Public Works

Animal Services

The City of Riverside contracts with the County of Riverside to provide its animal services through the Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS).

• Dog Licensing
• Coyote Encounters
• Animal Shelter Information
• Spay & Neuter
• Lost Pets
• Noisy Animal Complaints
• Kennel and Cattery Permits
• Additional Information

Coyote Encounters

Native to western North America, coyotes can now be found across our continent. Those living in southern California are predominantly brownish-gray in color and weigh 20-40 pounds (the approximate size of a Collie). Coyotes are both hunters and scavengers, meaning they will kill available prey, readily eat food thrown out by humans, and will even eat fruit that has fallen from trees. Instinctively afraid of humans, coyotes are incredibly intelligent and learn to adapt to their surroundings by becoming more aggressive and dominant if not challenged or scared.

Please report all sightings or attacks by calling 311 or (951) 826-5311. CLICK HERE for more information.

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Riverside City/County Animal Shelter

6851 Van Buren Blvd
Riverside, CA 92509
(951) 358-7387 (PETS)
http://www.rcdas.org

A friendlier shelter was built on 12.5 acres on Van Buren Blvd and Clay Street in Riverside. This 64,000 sq ft facility accommodates approximately 30,000 dogs, cats, horses, hamsters and other creatures annually.
Services at the Shelter include:

Adoptions

Animal Turn-In

Animal Behavior Classes

Upkeep of Impounded Animals

Barking Dog Complaints

Rabies Reports

Bite Reports and Quarantines

Collection of Fees from Licenses

Collection of Fees from Leash Law Violations

Animal Records

For additional information, please contact the Department of Animal Services at (951) 358-7387.

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Spay & Neuter

Hundreds of homeless animals come into our Riverside City/County shelters every day. Pet over population is a huge problem, but there is a solution. Please spay or neuter your animal companions!

For more information, please call (951) 358-7373.

Spay-it-Forward

“Spay-it-Forward” is a campaign focused on combating pet overpopulation in the City of Riverside and neighboring communities through subsidized spay (female) /neuter (male) services.

Any individual who owns an unaltered Cat, Pit Bull, Pit Bull “mix”, Chihuahua, Chihuahua “mix” or any puppy or kitten under six (6) months of age, meets income qualification levels, and can prove residence in zip code 92501 or 92509 by providing a current utility bill may qualify. For more information click here.

Please download and complete the Spay-it-Forward Application and return it to the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center via fax at (951) 359-6417, email at LifeLine@petsadoption.org, or mail it to Spay-it-Forward, Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center, 6165 Industrial Avenue, Riverside, CA 92504. To download the application click here English Version Spanish Version.

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Lost & Found Animals

If you have lost an animal, there are several ways you can better the chance of locating your pet. Please CLICK HERE for additional information

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Noisy Animal/Barking Dog Complaint

Many animal owners may not be aware that their animals are creating a disturbance for their neighbors. That’s why we have implemented a multi-phase approach to dealing with noisy animal complaints. Full information on this process can be found below in the Noisy Animal Complaint Packet.

Complaints can be reported to the City of Riverside's Call Center at 311 or (951) 826-5311, or by contacting the County's Department of Animal Services at (951) 358-7387. Callers will need to know the exact address of the noisy animal.

Noisy Animal Complaint Packet

Barking Dog Flyer

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Kennel and Cattery Permits

Anyone who keeps 5 or more dogs, 10 or more cats, or more than 10 dogs and cats in any combination per dwelling unit or business establishment is required to obtain a Kennel or Cattery permit.

• RMC Chapter 8.18 Residential and Commercial Kennels
• Standards for Kennels/Catteries
• Residential Kennel/Cattery Permit Application

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Additional Information

• Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
• The Medical Truth About Early Spay and Neuter in Cats and Dogs
• Riverside Municipal Code Title 8: Animals
• Pet Licensing

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