Maria Solacito, DVM

Senior Veterinarian, Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control

Maria started her career as a shelter veterinarian for the County of Los Angeles, Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC) in 2008 before her promotion as the Senior Veterinarian (Medical Director) in 2012. As Senior Vet she she was responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of the DACC medical program for the care of approx. 67,000 animals annually in seven Animal Care Centers. She led a team of 11 veterinarians and 28 Registered Veterinary Technicians. In late 2019, DACC reorganized and Maria’s focus is now on the four (4) North County Animal Care Centers and DACC Medical Programs which includes disaster response & community outreach. Maria is a graduate of the University of the Philippines and completed her Clinical Training at Purdue University in 2007. She completed the County of Los Angeles/University of Southern California (USC)’s Executive Leadership Development Program in 2016. Maria is a member of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA), the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) and The Association for the Advancement of Animal Welfare (AAWA). She is also a member and the Immediate-Past President of the Southern California Filipino Veterinary Medical Association (SCFVMA). She also volunteers for the Paws For Life outreach program of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in Los Angeles. Maria believes shelter veterinarians can be leaders in the animal welfare industry. She explores practical solutions to enhance the relationships between veterinarians and other animal welfare professionals in leadership and operational roles. She was key in developing DACC’s work philosophy of shared leadership amongst ACC Managers and Veterinarians and had presented talks on this topic in various animal welfare and veterinary conferences.