Dead, Stray and Injured Animals in San Diego

• 619-299-7012, press 1 for an injured animal, a dangerous animal or a stray pet that needs medical attention, inside San Diego Humane Society's jurisdiction.
• 619-236-2341 for animal-related emergencies in unincorporated San Diego County. The County Department of Animal Services says this line answers any time of the day or night.
• 619-527-7500 if a dead animal in a City street is an immediate hazard, as the Get It Done Dead Animal form advises.

Inside the City of San Diego, the Environmental Services Department removes dead animals from City property and the public right-of-way. Its Dead Animal Removal page starts with one rule: "Please do not put dead animals in refuse collection containers." To report one:

• Get It Done: the Dead Animal form or the Get It Done San Diego app. The form asks you to specify the type of animal and to describe exactly where it is, for example the middle of a street between two cross streets.
• Or call Environmental Services at 858-694-7000 from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City says the same number may be used to leave after-hours messages or report emergencies.

As of October 28, 2026, the Dead Animal form shows an estimated resolution time of 3 days, and says reports are typically processed Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The City's timeframe list also gives 3 days.

Get It Done asks you to confirm that the address is within the City of San Diego. If the animal is on a freeway, a County road or private property, see the next section. Other dumped items on the street have their own report type; see our illegal dumping guide.

Who removes a dead animal depends on where it is:

Freeways. Caltrans handles Customer Service Requests Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and says the form should not be used for any kind of highway emergency; report those to 911 or the California Highway Patrol. The City's Get It Done FAQ lists the CHP non-emergency number as 858-637-3800.

County. The County Department of Animal Services says it does not pick up dead animals on public or private property, and points to the numbers above.

The City of San Diego coordinates animal services with San Diego Humane Society, which the City says serves as its primary animal control agency. San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement team handles stray pets, off-leash dogs and injured animals in the City and 13 other cities. Elsewhere in the county:

From San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law and Animal Protection page, as of October 28, 2026. Its jurisdiction chart lists the provider for each ZIP code.

If you found a pet, San Diego Humane Society suggests these steps first:

• Check for ID. Call or text the number on any tag. If there is no tag, a local veterinary office can scan for a microchip.
• Check the neighborhood. It says eighty percent of lost pets are found within one mile of their home, so ask neighbors and post a flyer.
• Call 619-299-7012 if you cannot find the owner, with the pet's age, weight, breed, color and the location where it was found, including ZIP code. It says local law requires that the shelter of jurisdiction be notified within 24 hours when a pet is found.

Stray pets found within San Diego Humane Society's jurisdiction can be admitted at its El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside and San Diego campuses during business hours. The San Diego campus is at 5480 Gaines St. (Admissions), open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you find a stray after hours and can keep it safely overnight, it asks you to do so; if you cannot, or the animal needs medical attention, call 619-299-7012 and press 1.

Looking for your own pet? San Diego Humane Society posts animals serving a legal stray hold of 72 hours on its Lost & Found Pets pages, and offers a free texting service: text "LOST" to 858-SAN-LOST (858-726-5678). It notes it does not keep records of lost pets reported by phone or email.

San Diego Humane Society's Project Wildlife serves all of San Diego County. Its Wildlife Help Hub has self-help centers for amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles that explain how to tell whether an animal needs help, and how to handle and drop it off safely.

• Pilar & Chuck Bahde Wildlife Center, 5433 Gaines St., San Diego, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (except holidays). Animals may also be dropped off at the Oceanside, Escondido or Ramona campuses during regular business hours.
• 619-299-7012, press 1 for emergency assistance.

In unincorporated areas, the County Department of Animal Services says it responds when a wild animal is posing an immediate threat to humans or other animals, is sick or injured, is too young to survive on its own, or is trapped, and when a rabies vector such as a raccoon, skunk, bat, fox or coyote has attacked you or your pet. It says it cannot help with wildlife nuisance problems such as skunks under a porch.

Rattlesnakes. San Diego Humane Society says its Humane Field Services Team responds to rattlesnake calls if the snake is causing imminent danger to humans or domestic animals, for example if it is inside a residence or business or is blocking an entrance or exit.

In the City of San Diego, dangerous animals, dog bites and off-leash dogs are handled by San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement team. Its officers are appointed by the State of California under Corporations Code 14502 to enforce animal protection laws. San Diego Municipal Code section 44.0300 adopts the County of San Diego's animal control ordinance as the City's own.

• Active danger: call 619-299-7012, extension 1, or 911 if a life is in danger.
• After an attack: San Diego Humane Society has online forms for an Incident Report (Dog to Human) and an Incident Report (Non-Human Injury).
• Not urgent: email investigations@sdhumane.org. The City notes this inbox is checked frequently, but not in immediate real time.

Leash law. The City says dogs must be kept on a leash not to exceed eight feet at all times, except in a designated off-leash area or when confined to a residence or backyard, and that this applies in City parks, canyons and trails. San Diego Municipal Code section 44.0319 makes it unlawful for an owner to let a domestic animal run at large in the City. For non-emergency leash law violations in City parks and on beaches, the City and San Diego Humane Society both point to Get It Done, so Park Ranger staff can follow up.

Inside the City of San Diego, SDPD lists these options:

• Talk to the owner, or contact the landlord.
• Mediation through the National Conflict Resolution Center at 619-238-2400.
• A Request for Investigation to the City's Building and Land Use Enforcement, which SDPD says takes noise complaints about animals. San Diego Humane Society's barking complaint link for City of San Diego residents points to the same process.

What the law says. San Diego Municipal Code section 59.5.0502(c) declares unlawful keeping an animal "which by any frequent or long-continued noise, shall cause annoyance or discomfort to a reasonable person of normal sensitiveness in the vicinity." Noise that disturbs two or more residents in separate residences next to the property, or three or more residents in separate residences close by, is prima facie evidence of a violation.

Outside the City, San Diego Humane Society takes barking complaints for the other cities it serves through its own online form, and its jurisdiction chart lists who handles noise complaints by ZIP code.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) says coyotes are native to California, can be seen in rural, residential and urban areas, and may be heard calling to each other any time of day or night. In unincorporated areas, the County says it does not respond to reports of wildlife being loose or simply roaming.

• Report a coyote incident to CDFW through its Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system, which assigns each report to a CDFW investigator based on location. The WIR page says to call 911 if you are in imminent danger.
• CDFW South Coast Region main office: 3883 Ruffin Road, San Diego, 858-467-4201.

CDFW's advice if you encounter a coyote that approaches:

• Keep a safe distance and back away slowly, keeping small children and pets close.
• Make loud noise and make yourself look bigger, then let the coyote leave on its own.
• "If a coyote makes contact, fight back! Then call Animal Control or 9-1-1."

To prevent problems, CDFW recommends not leaving small pets unsupervised outside, bringing pets inside at night, leashing pets on walks, and keeping trash, recycling and pet food in secure bins.

Dead Animal estimate and processing hours shown on the Get It Done form as of October 28, 2026; the estimate matches the City's timeframe list (last updated May 7, 2026). Stray timeframes are from San Diego Humane Society's Lost & Found Pets page.

The form says the estimate is calculated using data from the last 6 weeks as well as seasonal trends and staff knowledge, and the City says resolution times can vary based on available budget and due to weather, seasonal or other local impacts. For anything else you need to report to the City, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.