Newsroom

In the “Newsroom” portion of SEAACA’s website, articles and information relevant to animal control and SEAACA will be posted periodically providing information for the community.

Enjoy the Newsroom!


SEAACA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF SERVICES

In October 1975, with the founding cities of Downey, Norwalk and Pico Rivera formed SEAACA and since then, has provided animal care and control services to various cities. Today, SEAACA proudly provides services for fourteen (14) cities.

Over the years, SEAACA’s team has continued to work tirelessly to protect the health, safety, and welfare of both animals and people alike. SEAACA’s team, comprised of staff and volunteers, have demonstrated compassion and commitment. Collectively, with the support and collaboration of the community and partnerships, SEAACA’s team continues to strive to evolve animal care and control services to meet the ever-changing needs of the community and their pets.

To celebrate this occasion, SEAACA is promoting dog and cat adoptions, one day past the available date for fifty dollars ($50). (Some adoptions may require a spay/neuter deposit. Inquire with SEAACA for details, promotion ends November 29, 2025).

SEAACA Executive Director, Denise Woodside said, “This is a milestone we celebrate as a community, not because the agency has reached the milestone of fifty (50) years of service, but because SEAACA and the community, continue to collaborate to help stop pet overpopulation and find placement for pets in need. She continued, “Although progress is something to be proud of, there is growth to be made to help keep pets in their homes and find placement for homeless pets. We look to the community to adopt from SEAACA especially during the pet’s vulnerable time of need. It is important to take this moment to highlight that only an estimated thirty percent (30%) of people adopt from shelter organizations like SEAACA and the remaining, estimated seventy percent (70%) of pets are acquired from sources other than shelters. Denise concluded, “The community can have a direct impact on the number of pets in need by adopting from shelters like SEAACA and by spaying and neutering their pets to avoid unplanned litters.”

Additionally, SEAACA reminds the community to have current identification on their beloved pets. This helps SEAACA’s reunification efforts of pets and their families.

SEAACA is very fortunate to have animal lovers in the community who open their hearts and homes to pets in need. SEAACA looks forward to future, collaborative growth in efforts to increase animal lifesaving. SEAACA celebrates this milestone with the community and remains committed to protecting and serving the community through compassion, care, education, aligning resources and enforcement.

About SEAACA SEAACA (Southeast Area Animal Control Authority) provides animal care and control services for 14 cities in southeast Los Angeles County and northern Orange County, including Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Buena Park, Downey, Lakewood, La Palma, Montebello, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, South Gate and Vernon. SEAACA's Animal Care Center located in Downey reunites pet owners with lost pets and assists new pet owners with pet adoptions. SEAACA’s Animal Wellness Clinic, also located in Downey, spays and neuters adoption animals plus provides vaccinations and microchipping to the general public. For more information about SEAACA, please visit www.seaaca.org or call 562-803-3301.

12-Year-Old’s Program Brings Music and Heart to SEAACA’s Animal Enrichment Program

Downey, California (July 28, 2025)
The Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) announced today that it is adopting an innovative program called Wild Tunes founded by a 12-year-old Houston boy, Yuvi Agarwal. A nonprofit organization, Wild Tunes is dedicated to soothing shelter animals by encouraging volunteer musicians of all skill levels to play melodious instruments or sing for the benefit of shelter pets.

The program will officially launch at the SEAACA’s Care Center located at 9777 SEAACA Street, Downey, California on Friday, August 1st from 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. as media and public are invited to witness the launch of the program in California.

By performing live music and creating soothing melodies, Wild Tunes aims to help pets build a positive association with humans and increase their chances of finding forever homes.

"Music has the power to calm, connect, and heal," said Yuvi, an avid animal lover and talented musician. "Wild Tunes is a win-win opportunity that helps abandoned and stressed shelter pets associate humans with something good. When pets are routinely exposed to music, it helps them become more comfortable around humans, which ultimately increases their chances of finding forever homes. For the volunteers, it is a great way to practice their music and boost their confidence. "

SEAACA looks forward to partnering with Wild Tunes to introduce a new form of enrichment powered by music that has the potential to improve the experience for the animals, improve staff well-being, and enhance the involvement of volunteers.

“Learning about Wild Tunes and its benefits instantly piqued my interest and I wanted to learn more about the program and how to incorporate it at SEAACA to benefit the animals in our care.” stated SEAACA Executive Director, Denise Woodside.

She continued, “We are grateful to Yuvi and the Wild Tunes Team for their efforts to expand and launch the innovative program here in California. Wild Tunes comes from a place of care for the animals and support for dedicated shelter teams like SEAACA. We are sincerely appreciative of their collaborative efforts, and we are hopeful that this will create additional exposure for the wonderful pets at our Care Center.”

Dr. Anastasia Stellato, a researcher and assistant professor at the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, explores ways to improve animal welfare by measuring and observing animals to gauge their emotional states.

“I think it would be great for people to recognize the significance they have, even if it’s a passive interaction, especially in shelter environments,” Stellato said, explaining human presence can help reduce stress in shelter animals.

The idea for Wild Tunes came about when Yuvi noticed how his music helped calm his dog, Bozo, and he wanted to extend the same soothing experience to shelter animals. Yuvi officially launched the program in the spring of 2023 and is now an integral part of volunteer programs in four states – Texas, California, Colorado, and New Jersey.

"Over the past two years, it has been heartwarming to witness the transformative impact of Wild Tunes, not only on the shelter animals, but on the entire ecosystem – volunteers, staff members, visitors, and the community at large. The presence of a human and the sound of live music create a sense of happiness and act as a conduit to build relationships of comfort and trust,” said Priyanka Agarwal, Executive Director of Wild Tunes and Yuvi’s mother.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the SEAACA to offer live music as an alternate form of enrichment for the pets and the shelter eco-system, bringing musical joy and comfort to everyone in its eco-system,” she said.

Yuvi hopes to expand Wild Tune's footprint to even more animal shelters nationwide, combining music and advocacy to improve animal welfare.

To join the Wild Tunes program at SEAACA, volunteers must first sign up with Wild Tunes, where they will learn about the next steps in onboarding into the volunteer program of SEAACA.

To learn more about Wild Tunes, visit www.wildtunes.org. To learn more about SEAACA, visit seaaca.org

Second California Adopt-a-Pet Day Finds Homes for Nearly 5,000 Pets

After another successful year with thousands of animals adopted into loving homes, the statewide event will return to California in June 2026

July 9, 2025

Sacramento, Calif.– The California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals), the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA), and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that nearly 5,000 animals were adopted into loving homes as part of the second California Adopt-a-Pet Day on June 7, 2025, making for another hugely successful statewide event. The ASPCA provided funds to waive adoption fees at most participating shelters.

A total of 148 animal welfare organizations across 212 event locations worked collaboratively to find homes for 4,979 pets, outpacing the 3,609 pets that were adopted during the inaugural event in 2024. The initiative was generously supported by actor Rob Lowe, who served as the official celebrity ambassador for California Adopt-a-Pet Day, with additional support spreading the word on social media from celebrities including Paris Hilton, Toks Olagundoye, Eric McCormack, Anjelica Huston, Allison Janney, Alexandra Shipp, Christian Meier, Juan Pablo Espinosa, Maxwell Jenkins, and the Los Angeles Chargers.

California lawmakers also formally recognized June 7 as California Adopt-a-Pet Day, with Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) authoring Senate Resolution 44 to solidify its status as an official day of recognition across the state and Gov. Gavin Newsom urging Californians to adopt.

SEAACA To Host Fee-Waived Adoption Event June 7 for the 2nd Annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day

On Saturday, June 7, SEAACA will join more than 150 California animal shelters in holding fee-waived adoption events as part of the second annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day, hosted by the California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals), the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA), and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®).

“SEAACA along with the other participating organizations had great success from the 1st California Adopt-A Pet Day in 2024 and we are hoping to see an even better turnout on June 7th! Shelter pets have so much to offer from companionship, love, and loyalty to just name a few of the benefits of adopting. We are looking forward to the event with the community.” Said, SEAACA Executive Director, Denise Woodside.

WHAT: SEAACA joins animal shelters across the state for the 2nd annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day to offer fee-waived adoptions for available animals for adoption. To find out more about the adoption process, visit www.seaaca.org and follow along on social media on Instagram at SEAACA and Facebook at Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA).

WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 2025 - Saturday: 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm

WHERE: 9777 Seaaca St. Downey, CA 90241

WHY: Adopting a pet from your local animal shelter has many benefits as shelters routinely vaccinate, spay/neuter, and microchip animals before they are adopted. As a result, adopting means families and individuals are getting a pet who has already received initial medical care that is appropriate for their species, and the staff at the shelter will also ensure you are matched with an animal who is the right fit for your lifestyle.

MORE INFORMATION: The inaugural California Adopt-a-Pet Day event last year was a huge success, with 3,609 animals being adopted in one day across the state—far outpacing the goal of 2,024 adoptions. Event organizers have raised the bar for 2025, with a more than doubled new goal of finding loving homes for 5,000 dogs, cats, horses, and other small animals. California Adopt-a-Pet Day is managed by CalAnimals and generously supported by the San Francisco SPCA and the ASPCA. To learn more, please visit CAAdoptAPetDay.org and use #caadoptapetday on social media to see the latest updates.

SEAACA launches “Class of 2025” adoption campaign with $20.25 special

DOWNEY
The Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) is celebrating graduation season by helping dogs and cats “graduate into new homes” through a special reduced adoption fee.

From May 6 through June 28, SEAACA is offering pet adoptions for just $20.25 for all dogs and cats who have been available for adoption for at least one day.

The campaign, titled “Class of 2025,” plays off the graduation season theme, with adoptable animals donning caps and gowns in promotional materials.

The reduced adoption fee includes spaying or neutering, a first set of vaccinations, and a microchip. The offer does not include Boutique Buddies, and license fees are not included. Some adoptions may require an additional deposit for spay or neuter services.

“Help me graduate into my new home” is the campaign’s tagline, encouraging prospective pet owners to visit SEAACA’s shelter at 9777 Seaaca Street in Downey. Viewing and interaction hours are available online at www.seaaca.org, or by calling (562) 803-3301.

Public Health Warns Against Feeding Pets Raw Food Following H5 Bird Flu Virus Detection

 
   
 
County of Los Angeles - Public Health
  

Public Health Warns Against Feeding Pets Raw Food Following H5 Bird Flu Virus Detection

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is advising residents to not feed their pets Monarch Raw Pet Food sold at several farmers markets in California due to detection of H5 bird flu virus in product samples. A house cat that consumed this product has been confirmed H5 bird flu positive. Four other house cats from the same household are presumed to have also been positive for H5 bird flu after consuming the product.

Residents who fed their pets Monarch raw pet food products or other raw meat or dairy products and notice their pet is experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their veterinarian. A listing of farmers market locations where the raw pet food was sold can be found on the product website.

Residents should avoid consumption of all raw milk and raw meat products and not feed these to their pets.

Public Health recently confirmed H5 bird flu in four house cats from a separate household that consumed recalled raw milk and became sick and died, which is part of an ongoing investigation. Cats infected with H5 bird flu can develop severe illness that may include neurologic signs, respiratory signs or liver disease that can rapidly progress to death. There have been no human cases of bird flu associated with exposure to these cats yet identified.