The shelter pet industry in Los Angeles County is not for the faint of heart. Each day 50–100 animals on average arrive at the larger County of Los Angeles animal care centers unsure of where they are and why they are there. It can be frightening for them–new people, new animals, new environment and undoubtedly a much smaller living environment than they may be accustomed.
After receiving their medical exam and vaccinations upon arrival, they are photographed so that they can be seen online and then placed in an appropriate housing area in hopes their owner will be in soon to claim them. Sadly, that does not happen very often so DACC staff and volunteers find themselves having to create new and innovative solutions to help find these forgotten pets new homes.
It appears that this creative energy is paying off with the release of the latest live release and euthanasia figures from the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC), the largest animal care and control agency on the United States.
DACC’s fiscal year 2011-2012 figures show a live release rate of 61.82 percent, up from 57.96 percent in fiscal year 2010-2011 and 55.76 percent in fiscal year 2009-2010.
“We attribute this to the tireless work of our animal care team, both staff and volunteers,” said Marcia Mayeda, DACC Director. “It is an arduous task to simply manage the large numbers of animals entering our animal care centers every day from the community. But our team realizes the necessity to put on the match-making hat when the public visits to facilitate good, life-long adoptions. Frequent off-site adoption events, shelter pet transports, marketing and networking efforts by volunteers and our more the 250 rescue partners who stand with us each and every day are just some of the reasons we are realizing increased adoptions and less euthanasia.
Euthanasia figures are on the decline at 37.32 percent in fiscal year 2011-2012; down from 41.08 percent in fiscal year 2010-2011 and 43.38 percent in fiscal year 2009-2010.
DACC encourages all pet owners to spay or neuter their pets to help reduce the immense pet over-population epidemic that leads right to the animal care center’s front door. The Department shares the ideas that responsible pet ownership includes, but is not limited to:
- Spaying/neutering pets
- Providing daily love and care for their emotional well being
- Vaccinations to prevent disease, including rabies
- Licensing and micro-chipping, which is their ticket home should they become lost in the neighborhood
- Regular exercise to promote lifelong good health
“ We have so much to be thankful for, but our work is not done," Mayeda said. "We continue to work tirelessly to meet our goal of not having to euthanize any adoptable shelter pet. We appeal to our communities to please help us meet this goal by spaying/neutering their pets,”
