Former ACS manager John Keisler (left) hands over more than a bottle of water to acting manager Ted Stevens

[It was brought to our attention by city staff that Ted West is acting manager at ACS and has not been selected as a permanent hire (as stated in the original version of this article, posted on January 20). We regret the error; here is the corrected article. – K and J]

10:00am | The search and hiring process for the new Animal Care Services (ACS) manager is on its way to completion. On the date of this writing [Jan. 20], Ted Stevens has been selected as acting manager of ACS and is about to tackle the enormous job of making Long Beach “the safest large city for people and animals, as the mission states.”

“I have the right heart for this,” Stevens said. “I’m a big animal lover—my wife’s family calls me Ace Ventura. Animals like me, squirrels come over to me…I thought that the manager had to be an animal care expert, but John said we need a leader and someone who is passionate about animals. Well, I can do that.”

Stevens has over 15 years of experience at Long Beach’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine, five of them as superintendent of recreation, five and a half as a safety officer, and the last five as senior services advisory at the Long Beach Senior Center, 1150 E. 4th St. Last June, ACS was put under the Parks and Rec umbrella, and ACS manager John Keisler was hired as the department’s business operations bureau manager. He continued to serve as acting manager of ACS until Stevens’s appointment as acting manager until the hiring process has been completed.

Since Keisler took over the position in 2008, ACS underwent an impressive number of changes, including but not limited to raising the number of live releases and thus decreasing euthanasia numbers, launching low-cost mobile vaccination clinics, making cat licensing a requirement, hiring a full-time veterinarian, implementing two low-cost spay/neuter programs, enabling shelter-side adoptions, and forming PAWS (Pets Always Worth Saving), a committee composed of pet rescuers and advocates that links the shelter to the community. During a PAWS Meet and Greet on Jan. 19, Keisler gave his hardworking staff the credit for these changes and said that, with the oversight of Parks and Rec and the experience Stevens brings, ACS will continue fulfilling its mission until a permanent choice has been made.

“We’ve baked the cake, and now it’s time to decorate it,” Keisler said.

Stevens said that he plans to continue the mission statement’s objective of keeping live release rate up and continue enforcing licensing requirements. He said that he sees a correlation of licensing pets and less trouble. He also plans ride-alongs with ACS officers to get a handle on the obstacles they experience.

Meanwhile, Keisler will be helping Stevens with his transition to the acting manager position as Stevens makes his other transition from the Senior Center. One of his more involved tasks may be eventual participation in the animal cruelty case regarding Long Beach Hearts for Hounds founder, Bonnie Sheehan. [Note: We’re not commenting on this incident, as the Press-Telegram has been covering the local aspect of it and we’d prefer to support the investigation. John Keisler asks anyone with valid information to e-mail him at [email protected].]

“I’m a fast learner,” Stevens said. “There’s nothing like a trial by fire.”

ACS staff and community’s welcome was solidified by the enthusiasm of Tippy, the shelter’s three-legged canine mascot. Tippy is particular about whom she chooses as friends.

“Tippy liked him—that’s a good sign!” said ACS outreach coordinator Kelly Miott. 

Pet Projects

Low-cost Vaccination and Microchip Clinic, Bixby Animal Clinic, 3938 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, (562) 426-4066, Sunday, Feb. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Show your love for your cat or dog this Valentine’s Day with the matching gifts of health and security. Dr. Ata Abrishami (Dr. A. to his four-legged friends), veterinarian at Bixby Animal Clinic, is offering a low-cost vaccination/microchip clinic to benefit Friends of Long Beach Animals. The following treatments will be offered:

Canine: DHPP, $12; bordetella, $10; rabies, $7
Feline: FELV, $14; FVRCP, $12; rabies, $7.
All microchips are $25. Long Beach Animal Care Services will be present for your animal-licensing requirement.

Dr. A. is also donating a raffle prize of a $500-value dental cleaning; winner need not be present. Tickets may be purchased at the following locations:

Bixby Animal Clinic , 3938 Atlantic Ave (562) 426-4066
Belmont LaunderPet, 3429 E. Broadway (562) 433-3605
Bixby Knolls LaunderPet, 4102 Orange Ave. (562) 427-2551
Chuck & Toby, 191 Park Avenue (562) (562) 434-8085
Wags to Whiskers, 5505 E. Stearns (562) 430-5161
Go Dogs Go, 3440 N. Los Coyotes Diagonal (562) 421-9797

Second Saturday Audubon Bird Walks, Gum Grove Park, Crestview Avenue and Avalon Drive (Avalon entrance), Seal Beach, Second Saturday of each month, beginning 8 a.m.; Los Cerritos Wetlands Bird/Nature Walk, First Street and Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach, second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, 8 a.m. 
Let’s all sing like the birdies sing—or just shut up and listen to them. Gum Grove Park is just one of the wonderful places to join us on field trips to see birds, butterflies, and native ground squirrels. Take the Avalon entrance: from Long Beach, take PCH, turn left on Mar Vista, left on Coastline, right on Catalina and left on Avalon. Avalon dead-ends into parking lot. Also join us for the Los Cerritos Wetlands bird/nature walk at First and PCH in Seal Beach. Turn left onto First Street and park off the driveway to the right. See herons, egrets, migratory ducks, shorebirds, songbirds and raptors. Click here http://www.eldoradoaudubon.org for more information.

‘One Too Many’ Awards
Dr. Margaret “Maggie” Gamble, DVM, of Crossroads Animal Emergency Clinic in Long Beach and Lawrence Kosmin, DVM, of the Sun-Surf Seal Beach Animal Hospital in Sunset Beach were awarded the One Too Many award from Long Beach Animal Care Services during their Open House on Jan 21. The One Too Many Award is an award given to community partners who go above and beyond, helping animals find forever homes and helping to lower animal overpopulation.

Virtually Pets

ACS is tearing its hare—er, hair—out right now trying to place a bunch of beautiful, friendly rabbits just like this one who have been dumped here and there. All rescues are full and cannot accept any more. Spay/neuter information on each bunny is available at the shelter at (562) 570-7387. Remember—rabbits need to be spayed or neutered just as do cats and dogs in order to avoid situations like this.