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Hi Seal Beach,
åRecently, a Letter to the Editor asked about our relatively new Animal Control Program. As you may remember, in July of 2023, the Seal Beach Police Department launched our in-house animal control program. Please see below for questions and answers:
Question: What kinds of animals were rescued in the last year: Number of dogs? Number of cats? What other animals and how many?
Answer: According to our partners at WAGS in the last year we have rescued 75 dogs, 37 cats, 2 rabbits, 1 chicken and 1 hamster. This does not include any of the animals brought to WAGS directly by Seal Beach Residents. 114 wildlife animals were taken in by the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center.
Our team played a crucial role in rescuing several sick pelicans, which were later released back into the wild after receiving the necessary treatment. These pelicans were part of the mass stranding event earlier this year, and after recovering from issues such as secondary fishing gear entanglement, they have been fitted with federal bands for tracking before their release.
Question: What kinds of rescues? Owner returned? Animal found in the community? Some specific places, like cats near the pier?
Answer: Our experiences range from rescuing dogs found running loose in traffic to responding to the unfortunate abandonment of hamsters outside a fire station. We have encountered and assisted animals in nearly every neighborhood across our city.
Each time we engage with an animal, our primary objective is to reunite them with their owners.
We diligently check for identifying information on their collars and verify if they are microchipped.
On fortunate occasions, we can promptly locate the owners and facilitate a reunion, underscoring the importance of ensuring your pet is microchipped and that all contact information is kept up to date.
Question: How many Animal Control officers are there, and do they work 9-5 M-F or after hours as well?
Question: Our team currently consists of seven full-time employees and two part-time employees. They work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, serving as ACOs, Jailers, and Parking Enforcement.
Question: Any rescue stories SBPD would like to share?
Answer: Since assuming responsibility for animal control in July 2023, our journey has been anything but ordinary.
We’ve encountered a wide array of situations, from rescuing a rooster abandoned on our jetty and carefully coaxing it out from between the rocks, to assisting a baby sea lion that was particularly attached to its favorite blanket.
The unpredictability of each day keeps us on our toes, but our Animal Control Officers (ACO) team is dedicated to being prepared for anything that comes our way.
For more information about our animal control program, please visit: https://www.sealbeachca.gov/City-Services/Animal-Control#pet-licensing and follow the SBPD on social media @sealbeachpolice.
