The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC) was recently honored to receive a coveted Top 10 Award from the Los Angeles County Quality & Productivity Commission (QPC) at their 38th Annual Productivity & Quality Awards ceremony on October 15, 2025. This prestigious award was for DACC’s outreach initiative, Vet@ThePark.

A Community Crisis

Many pet owners in Los Angeles County, particularly in underserved communities, face significant barriers to accessing veterinary care. These challenges include financial hardship, lack of transportation, and limited access to affordable veterinary services. The shortage of veterinarians in practice and increasing veterinary costs due to economic factors and private equity purchases of veterinary hospitals contributed to these cost increases. The increase in veterinary costs resulted in an increase in pet surrenders because owners could not afford to provide necessary medical care for their beloved companions. Without intervention, this trend of the heartbreak of pet families forced to surrender their pets will continue to grow.

DACC Rises to the Challenge

To combat these obstacles DACC created Vet@ThePark, a mobile outreach program that brings free pet wellness services directly to parks and community venues. Free services and supplies include rabies vaccinations, general core wellness vaccines, microchipping, deworming, and the distribution of pet food and supplies. The program is primarily funded by the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation (Foundation), with support from grant partners such as ASPCA, Petco Love, the Annenberg Foundation, and private donations. Because of County budget challenges, no public funds are allocated to support this program. Vet@ThePark serves up to 400 pets per clinic, at no cost to their families.

Two mobile veterinary clinics were purchased by the Foundation and are used at the events, which are staffed by County veterinarians as well as contracted veterinary professionals. DACC strategically schedules Vet@ThePark clinics across the County’s vast service area to maximize access. Serving all unincorporated Los Angeles County and the 100+ unincorporated communities and 45 cities that contract with DACC for services, Vet@ThePark has far-reaching geographical impacts for the pets and three million residents it serves.

DACC and Vet@ThePark as Community Resources

Vet@ThePark provides many benefits to the communities it serves:

•  Reduces Pet Surrenders: By addressing the root causes of pet relinquishment due to veterinary costs, Vet@ThePark helps keep animals in their homes where they are loved and wanted.
• Improves Animal and Public Health: Free vaccinations and deworming prevent the spread of disease in the community pet population. Low pet vaccination rates can lead to large geographically-based outbreaks of parvovirus, distemper, panleukopenia, and other fatal diseases. A vaccinated community pet population reduces the disease risks for all animals.
• Supports Underserved Communities: The program provides access to vital services that are often unavailable or unaffordable. Many communities do not have veterinary hospitals that are convenient to reach, and pet families often struggle with the cost of basic veterinary services. Vet@ThePark bridges these gaps in services and resources to keep pets healthy and with the families they love.
• Enhances Public Trust: Vet@ThePark builds stronger relationships between DACC and its residents through visible, responsive, and community-centered services. Gaining the public trust means DACC will be more likely to be called upon for assistance with observed animal cruelty cases, to rescue animals that are injured or in distress, and to obtain advice on pet caretaking. This elevates animal well-being throughout the community.
• Enhancing Care for the Most Vulnerable: Fewer owner-surrendered admissions at care centers allows DACC to focus its limited resources on those animals most in need, who do not have families to care for them and rely solely upon DACC for their protection, treatment, and placement into new homes.

Extraordinary Qualities and Outcomes:

Vet@ThePark demonstrates innovation by delivering services directly to communities. Unlike traditional models that require residents to come to an animal care center or a veterinary clinic, this program removes both transportation and financial barriers. It also represents a cost-effective model that operates at no additional cost to the County since it is entirely funded by grants and donations.

The Top 10 Award from the Quality & Productivity Commission is not just a trophy on the shelf — it’s a signal that a public-service program is doing something right: making veterinary care accessible, supporting pets and people, and strengthening the fabric of our community.

For the thousands of pets and owners who have already benefited from Vet@ThePark, this is a win. For the neighborhoods where pets and people are better connected and healthier, this is a win. And for Los Angeles County as a whole, this is a win in public service.

Vet@ThePark is a replicable model for public outreach that directly addresses basic yet essential pet needs, supports public health, and strengthens DACC’s ability to respond to community needs. Through strong partnerships, strategic planning, and targeted resource deployment, the program continues to make a measurable difference in the lives of animals and residents alike.

Marcia Mayeda

You can subscribe to Marcia’s blog here: https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/categories/directors-blog/

The Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 charity that raises money to support DACC in its mission of saving animals and keeping pets and families together. Learn more at https://lacountyanimals.org/