Field Services

Stray Domestic Animals (excluding cats)

Regular, on-duty Animal Control Officers (ACO) will respond. After hours: local police will respond. 

Injured or Sick Wildlife

If you have located an injured or sick wild animal, you may call PAPD dispatch at 650-329-2413 and the on duty Animal Control Officer will respond to assess the animal. If you found an animal after the Animal Control Officer is off duty, you can either place the animal in a box (if safe to do so) and bring to MedVet at 601 Showers Dr, Mtn. View at no cost to you; leave the animal in the box overnight and the on duty officer will respond in the morning, or do nothing and an Animal Control Officer will assess when able. (Do not offer food to any wild animal!)

Stray Cats

Healthy stray cats must be confined prior to ACO response or brought directly to the animal shelter.

Aggressive Animals; and Animals in Distress

Regular, on-duty ACO or local police will respond.

Dead Animals

Regular, on-duty ACO will respond to remove animal. ACOs do not go under houses, decks or on roofs. ACOs do not respond for dead deer on private property. Call (800) 847-6454 for removal, property owner is responsible for cost of removal.

Animal Bite Complaints

Regular, on-duty ACO investigate bite complaints and quarantine animals. After hours, local Police will take a report and an ACO will follow up to investigate and quarantine animal(s).

Leash Law Complaints

Regular, on-duty ACOs respond to leash law violations/complaints. After hours, local Police will respond.

Barking dog Complaints

Regular, on-duty ACOs investigate barking dog complaints. After hours, local Police will respond.

Other Non-Urgent Municipal Code Violations (i.e. Pooper Scooper Law)

Palo Alto: Regular, on-duty ACO's investigate complaints of violations
Los Altos & Los Altos Hills: Refer to local Police or Code Enforcement

Animal Neglect and Abuse

Regular, on-duty ACO investigate sanitation, neglect, abuse, and over-limit complaints. After Hours: local Police will respond and notify ACO if required.

Animal Theft

If you believe someone stole your animal, it is a property crime, call your local Police Dept.

Raccoon, Opossum, Skunk, Rat, and Squirrel Nuisance Complaints

No traps or relocation services are available from Animal Control. Call the Santa Clara Co. Vector Control at 1-800-675-1155, weekdays only, or a private pest control company.

Mountain Lion Complaints

• To report sightings or observations, contact a Palo Alto naturalist 650-329-2382.
• To report a sighting outside of natural habitat, or an immediate threat to human life, call local Police immediately.
• To report an incident (an attack or pursuit of humans or pets), or for information on obtaining a "deprivation permit" which allows residents to pursue mountain lions, contact a California Department of Fish & Game warden at 408-429-9252.

Coyote Complaints

• To report sightings or observations, contact the Santa Clara Co. Vector Control at 1 (800) 675-1155
• To report an aggressive, sick, injured coyote, regular on-duty and standby ACO will respond.
• No trapping services available in Palo Alto or Los Altos Hills.

Bee Complaints

Regular, on-duty ACO will investigate complaints of a bee swarms/hives and coordinate removal (if necessary) on public property ONLY. For Bees private property, please contact a removal service at www.beeguild.org. For wasps on private property, call a private pest control service.

Snakes

Regular on-duty ACO will respond for RATTLESNAKES ONLY, and only when in an area which could threaten humans or pets. Otherwise remove yourself from the area, and the snake should move on. All other native snakes are non-venomous, you may call a private removal company at (800) 339-9470.

Cats in Trees

Animal Control officers do not have ladders. Call your local Police/Dispatch to see if Utility truck or Fire truck is available to respond/access the tree. Sometimes a private tree service will assist. Animal Control Officers will only respond to take custody of the cat. However, most cats will come down from the tree by themselves.

Humane Euthanasia

As of 2/19/19, the City of Palo Alto no longer offers this service. Other local shelters all provide this valuable service, and the Humane Society of Silicon Valley offers 24/7 euthanasia services.

Pickup and Disposal of Dead Pets

You may bring dead pets to the shelter for disposal, cost varies by your pets weight, and disposal method. Call Pets In Need for more info at 650-496-5971. Animal Control can come to you for an additional $49 fee.

Cat Trap Rental and TNR

Trap rental is handled by Pets In Need at the Palo Alto Shelter. Please call 650-496-5971 for more info.
*Note: If you catch a wild animal in your trap, you must release it in the same area; you may not relocate it without a permit from the State of California. Check with the California Department of Fish and Game for exact regulations governing the trapping and relocation of wildlife in California. Animal Control will not respond to release or dispose of a wild animal that you caught.