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, Oceanside, 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 does not perform dead animal removal or pickup services. Please contact the appropriate organization in your city to arrange this service. A list of cities within SDHS’s jurisdiction is provided below:
Carlsbad:
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.
To report a dead animal on a state beach (south of Pine Avenue), call 760-438-5021.
Del Mar:
Public property: Contact the city’s Public Works Department at 858-755-3294.
Private property: Contact DAR Contractors at 619-390-8204. Through the city’s contract, DAR Contractors will remove dead animals on private property at the cost of the property owner for the same rates that are charged to the city (see fee schedule here). Residents can also solicit services from a different provider of their choice.
NCTD Railroad: Report online on the NCTD website at https://gonctd.com/contact-us/.
Sea animals/sea birds: Contact City of Del Mar Lifeguards at 858-755-1556 or the Public Works Department at 858-755-3294.
El Cajon:
Contact Dead Animal Removal (DAR) at 619-390-8204 to have deceased animals removed from roadways.
Encinitas:
Contact the Street Section at 760-633-2850 to report a dead animal. Dead animal pickup and removal service on public property, public streets and public right-of-way is provided by a private contractor.
Escondido:
In the City of Escondido, contact Dead Animal Removal at 619-390-8204.
Imperial Beach:
Contact Dead Animal Removal (DAR) at 619-390-8204. If you are reporting a dead animal on the beach, please follow this link.
La Mesa:
Contact La Mesa Police Department Dispatch at 619-667-1400.
Oceanside:
Call 619-390-8204 to report a dead animal or for more information about this service. Dead animal pickup and removal service on public property, public streets and public right-of-way is provided by a private contractor.
San Diego:
To request the removal of a dead animal from a public right-of-way, use the city's "Get It Done" app or call Environmental Services at 858-694-7000 from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is also the number to use for after-hours messages and emergencies.
The removal of dead animals on freeways is handled by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
The removal of dead animals from county-maintained roads or facilities is a service provided by Singh Group. They can be reached by calling 760-539-0012.
San Marcos:
Contact the Streets Maintenance Division at 760-752-7550.
Santee:
Call the Public Services hotline at 619-258-4100, ext. 304 to report a dead animal along a road or other public space.
Solana Beach:
Contact Pestmasters at 760-740-9340.
Unincorporated San Diego County
Contact the County of San Diego Animal Services contractor’s 24-hour phone at 760-539-0012 to request the removal of dead animals from County properties or on County roads.
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.