July 22-24: L. A. County Animal Care and Control Celebrates National Pet Adoption Weekend – SCVNEWS. com
The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control will celebrate National Pet Adoption weekend This summer 22-24. Adopt a cat for as low as $10 and a dog for $50. See flyer below.
The department, a national leader in animal shelter management, was recognized in June 2022 by Best Friends Animal Society as ranking 10th out of 100 shelters nationally for improving its lifesaving of animals. It operates seven animal care centers in L. A. County. The centers are in Agoura Hills, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Castaic, Downey, Lancaster and Palmdale. The centers provide services to all unincorporated county areas, as well as 45 cities that contract for services. In 2021-22 the department cared for approximately 27, 000 animals.
Recent awards for its performance include: a 2021 Legacy Award from the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission for showing a commitment to program quality and productivity excellence; a 2021 National Association of Counties Achievement Honor for the implementation of progressive community-based services; and a 2020 California State Association of Counties Merit Award with regard to response to COVID-19. Some highlights of how the department provides care to animals consist of:
Population Management
• Closely manages the animal population to avoid overcrowding and animals remaining in its care for excessive periods of time. DACC’s population management program was developed in consultation with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program.
• Operates under the guidelines associated with Socially Conscious Animal Sheltering, a compassionate, transparent plus thoughtful model for how animal shelters can best support vulnerable animals in their treatment and in their communities. Learn more at: http://scsheltering.org/ .
• The department does not subscribe to the “no-kill” method of operating animal shelters because of the common resulting problems of overpopulation and disease outbreak in animal shelters, release of dangerous dogs to the public, and other unsafe management practices that jeopardize animal welfare and human safety. For more information on DACC’s position see: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/dacc-is-redefining-care/ .
• Offers alternatives to impoundment consisting of referrals in order to resources, free food and pet supplies, financial assistance regarding urgent veterinary care, and other necessary help to reduce the surrender of pets into DACC’s care and help keep pets and their families together. These services are funded by the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation (LACACF); see: www.lacountyanimals.org .
• Provides dog re-homing assistance through its partnership with Home to HomeTM, a free pet re-homing program that allows pet owners to find new homes for animals they can no longer keep. This reduces the number of owner-surrendered animals relinquished into DACC’s care. Find out more at: https://home-home.org/rehome/ .
• In collaboration with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals operates a foster system for underage, vulnerable creatures (mostly kittens) so they are not admitted into the care facilities but are instead promptly placed with trained foster volunteers who provide the necessary around the clock care until the kittens are old enough intended for adoption. This prevents the euthanasia of underage kittens who cannot thrive in an animal care center due to their undeveloped immune systems plus need for constant care. People interested in becoming foster volunteers can find information at: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/got-kittens /.
• The particular department’s Love at First Sight adoption program proactively identifies adoptable animals and makes them ready to go home the same day they available for adoption by quickly providing spay/neuter surgeries and microchip implantations. With Love at First Sight, DACC also eliminated the unpopular wait list system (which created delays in adopting animals) and now offers adoption to the first eligible party that appears in person and is ready to adopt immediately.
• Animal photos are uploaded in real time to the website so owners can better find a lost pet and interested adopters can find their new family member. Animals ready to be adopted are clearly labelled “Ready to Go Home. ” See: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/view-our-animals/ .
• Animal care center managers, behavior and enrichment staff and medical staff meet weekly to review the status of every animal and develop exit plans to help them get adopted or placed with rescue groups.
• Promotes its longer stay animals for ownership on social media and at offsite adoption events. Request are sent to animal rescue groups in order to assume care of these pets.
• Management and executive staff receive weekly reports of canines who have been in care longer than 20, 30, plus 60 days. Monitoring these animals helps ensure that exit plans are developed and adoptable animals may be placed into new homes. They also get weekly reports of creatures in special hold custody that cannot be immediately released, such as animals held pursuant to court orders or in custody pending the outcome of potentially dangerous/vicious dog hearings, to ensure these cases are brought to the quickest resolutions possible.
• Works closely with more than 300 nonprofit adoption partners (rescue groups) who collaborate with DACC to assume care of hard-to-place animals and place them into new homes. This includes all species, not just dogs and cats.
• Regularly transfers adoptable animals from its animal care centers with higher animal populations to animal care facilities with more available space so they may have added visibility and opportunities for adoption.
Animal Behavior and Enrichment
• Has a behavior and enrichment team that conducts dog play groups for dogs to safely socialize and exercise in play yards with other dogs. Dog play groups are excellent ways to discover each dog’s unique personality for successful placement and gives dogs much-needed opportunities for exercise, socialization, and de-stressing.
• Dog kennels are usually indoor/outdoor runs so canines can eat and drink in the indoor kennel plus eliminate in the outdoor kennel. Animal care attendants clean and disinfect each run daily and spot clean throughout the day. Cats can stretch and exercise using portals that will connect two or more cages, giving them greater opportunity for movement plus providing a separate litter box area from their cage where food and water are provided.
• Volunteers can exercise and socialize with all species of behaviorally sound animals within care. This may include walking, grooming, or just sitting quietly with a shy animal who wants companionship. The centers welcome anyone older than 16 years of age interested in volunteering, and more information can be found here: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/become-a-volunteer/ .
• Dogs exhibiting behavior that make them unsuitable to get adoption to the general public are closely evaluated. Whenever possible, they are placed with trusted re-homing partners who will provide conduct modification training, with the ultimate goal of placement with a permanent adopter. Dangerous dogs are not offered for rescue or adoption and are humanely euthanized to protect the safety of the public and other pets, allowing more space pertaining to adoptable and treatable animals to be cared for.
Medical Care
• Employs 13 veterinarians and 25 registered veterinary technicians to provide medical care for animals seven days a week.
• Each animal receives a medical exam, core vaccines, and flea/tick treatment upon arrival. Veterinarians conduct daily rounds and provide treatments as needed. Dogs and cats are spayed or neutered prior to adoption unless underlying medical conditions preclude the surgery.
• Works with private veterinary hospitals to provide emergency and after-hours emergency medical treatments for animals in the care.
• The Dreams Come True plan finances treatment at private veterinary hospitals for severely injured animals with conditions beyond the resources of the centers. This program is funded by donations to the LACACF. For more information see: https://lacountyanimals.org/services/dreams-come-true-fennec/ .
• The Grooming Gives Hope program provides grooming services by private groomers to groom excessively matted dogs. Often this grooming is medically necessary and reveals underlying wounds. It also greatly improves the dogs’ chances for adoption, turning dull and depressed dogs into exuberant adoption candidates. This program is also funded from the LACACF. For more information see: https://lacountyanimals.org/services/grooming-gives-hope/ .
Welcomes visitors to the animal care centers. Private adoption appointments are available to supply personalized adoption services. Information on our adoption process plus hours can be found here: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/adoption-hours/ .
Want to help creatures? Please donate to the L. A. County Animal Treatment Foundation at https://lacountyanimals.org/give/ .
The Castaic Animal Care Center is now open meant for in-person visits.
Castaic Animal Care Center
31044 Charlie Canyon Road,
Castaic, CA 91384
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