Frequently Asked Questions
We are not. San Diego Humane Society is an independent 501(c)(3) organization and is not affiliated with any other local, state or national organizations, including Humane World for Animals or the ASPCA. We operate five campuses throughout San Diego County — El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, San Diego and Ramona — and our reach extends nationally.
Each year, we care for more than 40,000 animals in need. This includes nearly 30,000 pets and over 10,000 wildlife. For more detailed statistics about the animals we care for, check out our annual impact reports!
San Diego Humane Society is supported by contributions, grants, bequests, investments, municipal contracts and small fees for services. Donations from our community are critical to our ability to care for more than 40,000 animals each year — learn why your support matters.
As an open-admission shelter, we never turn away an animal in need. We are the contracted animal services provider for 14 cities throughout San Diego County, meaning we are the organization responsible for sheltering and caring for stray pets in our jurisdiction, as well as those impacted by cruelty and neglect, and other animals with nowhere else to turn. We are honored to serve our community and its animals in this way, and are committed to providing them with the highest quality of care — The SDHS Way.
Adoptions are completed on a first-come, first-served basis during business hours at our shelter campuses in El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego. View our available pets and learn more about the adoption process here
San Diego Humane Society is proud to Stay at Zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals — and it’s a commitment we’ll never turn back on. Since 2015, every healthy or treatable shelter animal in San Diego County has been safe. In our region, euthanasia is not determined by shelter overcrowding or resource availability. Every healthy or treatable shelter animal receives the second chance they deserve — regardless of how complex their needs are or how long their rehabilitation takes.
Despite our commitment to saving lives, there are times when an animal — even with our wide range of nationally leading resources and available treatments — is unhealthy/untreatable due to significant and unresolvable behavioral or medical issues. There are clear and specific guidelines that shelters follow for designating an animal as unhealthy/untreatable. These guidelines, known as the Asilomar Accords, were created at a summit of animal welfare industry leaders across the country in 2004, and are used by all members of the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition. While we work to give every animal a second chance, there are times when the humane euthanasia is the most compassionate action we can take.
We also offer low-cost humane euthanasia services for pet owners in the community who have nowhere else to turn. This allows people in our community, regardless of income, to ensure pets receive compassionate care in their last moments.
San Diego Humane Society’s four shelter locations admit pets, including cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, reptiles and birds. We take in and care for farm animals when necessary as part of our Humane Law Enforcement activities. We also admit injured, orphaned and ill wildlife through our Project Wildlife program.
At the heart of San Diego Humane Society's mission is the desire to prevent animal suffering and promote compassion and respect to create a more humane future. In keeping with this mission, we serve vegetarian menus at all functions for which San Diego Humane Society sets the menu. This policy is a choice the organization has made to honor our commitment to passionately serve animals and the people who love them. San Diego Humane Society respects that dietary choices are personal and others may not make the same decision.