One young Los Angeles county resident recently had her dreams of owning a pet unicorn come true after she received permission to do so from the city of Los Angeles in early December. In a written request filed to local government authorities back in November, six-year-old Madeline sought permission to legally own a pet unicorn.
Though she initially filed for a pet permit on November 14th, the wheels of bureaucracy often turn very slowly, and after a multi-week wait, her request to own a pet unicorn - should she find one in her backyard - was approved on December 7th. LA County Animal Care and Control (Los Angeles DACC) granted this eager unicorn owner-to-be permission after her letter made its way to their department.
Los Angeles DACC shared her letter in a social media post, expressing their heartfelt appreciation for young Madeline's commitment to responsible pet ownership.
According to this post, Madeline wanted to seek permission just in case she managed to find one.
Heartfelt responses
The department responded by commending her responsibility. "It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals," they wrote on Instagram.
The department operates 24/7 and runs seven animal care centers throughout the Los Angeles county area. They offer services such as low-cost spaying and neutering, vaccines, and caring for both strays and surrendered pets alike.
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According to their website, the DACC's responsibilities go far beyond granting unicorn permits. "Besides patrolling busy streets, back roads, beaches, and canyons for lost, injured, and abandoned animals, our animal control officers also conduct humane investigations when animal cruelty is suspected, provide emergency rescues during natural disasters, enforce all State and local animal control laws, conduct animal licensing (canvassing) inspections; and inspect and license commercial animal facilities."
Her very own pet unicorn (sort of)
Naturally, the department gave an appreciative nod to the young girl for her commitment to responsible pet ownership, sharing a photo of both the certificate they sent her, as well as a Unicorn stuffed toy, complete with collar and nametag.
"We commend Madeline’s sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance to keep a unicorn in Los Angeles County. As a result, we issued her a preapproved unicorn license. Also, in the meantime, because they are indeed very rare to find, we will be providing her the unicorn pictured below as she continues her search," they wrote from their lacoanimals Instagram account.
Los Angeles DACC currently has more than 81 pages worth of pets available for responsible adoption, ranging from dogs and cats to turtles, bunnies, guinea pigs, and more.
While a unicorn has yet to feature on their extensive list of animals looking for a home, they can rest easy now, knowing that should one ever turn up, six-year-old Madeline will be more than happy to provide it with a loving home.