The dream was for a place where lost pets in Seal Beach could be housed until they were reunited with their families or found new forever homes. The dream began to come true in the early 1980s when funds were raised for a permanent structure to take the place of a single shed and a few cages behind the Seal Beach Police Department to hold lost animals.
The doors of the Seal Beach Animal Care Center opened 25 years ago, on June 10, 1988, with 12 dog runs and a small cat room. In 1995, six additional dog runs and a cat room were added to the back of the building. In 1996 and 1997, the Care Center expanded again, adding an office and two 6,000 sq. ft. exercise yards, plus several smaller exercise areas for the dogs. As the cat population grew, tough sheds and other outbuildings were added to house our many cats and kittens.
In August 2012, the new 2,400 sq. ft. Helen Sanders Cat Facility was opened. Named for the late Helen Sanders, a visionary woman who pioneered the concept of Trap, Neuter and Release for the cats living along the Seal Beach Jetty, the Helen Sanders Cat Facility provides a safe, comfortable place for lost and abandoned cats and kittens to wait for homes of their own.
Our focus is now on improving the facilities for the dogs. Improvements include renovating former cat areas to create a feeding/bathing area for the dogs, additional outdoor runs and an Isolation facility. The facility roof also needs to be replaced, and permanent rain and sun protection needs to be installed to protect the dog run areas. Of course, these projects come with a price, and our fundraising is ongoing to raise the necessary funds for these improvements.
About the Seal Beach Animal Care Center
• The Seal Beach Animal Care Center has always been a “pro humane” shelter, in that we do not euthanize for lack of space or length of time in residence. This is somewhat unique, since we are also a municipal shelter, under contract with the City of Seal Beach to take stray cats and dogs from Seal Beach.
• As a pro-humane shelter, we incur far more medical expenses than most other shelters. Our annual operating budget is close to $800,000. These funds are not provided by the City of Seal Beach, but from donations, fundraisers and adoption fees. The funds are spent almost entirely for the animals, primarily food and medical care.
• All cats and dogs are vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered and treated for fleas and worms. Medical care is provided as needed for any ill or injured animal that comes into our care. Every effort is made to provide a warm, comforting place for our animals. Our dogs receive two or more walks daily, plus time in one of our exercise yards. Our volunteers comfort, groom and socialize our cats.
• We have an active Kitten Foster Care program, where motherless kittens, as well as mom cats and kittens, are raised in private homes until they are ready for adoption.
• Other than our part-time kennel attendants, all of the work done at the Care Center, some 20,000 plus hours per year, is done by volunteers. We have no paid management, maintenance or clerical staff.
As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we know that it is only through the continuing hard work of the volunteers and the generosity of our members, donors and the community that we are able to continue our work serving the needs of the lost and abandoned cats and dogs of Seal Beach. Please visit our web site, www.sbacc.org, for more information.
Dee Carey is a member of the Seal Beach Animal Care Center’s Board of Directors.
