The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) is excited to announce a special collaboration with WeRateDogs and the 15/10 Foundation.

This unique collaboration will waive adoption fees for all German Shepherds and German Shepherd mixes age 1+ at all DACC animal care centers, with adopters only responsible for the dog license. DACC and WeRateDogs will especially focus on promoting seniors. Adoption fees will be waived for the entire month of February.

Matt Nelson, founder of WeRateDogs, a social media account boasting over 20 million followers across all platforms including Instagram, X, and TikTok, initiated his first GoFundMe for a dog in need in 2016. Since 2017, the WeRateDogs community has been fundraising every Friday, raising over $2 million to help families pay for their dogs’ medical bills.

On Aug. 8, 2020, Matt adopted Doug from Deity Animal Rescue (one of DACC’s Adoption Partners.) Doug was a10-year-old German shepherd with severe ear infections and arthritis, who did not get along with other dogs. Despite his challenges, Doug proved to be an incredible pet, and an instant star. Motivated by his experience, Matt established the 15/10 Foundation, addressing the needs of shelter dogs with behavioral or medical challenges. Sadly, Doug passed away in late 2023, but his life and popularity as the “CEO” of WeRateDogs had a profound impact in changing the conversation around shelter pets and the challenges they face.

The 15/10 Foundation recently approached DACC with an initiative to support senior dogs, and DACC expresses immense gratitude for this opportunity to assist in finding homes for adoptable senior pets. The name of this special campaign is “Doug’s Buds,” in honor of Doug, and the impact he had in showing people the value of giving senior pets a chance.

“The 15/10 Foundation and WeRateDogs has harnessed the power of the internet to make life-changing differences in the lives of pets and their owners,” said DACC director, Marcia Mayeda. “This partnership is a tremendous opportunity to remove some barriers to adoption, and show a larger audience that our animals have the potential to earn top marks as family pets.”

“We are so excited about our partnership with DACC. We are confident our audience’s longtime online support will carry over to the real world and make a difference in L.A. County shelters,” said WeRateDogs founder Matt Nelson. “We promised Doug we wouldn’t let him down, and this is a wonderful step to ensure that. Adopting a senior dog was the most rewarding experience of my life. I hope many other families begin the same journey this February.”

Studies show that Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to adopt their next pet than any other age demographic, making social media outreach critical to promote pet adoption and promote shelter animals. While DACC has numerous longstanding partnerships with local media such as radio, broadcast and print, a collaboration with WeRateDogs represents a new frontier, expanding the Department’s influence on social media and allowing it to reach a larger audience of potential adopters.

For more information and to view our adoptable pets, please visit www.animalcare.lacounty.gov.

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 www.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 www.lacountyanimals.org. To learn more about Socially Conscious Sheltering, visit https://scsheltering.org/.