David Zahniser reported in this morning's Breeze that Mayor Villaraigosa's deputy chief of staff, Jimmy Blackman, gave Guerdon Stuckey the word that he's out as head of the Animal Services department. Stuckey, hired just last year by then-mayor Jim Hahn, has been the principal target of the protests recently by the Animal Defense League and Animal Liberation Front. Writes Zahniser:

Stuckey's employment status had been a subject of speculation among animal activists since Monday, when he failed to show up for a meeting of the animal services commission. A spokeswoman for the department would not provide access to Stuckey or say whether he is being forced out.

"We were advised not to disturb him today," said department spokeswoman Karen Knipscheer.

Zahniser's scoop is attributed to "one high-level city official familiar with the situation."

* Meanwhile: The City Council's agenda ran on so long today (because of recent recesses) that the rules committee meeting where they were going to take up next year's recess schedule had to be canceled. 3:30 pm