feeling, suffering living things.

Consumers are outraged when they spend a small fortune for a registered, certified and papered pure bred that either dies shortly after purchase or requires costly medical care with no promise that there will be no lingering disabilities. What do you expect if neither the mother nor the puppies, while living in filth, receive proper nutrition and essential medical care. Even the "bargain hunters" who will hand over thousands of dollars to a guy selling "discount puggles" from the back of a truck will demand justice after the dog dies within hours after the transaction. Really? It reminds me of the fellow selling Rolex watches for $5.00 on the streets of New York City. Do you really expect it to tell time?

Over 20 years ago in New York, I, as a novice in this business,  had access to the back rooms of the Westminster Dog Show and was disgusted by what I saw. I did what I could then but also requested  that Roger Caras, the voice of the show, step down from that position once he became President of the aspca as the conflict seemed obvious and the optics looked worse!

courtesy spcaLA

Enough already. We must stop creating a demand for these AKC type pets so the suppliers dry up. There are plenty of dogs and cats, pure and mixed, in shelters around the world who need homes today.

This deplorable situation is not news. Consumers using their buying power to change things would be.