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Animal Control

For any human life threatening situation, call 9-1-1.

The City of Carlsbad contracts with the San Diego Humane Society for animal services.  Call 619-243-3466 for animal-related concerns such as strays, barking dogs and emergencies and visit sdhumane.org for information about adoptions, lost and found pets, and other services; and visit the following shelters at:

San Luis Rey Location (dogs only)
2905 San Luis Rey Road
Oceanside, CA 92058

(Oceanside) Airport Road Location (for cats and small animals)
572 Airport Road
Oceanside, CA 92058

The phone number for both shelters is 619-299-7012.

The hours for both are:
Monday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The County of San Diego's shelter on Palomar Airport Road is open to the public for adoption services and to claim stray pets picked up in unincorporated parts of San Diego County. 

Services provided by the San Diego Humane Society to Carlsbad residents include:

  • Patrolling, picking up and sheltering strays 
  • Dog licensing and license renewal
  • Adoptions 
  • Affordable community veterinary assistance programs such as spaying and neutering. 
  • PAWS San Diego, a safety-net program for the elderly, home bound, chronically ill, homeless and other groups at risk of giving up their pets due to economic restraints
  • Investigation and enforcement of animal cruelty laws and related activities 
  • Picking up and caring for injured domestic animals 
  • Addressing dangerous domestic animal situations
  • Monitoring and responding to bites and enforcing rabies quarantine requirements
  • Public education and pet behavior modification programs
  • Disaster response, such as large and small animal evacuations and emergency sheltering
  • Animal relinquishment, re-homing and euthanasia (upon owner’s request)

Existing pet licenses will remain in effect until they expire, at which point residents can purchase a new one from San Diego Humane Society.

San Diego Humane Society officers and duly trained license coordinators are authorized to issue criminal and administrative citations

Dead Animal Pick up

To report a dead animal on a city street or beach, contact the City of Carlsbad at 760-434-2980 during regular business hours. After hours or on weekends, call the City of Carlsbad Police Department’s dispatch center at 760-931-2197. For the removal of a dead animal on a State beach (south of Pine Avenue), call 760-438-5021. For removal from private property, call Pestmaster Services at 760-940-9340 (fee).