Bob Ferber

A 1977 graduate of Columbia Law School, Bob Ferber has served as a prosecutor for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for 24 years and currently supervises the Animal Protection Unit. His previous assignments included the creation and supervision of a special Vice Enforcement Unit that reduced Los Angeles street prostitution by 99% from 1981 to 1983. He also supervised the Anti-Gang Unit and was the first prosecutor in the nation to obtain civil court injunctions against street gangs as unincorporated associations, reducing neighborhood crime by 90%. This law enforcement tool is now used in cities nationwide.

In 2001, with support from L.A. city attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Bob created what he believes to be the first specialized animal welfare prosecution unit in the nation, the L.A. City Attorney Animal Protection Unit. In addition to supervising the unit and being the only prosecutor to exclusively prosecute animal cruelty cases, he is implementing a wide range of animal welfare projects, including humane education programs, legislation, service-animal protection programs, and major systemic changes in law enforcement to vigorously and successfully enforce animal welfare laws.

Bob notes that the first two gang injunctions in the nation and virtually all the achievements of the Animal Protection Unit would not be possible without the extraordinary efforts of dozens of law student externs and volunteers.

In addition to his official duties, Bob also rescues special-needs and so-called unadoptable dogs and cats, including a three-legged shepherd named Trapper who lost his leg in an animal trap, a three-legged cat and a cat with epilepsy. He is pictured above with his dogs Amy and Baron von Drooler, both of whom were going to be euthanized simply because of their breed. Amy and Baron now go to elementary schools to teach reverence for all life.