State guide
California
California places most routine pet and zoonotic-disease oversight at the local county or city level, while the state rabies program sits in the California Department of Public Health’s Veterinary Public Health Section. For injured, sick, or orphaned native wildlife, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife directs the public to licensed wildlife rehabilitation facilities through its Native Wildlife Rehabilitation program.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- Who handles animal control locally
- California usually handles animal control and rabies follow-up through local county or city health departments and animal control agencies; CDPH says those local agencies are the best first point of contact.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Nuisance wildlife help
- Official page →
- Reporting an animal bite
- California requires all bites from animals susceptible to rabies (mammals) to be reported to the local health officer.
- State rabies contact
- California Department of Public Health - Veterinary Public Health Section
Official resources in California
CDFW Native Wildlife Rehabilitation
Official help page for injured, sick, and orphaned native wildlife, including the wildlife rehabilitation facilities map and list.
CDFW Living with Wildlife
Use this page for nuisance-wildlife guidance and referrals to local wildlife rehabilitators or animal services.
Key facts for California
- CDPH says local county or city health departments oversee most issues related to pets and diseases shared between people and animals.
- California regulation 17 CCR §2606 requires all bites from mammals to be reported to the local health officer.
- CDPH says veterinarians must report confirmed or suspected animal rabies to the local health department immediately by telephone.
- CDFW says injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals may be temporarily possessed only under a Native Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit.
- CDFW tells the public to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation facility or CDFW office rather than handle wildlife themselves.
- CDPH VPHS lists its phone as (916) 552-9740.
Local animal control offices in California
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control Los Angeles | Long Beach | (562) 728-4882 | County department serving unincorporated Los Angeles County and many contract cities; dog-bite, stray, and officer-dispatch calls go through its communication centers. |
| County of San Diego Department of Animal Services San Diego | Not published* | 619-767-2675 | County animal services for routine matters; the official contact page also gives a 24/7 emergency line for bites, cruelty, aggressive, and injured animals. |
| Riverside County Department of Animal Services Riverside | Jurupa Valley | 1-888-636-7387 (PETS) | County department page for general contact; site navigation shows field services, licensing, wildlife, cruelty, noisy-animal, and deceased-animal services. |
| Front Street Animal Shelter | Sacramento | 916-808-7387 | City of Sacramento shelter and animal-control program enforcing local and state animal welfare laws; city residents use 311 or this outside number. |
| City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Services Los Angeles | Los Angeles | (888) 452-7381 | Official City of Los Angeles animal services contact shown on the department’s official site. |
| City of San José Animal Care Services Santa Clara | San José | Not published* | Full-service city animal care division with field operations, medical services, shelter operations, and administration; provides shelter and field services in San José, Cupertino, Milpitas, and Saratoga. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- For any mammal bite, report it to the local health officer or local health department, and use local animal control if animal capture or quarantine is needed.
- For wild animals, do not drop the animal off anywhere unless instructed; use the CDFW wildlife rehabilitation page to find a licensed facility.
- Start local in California: your county or city health department or animal control agency is the first contact for most pet, bite, and zoonotic issues.
Not seeing your office or county?
Not every office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from California's population center, for comparison only):
- City of Las Vegas Animal Protection Services, Nevada · about 225 miles
- City of Henderson Animal Protection Services, Nevada · about 235 miles
- City of North Las Vegas Animal Protection Services, Nevada · about 235 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.CDFW Native Wildlife Rehabilitation
Website →Phone: (877) 823-6926 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the California page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.