Finding help for animals in Los Angeles County can be confusing. There are more than 14 animal care and control agencies and humane societies, each serving specific jurisdictions. Some operate multiple animal shelters. Each is limited to enforcing laws within their designated jurisdiction, but animals don’t understand jurisdictional boundaries and can wander into the next jurisdiction where their families won’t look for them.

For people, trying to understand which agency serves a particular area can be daunting, and can interfere with their ability to access resources. For example, a Good Samaritan finds an injured animal when they’re driving and will take it to the closest animal shelter. However, they may have crossed a jurisdictional line, and that shelter may ask them to take it to the correct shelter so the family can find it. Other animal lovers may see animals that are abused or neglected but report it to the wrong agency who doesn’t have the authority to act. These situations, and others, can cause delays in getting emergency help for the animals and reuniting lost pets with their worried families.

Read this blog to understand the network of LA County’s animal shelters and find a useful tool to get help for your animal issues right away!

Why So Many Animal Shelters?

Los Angeles County is more than 4,000 square miles and is the most populous county in the United States, with approximately 10 million residents. This geographical size and population level requires many animal shelters to provide services. The county’s unincorporated area is more than 2,600 square miles and the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) has responsibility to serve the animals and residents of the unincorporated areas. The remaining approximate 1,400 square miles contain 88 incorporated cities. Incorporated cities are responsible for providing animal control and sheltering services for their own residents. To do this, many incorporated cities contract with established animal sheltering agencies to provide these services as it is more cost effective than operating their own department and animal shelter. DACC provides animal control and sheltering services to 45 incorporated cities, including one served by Ventura County, but there are dozens more that obtain services in other ways.

Understanding Jurisdictions

Probably the greatest source of public confusion is understanding the difference between DACC and the City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Services (LAAS). LAAS operates six animal shelters within the city limits of Los Angeles. They are a completely different agency than DACC and exclusively provide services to the city of Los Angeles.  DACC has no authority to enforce animal laws or respond to request for service within the city of  Los Angeles. Animal control officers do not have statewide law enforcement authority as do sheriff deputies or police officers and their authority is limited to their jurisdictional areas.

DACC operates seven animal care centers throughout LA county, where animals from unincorporated areas and contract cities are admitted and cared for. We enforce all local and state animal laws in these areas.

Further, there are unincorporated areas that may be surrounded by incorporated cities. DACC still serves the unincorporated areas in most cases but may in turn contract with a closer animal sheltering agency to provide these services for DACC because it is more convenient for residents. A good example is the large unincorporated area of Altadena. DACC contracts with Pasadena Humane to provide animal control and sheltering services for Altadena as well as the areas of La Crescenta, East Pasadena, and San Pasqual,  because they are much closer  to Pasadena and much more convenient for residents.

There are other city municipal animal control organizations independently serving the cities of Long Beach, Santa Monica, Burbank, and other smaller cities. The Southeast Area Animal Control Agency (SEAACA) is a joint powers authority (JPA) that provides services to 14 cities located southeast of Los Angeles.

Finally, there are nonprofit humane societies and SPCAs that are contracted to provide services to some cities. These include the spcaLA, the Inland Valley Humane Society and SPCA,  Pasadena Humane, and the San Gabriel Vally Humane Society.

For a visual representation of the various jurisdictions, click here.

How do I Get Help for an Animal?

Good news – you don’t have to memorize 88 cities, more than 120 unincorporated county jurisdictions, and 14 animal sheltering agencies! DACC provides an Animal Care Service Area Locator on its website. Just type in the address, city, or zip code and it will tell you what agency services the area, with that agency’s contact information. You can find it here: https://locator.lacounty.gov/animal/shelters. Save this link and share with your animal loving friends – you never know when you might need this information in a hurry.

Navigating the maze of animal shelter jurisdictions in Los Angeles County can be overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. With a little understanding and the right tools, you can make sure animals in need get help quickly and are reunited with their families faster. Whether you’re reporting a stray, rescuing an injured pet, requesting a response to animal cruelty, purchasing a license for your pet, or trying to find your lost companion, knowing which agency to contact is critical. Bookmark the Animal Care Service Area Locator, keep it handy, and help spread the word—because when it comes to saving animals, knowing where to turn is just as important as knowing how.

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 www.lacountyanimals.org.