Animal Shelters & Rescues in San Diego

San Diego's own animal shelter takes in stray and lost pets, but it is not the only place pets are rehomed. Private humane societies and volunteer rescues, many of them foster-based with no building to visit, find homes for pets too. This guide covers the public side: who to call about a stray, what the rules say, and what to expect when you adopt or rehome a pet.

The city animal shelter

The City of San Diego coordinates its animal services with San Diego Humane Society, which serves as the city's primary animal control agency. The city says that covers dog licensing, pet reunification, adoptions, microchipping, spay and neuter services, vaccinations and sheltering. The County of San Diego's Department of Animal Services serves only the unincorporated areas, so it is not the agency for an address inside the city.

Found a stray or lost your pet

If you have lost a pet, San Diego Humane Society says to contact your microchip company and search its found-animals page, which it updates throughout the day. If you found a stray, the same page says many stray pets are found close to home and that a local vet can scan the animal for a microchip. It also explains how to admit a stray found within the Humane Society's jurisdiction at one of its campuses.

Licenses and microchips

The City of San Diego says all dogs four months old and older must have a valid license and wear it at all times, and owners must show proof of rabies vaccination to get one. Microchipping is one of the services the city lists, so ask your vet or the Humane Society about registering a chip.

Surrendering or rehoming a pet

San Diego Humane Society offers a rehoming service for people who want to place a pet directly with a new home, without taking the animal to a shelter. Rehoming platforms connect you with interested adopters, and you are responsible for screening them, so ask questions and meet the adopter before handing a pet over.

Adopting a pet

San Diego Humane Society says its adoptions include vaccinations, a microchip for most pets, and spay or neuter surgery for dogs, cats and rabbits. Meet the pet more than once if you can, ask what the staff know about its history and behavior, and have your landlord's pet policy ready before you apply.

About these listings

Many listings here were added from public business data and have not been claimed yet. Ask the shelter or rescue directly about opening hours, adoptable pets and whether it takes surrenders. If you run one of these shelters or rescues, you can claim or correct its listing from its page.