Los Angeles County presented its inaugural unicorn license to a local first-grade girl in December, sparking a global phenomenon. Madeline’s heartfelt letter to L.A. County Animal Care and Control asking for permission to house a unicorn in her backyard if she can find one, has gathered significant attention worldwide.
While shelters all over the country are struggling under increased pet surrenders, insufficient funding, and staffing troubles, Madeline’s search for a unicorn has inspired a new fundraising initiative at the Los Angeles Count Animal Care Foundation. To help support local pet owners, the Foundation has started offering unicorn licenses in exchange for a donation. In 2023, 417 unicorn licenses have been issued to people around the world, and Madeline’s Magical Unicorn Fund has raised $17,420.
Marcia Mayeda, L.A. County Director of Animal Care and Control explains, “Local government can only fund resources and activities at a certain level… The foundation is absolutely critical in making sure we can go above and beyond that.” Mayeda is curious as to whether she will receive license requests for any other mythical creatures. She reassured the city that she “made it clear when I issued the unicorn license that if anybody wanted a license for a dragon, I was going to refer them to the fire chief.”