Marcia Mayeda, Director
Marcia Mayeda applied her lifelong love of animals to developing a career of more than 35 years working in the animal welfare field. She has led the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) since July 2001. DACC is the largest animal care and control agency in the United States, serving all unincorporated Los Angeles County and 45 cities that contract with DACC for service. DACC operates seven animal care centers to provide services to more than three million residents across 3,300 square miles.
Under Marcia’s leadership, DACC has transformed from a traditional “dog pound” approach to being recognized as a national leader in animal care and control, employing industry best practices to provide services to its communities and the animals in its care. DACC has received many local, State, and national awards including the 2022 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for DACC’s Pets Are Family program. Marcia is passionate about investing in leadership development to empower and engage staff to exemplify DACC’s mission, vision, and values.
Marcia also leads the efforts of the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation (www.lacountyanimals.org), a private nonprofit that raises funds to support animal care and services at DACC animal care centers. The Foundation enables DACC to provide resources to keep pets and families together and enhance the care and environment for animals in DACC’s care.
Prior to joining Los Angeles County, Marcia was on the senior leadership team of the Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley for eight years. Before that Marcia served as the Executive Director for the Helping Hands Humane Society in Topeka, KS and was Director of Operations at the Houston SPCA.
Marcia is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) and a member of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA). She serves on the board of directors for the California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals) and is president of the Los Angeles County Management Council. She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco.
Marcia and her husband share their home with three Great Pyrenees dogs and one Golden Retriever, all of whom were adopted from rescue groups or animal shelters.