Animal Care and Control
People searching for Los Angeles County CA Animal Care and Control information often need to identify the agency serving their address before reporting a stray animal, looking for a lost pet, requesting field service, adopting an animal, or renewing a pet license. This article explains the Department of Animal Care and Control’s jurisdiction, animal care centers, online systems, emergency and non-emergency procedures, adoption services, lost-and-found options, licensing requirements, and the information residents should prepare before contacting the department.
Department Services and Responsibilities
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, commonly identified as DACC, provides animal care, public-safety, enforcement, and sheltering services across a large and geographically diverse service area. The department operates seven animal care centers and maintains animal control field services around the clock.
Residents can use the official Animal Care and Control website to view animals, request non-emergency services, obtain pet licenses, review adoption information, and find department notices. Online tools can reduce unnecessary travel, but users should confirm jurisdiction and choose the correct procedure before submitting a request.
DACC animal control officers perform duties that include:
Responding to reports involving dangerous animals.
Rescuing sick or injured animals.
Capturing stray dogs and helping reunite them with their families.
Investigating suspected cruelty, abuse, neglect, and illegal animal fighting.
Removing deceased animals from public areas.
Enforcing state and local animal control laws.
Enforcing pet licensing requirements.
Inspecting and grading animal-related facilities and businesses.
Assisting law enforcement and other government agencies.
Evacuating and sheltering animals during wildfires and other disasters.
The department also operates animal care centers that admit stray and surrendered animals, provide veterinary examinations and daily care, reunite pets with owners, and place eligible animals into adoptive homes.
Confirming the Correct Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is one of the most important details to confirm before contacting Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control. DACC serves all unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, 43 incorporated contract cities, and the City of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County. The department does not generally provide service within the City of Los Angeles, except for small unincorporated areas located within or adjacent to the city.
An unincorporated community is outside the boundaries of an incorporated city. Los Angeles County acts as the municipal government for these communities and provides services that may include animal care and control. A mailing address that contains the name of a nearby city does not always establish which agency has jurisdiction, so residents should not rely only on the city name shown in their postal address.
The department’s service areas and jurisdictions page explains the areas DACC serves. Because coverage can differ between neighboring cities and communities, confirming the service provider before filing a report helps prevent delays and misdirected requests.
Address-Based Service Lookup
The Animal Care Service Area Locator allows a user to enter an address and select a matching suggestion to identify the appropriate animal care provider. The locator may show that another agency serves the address, and the services offered can vary by shelter.
For suspected animal cruelty, the incident address should be entered rather than the reporting person’s home address. The location of the incident determines which jurisdictional agency is responsible for responding.
Before contacting DACC, prepare the complete address where the animal or incident is located, including the city or community, ZIP Code, and nearest cross streets. An incomplete or approximate location can make it harder for dispatchers and animal control officers to identify the correct service area.
Choosing the Correct Animal Care Center
DACC operates seven animal care centers: Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Santa Clarita Valley/Castaic, Downey, Lancaster, and Palmdale. Each center supports a geographic service area, and field officers are based at the centers to respond to calls within those areas.
Animal care centers provide services involving adoptions, lost and found animals, pet licensing, and general pet assistance. They also admit animals, arrange medical examinations, provide vaccinations and other routine care, monitor animals daily, and offer behavior and enrichment programs.
Administrative services are centralized at the department’s Long Beach office. Animals are not housed at the Administrative Office, and payments for animal care center fees cannot be completed there. Residents looking for an animal, surrendering a pet, adopting, or making an in-person animal-related payment should use the appropriate animal care center rather than the administrative location.
Public Visitation Hours
Animal care centers are open for regular public services Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Services during those hours include adoptions, lost-and-found assistance, animal licensing, and general pet assistance.
Sundays and holidays operate under limited-service conditions. During limited operations, animal care centers are closed for public viewing. They continue to admit stray animals when necessary for animal and public safety, reunite lost pets with their families, and process placements involving registered Adoption Partners.
Holiday operations may also include early limited service on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Anyone planning an in-person visit around a holiday should review current department notices before traveling.
Animal Search and Status Records
The department’s online animal search system lists animals currently in DACC care and provides a separate search for animals that left a care center during the previous 90 days. The recent-outcome search uses an animal identification number, so retaining the animal ID from an earlier listing can be useful.
Users searching animals currently in care can filter results by animal care center, animal type, size, color, breed, sex, status, age, and number of days in the kennel. Applying too many filters can remove possible matches from the results. A broad search by location and animal type may be more useful at first, followed by narrower filters if the result list is large.
Common Status Definitions
An animal’s status describes its current availability or legal situation. Statuses can change as the animal’s circumstances change.
Stray Wait: The animal was found without identification and is completing the state-mandated holding period.
Ready to Go Home: The animal is available for adoption and can leave with an approved adopter that day.
Adoption Pending: The legal holding period has ended, and a potential adopter has received a specific pickup date and time, but the animal has not yet completed spay or neuter processing.
Available Pending Spay/Neuter: The animal completed the holding period and is awaiting sterilization surgery.
Pending Assessment: A behavior assessment is required before the animal can become available.
ID Hold: The animal has identification such as a license tag, personal tag, or microchip.
Quarantine: The animal is being held after a bite incident or another qualifying exposure. The required period varies with the circumstances.
Rescue Only: Placement is limited to a department-approved Adoption Partner or authorized rescue organization because of medical or behavioral factors.
Potentially Dangerous Dog: The dog is being held while a dangerous-dog investigation is pending.
Other Hold: The animal is unavailable for another identified reason.
An online listing is not a guarantee that an animal will remain available. People interested in a specific animal should record its animal ID, location, and current status before contacting or visiting the care center.
Lost Pet Search Procedures
Owners should begin looking for a missing pet as soon as possible and continue checking because a person who finds an animal may not take it to a care center immediately. DACC’s lost pet instructions describe steps owners can take while monitoring animal care center records.
Information for a Lost Pet Report
Prepare a clear description that distinguishes the pet from similar animals. Useful details include:
Pet name and sex.
Approximate height and weight.
Breed or likely breed combination.
Color and visible markings.
Spay or neuter status.
Collar, tag, or harness details.
Microchip information.
The exact location and date where the pet was last seen.
A clear and recognizable photograph.
Owners should contact the pet’s microchip company and make sure their contact information is current. Microchip records may allow a shelter or veterinary office to reach the registered owner after the animal is scanned.
A lost-pet flyer should contain a clear photograph, identifying details, the location where the animal disappeared, and reliable contact information. Flyers can be distributed in the area where the pet was last seen and shared with nearby animal care centers and veterinary offices.
Approaching a Missing Pet
A loose dog may be in flight mode and may not respond normally to familiar people. Chasing or yelling can cause the dog to run farther away. DACC advises turning sideways, squatting down, and using a soft, positive voice to encourage the dog to approach.
A loose cat should also be approached quietly. Treats or the sound of opening food may attract the cat. A box or other sheltered space may provide a place for the cat to settle. Patience is often more effective than pursuit.
Handling a Found Animal
The appropriate response to a found animal depends on the animal’s condition, behavior, identification, and location. The department’s found pet guidance separates procedures for dogs, cats, and animals requiring urgent assistance.
Found Dogs
If a dog is sick, injured, aggressive, or cannot be handled safely, contact the appropriate DACC Communication Center. Do not place yourself, other people, or the animal at risk while attempting to contain it.
When a dog can be approached safely, check for a collar and tags. Call or text any number shown on the collar or identification tag. A DACC animal care center can scan a found dog for a microchip. A nearby veterinary clinic may also have scanning equipment, but DACC does not guarantee services provided outside county facilities.
The location where the dog was found is significant. Nearby residents may recognize the animal or know about an open gate from which it escaped. Keep a record of the exact location, time, and circumstances because those details can help establish where the owner may be searching.
Found Cats
A cat seen briefly outdoors may be a neighbor’s pet or an indoor cat that recently escaped. If the cat is friendly and can be handled safely, it may be taken to an animal care center for a microchip scan.
A cat that has remained in the area for an extended time may be a community cat. DACC does not pick up free-roaming stray cats unless they are ill or injured. Sick or injured cats should be reported by telephone to the appropriate Communication Center instead of through the online service request form.
Residents should not assume that every outdoor cat is abandoned. Observing how long the cat has been present, whether it regularly leaves and returns, and whether it appears healthy can help distinguish an escaped pet from a community cat or an animal needing immediate assistance.
Field Service Request Rules
DACC accepts online requests for qualifying non-emergency situations. The Animal Care and Control service request form may be used for matters such as stray animal concerns, non-emergency animal bites, suspected cruelty or neglect, and dead-animal pickup.
Online requests are dispatched as soon as possible, but field response times vary according to the priority of the incident and available staffing. Submitting the same issue repeatedly does not establish a faster response and may create duplicate records.
Emergencies Requiring a Call
The online form is not intended for emergencies. Call 911 when animal abuse is occurring in progress and the situation is an immediate emergency, or when a person faces an emergency threat.
Sick or injured animals should be reported to the appropriate 24-hour Communication Center. An online submission may not be reviewed quickly enough for an animal requiring immediate assistance. The official DACC contact page identifies the correct dispatch number for northern and southern service areas.
Calls requesting an officer for a dog bite, a stray dog, or another field-service matter must go through the Communication Center so the request can be dispatched and monitored. Calls about the current availability of an animal in DACC care are also directed to the Communication Centers.
Details Required on the Form
A service request should contain specific, factual information that helps an officer locate the animal and evaluate the situation. The form requests:
The type of service requested.
Whether the animal’s owner is known.
The incident or animal location.
Apartment or unit information when applicable.
City or community and ZIP Code.
Nearest cross streets.
A detailed description of the situation.
A detailed description of every animal involved.
The reporting person’s name, telephone number, address, and email address.
For an animal bite, include the location where the bite occurred, what happened, and the owner’s name and address when known. For wildlife, DACC generally responds only when the animal is sick or injured. The form should not be used for animal noise complaints, which follow a separate process.
Animal Cruelty and Neglect Reports
Animal control officers investigate complaints involving suspected cruelty, abuse, neglect, and illegal animal fighting. Reports should identify the incident location, describe the animals involved, explain what was observed, and state whether the conduct is ongoing.
A person reporting suspected cruelty should separate direct observations from assumptions. Details such as dates, times, visible injuries, lack of shelter, known ownership information, and the location of the animal can help the department evaluate the report. An emergency or abuse in progress should be reported by calling 911 rather than waiting for an online request to be reviewed.
The service-area locator should be used when jurisdiction is uncertain. Entering the address where the suspected cruelty occurred helps identify the agency responsible for the investigation.
Adoption Services and Availability
Animals may be viewed at each of the seven animal care centers during regular open hours. The official adoption process page explains current viewing hours, animal statuses, and the process for animals ready to leave the center.
Ready to Go Home animals are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and available to leave with a new family on the adoption date. These animals are placed on a first-come, first-served basis. A staff member or volunteer can assist visitors with viewing eligible animals during public hours.
DACC adoption animals have been examined by a veterinarian, vaccinated against core diseases, spayed or neutered, and microchipped. The animal search record should be reviewed before visiting because an animal’s location or status may change.
Preparing for a Care Center Visit
Before traveling to a center, record the animal ID and confirm the location shown in the online record. The animal ID is more reliable than a name alone because animals may have similar names or no assigned name.
Users should also review the status carefully. A Stray Wait animal is not yet available for adoption, while an Adoption Pending animal may already have a scheduled potential adopter. A Rescue Only animal cannot be adopted directly by the general public.
Pet Surrender Procedures
DACC no longer requires an appointment to surrender a pet. An owner who has considered other available options and decides surrender is necessary may visit the local DACC animal care center during business hours.
The department encourages owners to consider keeping the pet at home or arranging a safe rehoming plan when possible because a direct transition may reduce stress for the animal. When surrender remains the appropriate option, the correct care center should be identified through the service-area locator before traveling.
The Administrative Office does not house animals and is not the location for pet surrender. Owners should go to the animal care center serving their area.
Pet Licensing Requirements
All dogs in Los Angeles County must be licensed. Cats must also be licensed in unincorporated areas and most incorporated cities served by DACC, subject to the exceptions established for particular service cities.
Dogs and cats older than four months must be vaccinated against rabies. Vaccination must be renewed annually or every three years when an approved three-year vaccine is used. County requirements also call for dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered and microchipped.
The pet licensing system and instructions allow owners to register a pet, renew a license, review licensing documents, and request a replacement tag.
License Applications and Renewals
A pet license may be purchased online, by mail, or at a local animal care center. A mailed application must include payment, proof of current rabies vaccination, and proof of sterilization.
Owners may select a one-year or three-year license. The fee for a three-year license is three times the annual license amount. The rabies vaccination period should support the requested license term.
Reduced fees are available for senior citizens age 60 or older and disabled military veterans. Seniors must provide proof of age through an official government-issued identification document. Disabled veterans must provide a Department of Veterans Affairs disability award letter or a Veterans Health Administration enrollee card indicating a service-connected disability.
Failure to renew a license can result in a late penalty equal to the license cost. An owner whose unlicensed pet is brought into compliance through field licensing enforcement is also assessed a field enforcement fee of $40.
Replacement License Tags
A lost license tag can be replaced online or by mail. The online request requires the transaction or receipt number associated with the purchase. A mailed replacement request should identify the pet’s license number and include the required replacement payment.
The Licensing Division office is not open for walk-in service. Pet owners seeking in-person licensing assistance may use an animal care center during its regular service hours.
Payments and Service Fees
Fees connected with animal care center services can be paid in person at an animal care center. DACC advises that online payment may be faster and may reduce waiting time at a facility.
Fee categories can vary by animal type, licensing status, impound circumstances, care provided, and length of stay. Residents should review the official fee information associated with the service rather than assuming that adoption, redemption, licensing, boarding, vaccination, or enforcement charges are interchangeable.
The Administrative Office cannot accept payments for animal care center fees. A person who needs to retrieve an animal or complete another paid center service should work with the center handling the animal.
Emergency and Disaster Response
DACC responds to animal-related needs during wildfires, floods, earthquakes, power outages, chemical spills, and other emergencies affecting its service area. The department’s emergency objectives include reducing animal suffering and loss of life, protecting public health and safety, providing immediate animal care and control, sheltering displaced animals, and supporting reunification after an emergency.
During major evacuations, displaced animals may require temporary shelter near emergency centers serving their owners. Identification, current licensing, microchipping, and accurate owner contact information can help reunification efforts after an animal is separated from its household.
Pet owners should maintain emergency supplies and make plans that account for the number, type, and transportation needs of their animals. Horses, livestock, and other large animals may require different evacuation arrangements from dogs, cats, and small household pets.
Common Service Mistakes
Contacting the Wrong Agency
City names, postal boundaries, and animal control jurisdictions do not always match. Enter the incident address in the service-area locator before submitting a request or traveling to a care center.
Using an Online Form for Emergencies
The service request form is for non-emergency matters. Sick or injured animals, urgent threats, and emergencies require telephone contact or a 911 call, depending on the situation.
Leaving Out the Incident Location
The animal’s location determines jurisdiction and helps officers respond. Provide a complete address, ZIP Code, cross streets, and a description of where the animal can be found.
Searching With Too Many Filters
A highly restricted animal search may exclude a possible match because breed, age, color, or size may have been recorded differently. Begin with the care center and general animal type before narrowing the results.
Confusing Status With Availability
Animals listed online are not automatically available for adoption. Review the status legend and confirm whether the animal is in a holding period, quarantine, assessment, surgery process, or another placement category.
Visiting the Administrative Office
The Long Beach Administrative Office does not house animals and does not process animal care center fee payments. Lost-pet searches, adoptions, surrenders, animal viewing, and in-person center payments belong at the appropriate animal care center.
Animal Care Offices and Centers
Department of Animal Care and Control Administrative Office
5898 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90805
(562) 728-4882
Enforcement Division (Licensing)
5898 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90805
(562) 345-0400
Agoura Animal Care Center
29525 Agoura Road, Agoura, CA 91301
(818) 991-0071
Baldwin Park Animal Care Center
4275 North Elton Street, Baldwin Park, CA 91706
(626) 962-3577
Carson/Gardena Animal Care Center
216 West Victoria Street, Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 523-9566
Santa Clarita Valley/Castaic Animal Care Center
31044 North Charlie Canyon Road, Castaic, CA 91384
(661) 257-3191
Downey Animal Care Center
11258 South Garfield Avenue, Downey, CA 90242
(562) 940-6898
Lancaster Animal Care Center
5210 West Avenue I, Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 575-2800
Palmdale Animal Care Center
38550 Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA 93550
(661) 575-2800
Animal Care and Control FAQs
Which animal care center serves my address?
Service depends on where the animal-related incident occurred, not simply where the person reporting it lives. The department serves unincorporated Los Angeles County and participating contract cities, but it does not provide regular service throughout every incorporated city. Enter the exact street address, city, or ZIP Code in the official Animal Care Service Area Locator before visiting a shelter or submitting a request. The results identify the responsible provider and help prevent reports from being sent to the wrong jurisdiction.
Can I report a stray animal or suspected cruelty online?
The official animal service request form may be used for non-emergency concerns, including stray animals, suspected abuse or neglect, non-emergency animal bites, and dead-animal pickup. Provide the incident address, nearest cross streets, a detailed description, and information about the animals involved. Do not use the online form when abuse is happening in progress, a person is in immediate danger, or an animal is seriously sick or injured. Emergency situations require immediate assistance rather than an online submission that may not be reviewed at once.
What do shelter animal status labels mean?
Check the department’s animal search system for current listings. “Ready to Go Home” generally means the animal is available for adoption and can leave that day. “Stray Wait” means the required holding period has not ended. “ID Hold” indicates that identification, such as a tag or microchip, was found. Other labels may show that an animal is awaiting surgery, assessment, quarantine, an adoption pickup, or placement with an approved rescue partner. Status can change as the animal’s legal, medical, or behavioral circumstances are reviewed.
Are dogs and cats required to be licensed?
Dogs must be licensed in Los Angeles County service areas. Cats must also be licensed in unincorporated communities and many participating cities, although local requirements can vary. Dogs and cats older than four months must have a current rabies vaccination. Owners can review eligibility, documentation requirements, renewal options, and reduced-fee categories on the official pet licensing page.
Do I need an appointment to surrender a pet?
An appointment is not required to surrender a pet at the appropriate county animal care center during business hours. Before surrendering, owners are encouraged to consider safe rehoming or support options that may allow the animal to remain with its family. Confirm that the selected center serves your location and review its current operating schedule before traveling.