Marcia Mayeda, Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2025

CONTACT: Christopher Valles, accpio@animalcare.lacounty.gov

Distemper Outbreak Remediated at
the Lancaster Animal Care Center

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) is pleased to announce the distemper outbreak from mid-July to November 6 at the Lancaster Animal Care Center (ACC) has been remediated. The Lancaster ACC is steadily returning to standard operations.

The health and safety of the animals in our care and in the community is our top priority. When DACC identified cases of canine distemper, a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease, it took immediate action. This included emergency measures to prevent further spread of the virus and to protect the overall dog population. DACC’s veterinary leadership continues to closely monitor the health of the dogs in our care and collaborates with veterinary medicine specialists from UC Davis, the ASPCA, and community partners in defining its approach.

Canine distemper spreads easily in a shelter environment and has no cure. Dogs who become severely ill often experience significant and irreversible suffering. They also serve as sources of infection to new arrivals, who can die from the disease. Family pets that become lost and are brought to the ACC were in danger of exposure and subsequent fatality.

To contain the outbreak, safeguard healthy animals, and prevent long-term harm to the wider community, DACC had to make the extremely difficult decision to humanely euthanize dogs who were gravely ill, tested positive for distemper, exhibited symptoms of the disease, or who could not be safely quarantined.

These decisions are heartbreaking for our staff, volunteers, and everyone who cares about animals. They are made only when absolutely necessary and always with expert veterinary guidance. As our guiding principle, we strive to do the most good for the most animals — even when the choices before us are incredibly difficult. Protecting the larger population sometimes requires actions none of us want to take but are necessary to prevent greater suffering. Our focus remained on stopping the outbreak, which was steadily increasing, so we could return to normal operations and continue saving lives. This approach is consistent with best practices in animal shelter medicine.

Status of Operations:

• Continued Monitored Testing for Animals in Our Care: DACC is actively testing animals that exhibit symptoms of distemper, providing treatment if medically reasonable, and providing booster vaccines for pets that have been in our care for longer than two weeks.

• Enhanced Cleaning and Biosecurity Protocols: DACC continues to implement rigorous cleaning measures and reinforce strict biosecurity protocols.

• Resuming Dog Surgeries: To prevent the spread of the disease, DACC temporarily suspended spay/neuter surgeries. Now that the instance of illness in the population has dramatically reduced, DACC has resumed performing spay/neuter surgeries. Pet owners who adopted dogs during the suspension of surgeries are encouraged to contact any of the County’s seven animal care centers to schedule an appointment for their pet provided they have not shown any symptoms. DACC will also be following up to ensure the adopted dogs are spayed or neutered.

DACC would also like to take this opportunity to commend our dedicated staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment to maintaining a healthy environment for the dogs in our care during this challenging time.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our team and the support of our community, we have made significant progress in rectifying this situation,” said Director Marcia Mayeda. “We urge all pet owners, especially those in Lake Los Angeles and Lancaster, to take immediate action to vaccinate their pets with the DHPP vaccine if they have not already done so, as this is the best way to protect them from this disease.”

DACC remains committed to the health and safety of all animals and encourages the community to stay informed and proactive in pet care, especially regarding vaccinations. Low-cost vaccination clinics as well as information on DACC’s Vet@ThePark wellness events can be found at https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/vaccinations/.

About the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC)

DACC is one of the largest animal care and control agencies in the nation, operating seven animal care centers and providing services to more than three million residents and their pets. DACC operates under the nationally recognized Socially Conscious Sheltering model to ensure the best possible outcomes for animals and the community. As a community resource center for pets and owners, DACC protects people and animals from harm, provides care for lost and unwanted animals, reunites lost pets with their families, and strives every day to move closer to its goal of finding a loving home for every adoptable pet that comes through its doors. To learn more about DACC, the resources DACC provides, and view its animals, visit https://animalcare.lacounty.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). To support DACC’s efforts, please donate to the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation at https://lacountyanimals.org/. To learn more about Socially Conscious Sheltering, visit https://scsheltering.org/.