The County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors approved a mutual assistance agreement today between their county animal control department and the non-profit animal welfare agency, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, also known as the spcaLA.

“What this means is we have mutually agreed with the spcaLA, an agency we’ve worked cooperatively with over the years, on the generalities involving assistance and resource sharing in times of emergencies here in the county,” says Marcia Mayeda, Director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control.

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“The agreement addresses issues such as record keeping, indemnification and other important issues pertinent to fulfilling joint agency tasks,” Mayeda shared.  “I owe a debt of gratitude to spcaLA’s President, Madeline Bernstein, who worked diligently to make this concept a reality,” Mayeda said.

“Although brush fire evacuations seem to top the list of our disaster response incidents,  we must also stand ready to respond to earthquakes, large animal evacuations, terrorism, floods and other natural and man-made emergencies,” stated Mayeda. “Our partnership with the spcaLA infuses more trained staff and volunteers and emergency equipment into our operation enhancing our ability to respond and deploy into the communities more efficiently and effectively during a disaster.”

The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control will be approaching other area animal services agencies and encouraging them to join this unprecedented mutual aid agreement among animal welfare agencies. “With intersecting jurisdictions and bordering service cities, these types of agreements make good sense,” Mayeda said. “A disaster or emergency knows no boundaries.”