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Los Alamitos expects cost saving with new OC Animal Care contract

July 8, 2026

The city of Los Alamitos ended its contract of more than 20 years with the Long Beach Animal Care Services in favor of a new agreement with OC Animal Care that is set to save the city tens of thousands of dollars each year.

Contracting with the county agency is expected to cost Los Alamitos $97,100 this year, based on what other similarly sized cities pay, which is a $117,919 savings over what LBACS quoted the city in a proposedd two-year contract extension.

The city’s previous agreement for animal control and sheltering services with the city of Long Beach expired June 30, and Los Alamitos was looking at a 29% increase in cost for the 2026-27 fiscal year and potentially 10% annually after that.

So leading up to the renewal deadline, the City Council explored other potential providers, including OC Animal Care, WAGS Pet Adoption in Westminster and Southeast Area Animal Control Authority in Downey, city officials said.

The new contract with OC Animal Care provides a higher level of comprehensive animal control and sheltering services at a lower estimated annual cost, according to city staff reports to the City Council.

OC Animal Care’s service model considers the services actually used by client cities, which city officials said means that yearly costs could fluctuate based on the specific needs and demands of Los Alamitos but would be lower than before.

Animal control and sheltering services received will include adoption support, field response, impound services and community outreach, said OC Animal Care spokesperson Denise Woodside.

“We have been super excited to be able to expand our services to Los Alamitos,” Woodside said.

The city of Los Alamitos began its new agreement with OC Animal Care for services at the start of this month, joining the 14 cities already contracting with the agency and its Tustin-based shelter, including Anaheim, Brea, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano, Tustin, Villa Park and Yorba Linda. OC Animal Care’s cost-sharing service model helps maintain more stable annual pricing across participating cities, officials said.

OC Animal Care does not expect services to be impacted by the addition of Los Alamitos, Woodside said. “All of our cities, as well as our unincorporated areas, will have the same level of service that they’ve seen from OC Animal Care.”

Its other services now available to Los Alamitos residents include a 24-hour, seven days a week field services department, which responds to calls regarding sick or injured animals, aggressive stray animals and animal bites.

While the OC Animal Care shelter is farther from Los Alamitos than the Long Beach facility, many routine services, such as pet licensing and renewals, can be completed virtually, officials said.

Orange County Register

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Los Alamitos expects cost saving with new OC Animal Care contract

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