Frequently Asked Questions

No, we are Sonoma County Animal Services, a municipal shelter located at 1247 Century Court in Santa Rosa, near the airport and the SMART train. You can reach us by phone at (707) 565-7100. Our phone and lobby hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adoption hours are Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4:30 p.m. We are closed all Sundays, Mondays and holidays.

The Humane Society of Sonoma County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal organization located on 5345 Highway 12 West in Santa Rosa. https://humanesocietysoco.org/

Humane Society of Sonoma County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal organization with two locations:

• 5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, (707) 542-0882
• 555 Westside Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448, (707) 431-3386

Rohnert Park Animal Services is a municipal shelter run by the City of Rohnert Park located at 301 J Rogers Ln, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, (707) 584-1582, animal@rpcity.org

Pets Lifeline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal organization located at 19686 Eighth St E, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 996-4577, info@petslifeline.org

Marin Humane is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal organization located at 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd, Novato, CA 94959, (415) 883-4621

County of Mendocino Animal Care Services is a municipal shelter located at 298 Plant Rd, Ukiah, CA 95482, (707) 463-4427

Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County is a nonprofit located at 9700 Uva Dr, Redwood Valley, CA 95470, (707) 485-0123, info@hsimc.org

Napa County Animal Shelter is a municipal shelter located at 942 Hartle Ct, Napa, CA 94558, (707) 253-4382

Please review our  animals, adoption process, fees, and hours on our Adopt page.

If you are unable to keep the animal for any reason, you may return it during the first two weeks after adoption by scheduling an appointment. While you will not receive a refund, in most cases you will have a credit on file towards another adoption.

If you have had the animal longer than two weeks, the return will be treated as an owner surrender, subject to fees and your name will go on a waiting list.

More information is available on our Rehome Your Pet page.

If you have any behavioral concerns with your new pet, contact one our Animal Health Technicians for support. Please keep in mind it may take several weeks for your new pet to adjust to life outside the shelter. Most of our animals will need professional training or an experienced pet owner.

We do not offer wildlife services. Please call a Wildlife Exclusion Service or Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue Hotline at (707) 526-9453 or visit their website for more information.

For help with orphaned, sick or injured wildlife:

• Injured adult deer, call California Fish and Wildlife at (888) 334-2258
• Injured or orphaned fawn, call Fawn Rescue at (707) 931-4550
• Injured or orphaned bird, call The Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County at (707) 523-2473
• All other wildlife, call Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue at (707) 526-9453

The location and type of deceased animal determines who you need to call for removal. 

For pets, livestock and wildlife on private property, call one of the removal companies below:

• Animal Abatement Services, (707) 228-2868
• Al Kuck Hauling, large animals, (707) 328-7401
  
• Mattern Livestock Hauling, (707) 889-6125

For pets, livestock and wildife on public roads and property, or stray pets on private property, call the appropriate agency below:

• City of Cloverdale, (707) 894-2521
• City of Cotati, (707) 792-4611
• City of Healdsburg, (707) 565-7100 for animals smaller than a sheep or goat
• City of Petaluma, (415) 883-4621, or go to Marin Humane for online reporting
• City of  Rohnert Park, (707) 584-1582 or (707) 584-2600 after business hours
• City of Santa Rosa, (707) 543-3881 during normal business  hours; (707) 543-3805 after business hours; for stray animals on private property, call (707) 565-7100
• City of Sebastopol, (707) 829-4400
• State highways, (707) 762-6641
• Unincorporated Sonoma County (707) 565-7100
• Windsor city limits, (707) 565-7100 for animals smaller than a sheep or goat

Please review the detailed information on our Found Animal page, which includes information for all types of stray animals and the protocols for reporting them, including stray kittens with or without a mama cat.

Community cats are unsocialized cats without owners, and are often afraid of people. They are also known as feral cats. Please review our Spay and Neuter page for more information and how we can help.

It will be scanned for a microchip, have its picture taken and receive vaccinations, flea treatment and a dewormer.

It will be placed on a stray hold for 4  business days or 10 days if the animal has identification. Livestock are held for 14 days.

It will be assessed for adoptability based on their behavioral and medical conditions if an owner does not pick it up.

It may be made adoptable, transferred to one of our partners or humanely euthanized, depending on its behavioral or medical conditions.

It will be posted on our Adoptable Animals page if it is deemed adoptable.

More information about found pets is available on our If You Found a Pet page.

We never euthanize animals for time or space. We accept animals in all medical and behavioral conditions. Consequently, humane euthanasia may be an option for extreme medical and behavioral or public safety issues. We are a municipal shelter and therefore, we bear the responsibility for public safety and health of the community, and above all else, the humane treatment of animals.

If you have domestic animals you are no longer able to keep, please our Rehome Your Pet page.

If you live in Sonoma County and still have questions or need assistance after reviewing our page, contact us by phone or email to see if we are able to accommodate you and your pet.

Review our Report an Issue page for the necessary steps in reporting a barking dog. Before calling, have the address of where the dog lives and be prepared to provide your name and address as well.

We do not offer clinic or emergency veterinarian services, but we do have a four low or no cost spay and neuter programs for dogs and cats living with their people in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Windsor, Petaluma, and unincorporated Sonoma County.

You can help Sonoma County Animal Services in the following ways:

• Donate
• Adopt
• Foster
• Volunteer
• Purchase supplies from our Amazon Wishlist
• Share and like our posts on social media
  • Instagram:@socoanimalservices       
  • X & Tiktok: @socoanimals
  • Facebook: Sonoma County Animal Services 

Review our Report an Issue page for the necessary steps in reporting a barking dog. Before calling, have the address of where the dog lives and be prepared to provide your name and address as well.

If you have been bitten by an animal, please fill out our online bite report.

A microchip is a barcoded device the size of a rice grain implanted under the skin of your pet. The barcode represents a number.  When an animal is taken to a shelter or veterinarian, or picked up by an animal services officer, it can be scanned for a microchip. If one is detected, the number  is researched for animal, owner, implant facility and manufacturer  information. All animals leave our shelter with a microchip. If you wish to have your pet microchipped, we can do so at our facility for a fee if you animal is friendly.

Having a microchip helps identify a stray animal and can provide a means for reuniting  it with its owner. If your pets are microchipped, remember to update the microchip provider your with current addresses, phone numbers, email and secondary contacts.

For more information about microchipping, please review our License and Microchip page.

If you live in Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Unincorporated Sonoma County or Windsor, visit our License and Microchip page for information on fees, how to register your pets and why licensing is important.

DocuPet, in addition to their licensing services, now has a national pet registry that is free for pet owners. Registration includes a free tag with HomeSafe^® lost pet reunification services and a free pet profile. You can include information such as the animal's description, medical information, contact details, and special care needs. In the event that you move or travel and your pet gets lost, this service will make it easier to reconnect you. Even better, DocuPet doesn't sell your information and you can decide how to be contacted if your lost pet is found.

If your dog or cat already has a license through DocuPet, it's already part of this new system.

Please note that the free service does not exclude dogs and some cats from being fully licensed. If you have questions about licensing, visit our License and Microchip page.