Recently I had the opportunity, along with spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein and Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA President Nikole Bresciani, to meet with NBC 4 reporter Kathy Vara to discuss the current challenges facing animal sheltering organizations. The post-pandemic increase of dogs in...

By Director of Animal Care and Control Marcia Mayeda In March of 2022 my husband and I volunteered to provide foster care for a two-year-old female Great Pyrenees dog for the Great Pyrenees Association of Southern California Rescue. She had been found on the streets as a stray by a wonderful woman who...

By Marcia Mayeda One of my favorite sites on social media is the site called WeRateDogs. WeRateDogs asks pet owners to send photos of their dogs, then posts selected photos with humorous comments. Dogs are rated on a scale of one to ten, but always get an above-ten rating. The posts are always enjoyable...

Several years ago, I was walking our three dogs at the time, Isabella, a Great Pyrenees, Rebecca, a Golden Retriever, and Lucy, a Bernese Mountain Dog. In the middle of our walk, Isabella began having difficulty breathing. Her gums turned blue, she began vomiting, and collapsed. I was several blocks...

L.A. County Animal Care and Control Director Marcia Mayeda has released the December Newsletter, looking back at 2023. By Marcia Mayeda.  As we bid farewell to another remarkable year at the Department of Animal Care and Control, I extend heartfelt gratitude for your support in promoting the welfare...

Being an animal lover from my earliest memories, one of my favorite childhood movies was Dr. Doolittle. As you probably know, Dr. Doolittle was a veterinarian who had the magical gift of being able to talk to animals. Oh, how I wished I was able to do so as well! Unfortunately, this ability doesn’t...

Walking your dog can be one of life’s simple pleasures, offering exercise, bonding time and a breath of fresh air for both you and your furry companion. However, safety should always be a top priority to ensure a positive and enjoyable experience for both you, your pet and other people and animals...

Tips for Bringing Pets to the Office Last month I wrote about the benefits of pets in the workplace. Improved employee morale and engagement, work-life balance, recruitment and retention, and stress reduction in the workplace are just some of the many benefits to having pets at work. However, to make...

The Covid pandemic rewrote the social contract between employer and employee, creating new opportunities for work scheduling and locations. Employees discovered the benefits of working from home, achieving a better work-life balance by avoiding long commutes and other stressors associated with working...

Working in the animal welfare field can be an emotionally challenging career choice. Dealing with life and death situations, witnessing animal abuse and neglect and struggling with limited resources when there is so much need has caused many in this field to leave and pursue other types of work. However,...