L.A. County Animal Care & Control

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To Enrich Lives Through Effective and Caring Service

Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control
Lancaster Animal Shelter
5210 West Avenue I
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 940-4191
open M-Th 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., F-Su 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed holidays

Antelope Valley Adoption Center (Pet Stop) - ADOPTIONS ONLY
42116 4th Street East
Lancaster, CA 93535
(661) 974-8309
open Tu-Sa 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Su 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC) provides animal control and shelter services in the Antelope Valley area. There are six shelters throughout the County, each serving several contract cities and all unincorporated County areas. The shelters provide licensing, microchip registration, adoptions, dead animal removal, and enforcement services in addition to stray sheltering services. DACC also works with the California Department of Fish & Game and the Los Angeles County Department of Agriculture in dealing with predator animals, such as coyotes and mountain lions. Animal Control officers investigate allegations of animal neglect and animal cruelty, inspect animal boarding facilities, pet shops, and grooming establishments to ensure they meet County and State codes, and assist local law enforcement in conducting raids for suspected illegal dog or cock fighting.

Licensing your pet provides a traceable way to return your pet to you should they get lost, and also verifies to anyone handling your pet that the rabies vaccination is current. Under California law, all dogs over four months of age must be licensed. Under City ordinance all cats residing within Lancaster's city limits must be licensed, and cats in unincorporated areas must also be licensed under County code. For information about current licensing fees, visit the Lancaster Animal Shelter or the DACC's Fee Schedule page.

Interested in adopting a pet? Visit the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control for information on currently available pets, adoption fees and policies, and more. Lost your pet, and want to see if she's been taken to a County shelter? You can check from that page as well (though be aware that not every found pet may appear on the website due to various circumstances - if possible, it is better to visit the shelter in-person each day).

Microchipping is a simple and permanent way to locate your pet should they get lost. All animals that are adopted to families by DACC are microchipped before going home with their new family. However, many of us have pets that were not obtained from County shelters, and these pets may or may not be microchipped. Due to a generous donation from the Found Animal Foundation, if you are a dog owner living in an area serviced by DACC (including the entire Los Angeles County portion of the Antelope Valley), you are eligible to have your dog microchipped for free by DACC at one of their microchipping clinics. Please contact the Lancaster Animal Shelter for the current clinic schedule and for more information if you are interested. Note that at this time, cats and other pets are not eligible for this free microchipping service through DACC.

If you can no longer care properly for your pet, or if circumstances force you to give your pet up (such as moving to an apartment that does not accept pets, for example), and you are unable to find a loving family willing to take your pet, you may relinquish your pet to the care of DACC by bringing them to any of the six County shelters and paying a small fee (currently $10-$25 for most pets, more for large animals). Alternatively you can contact DACC to request that an officer come to your home to pick up the pet, with the base charge being about $50 for small, domesticated pets.

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Submitting Complaints to L.A. County Animal Care & Control

Barking Dogs

Dogs bark for many reasons and it is perfectly normal and reasonable for animals to make some noise from time to time. However, continual noise for long periods of time is a sign that the pet has a problem that needs to be addressed. Constant, unrestrained, and unwarranted barking of dogs can disturb the peace of the surrounding neighbors, with effects ranging from mild annoyance to lost sleep or even health problems such as severe headaches.

To learn more about the reasons why dogs bark and for strategies and training tips to control excessive barking, dog owners should read the information sheet "Suggestions How to Reduce Animal Noise" provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC).

If there is a dog in your neighborhood that constantly barks, whether it's only for a few hours every night (or day) or around the clock, you can report it! For dogs that live within City limits, contact the Public Safety Office's Barking Dog Hotline at (661) 723-5991 or publicsafety@cityoflancasterca.gov.

For all other animal-related complaints, (whether or not in conjunction with a barking dog complaint), including unsanitary or abusive conditions, neglect, vicious animals, strays, or other animal welfare issues, please contact LA County Animal Control at (661) 940-4191 or file a report online: animalcare.lacounty.gov.

When submitting your complaint, please have available the address where the dog resides along with any other pertinent information, as well as your name, address, phone number, and email address (if applicable) so that we can contact you if needed. We will not share your information with anyone, including the dog owner, without your prior and specific consent. You will only be contacted if we need further information, and generally will not give a "call back" for each complaint received.

Please allow a reasonable period of time between complaints, as this is needed both to follow-up on the complaint and to allow the dog owner(s) to respond and correct the problem. While timely complaints are important to keep problems from continuing for an extended period of time, daily complaints will not "speed up the process" for legal reasons. The process for complaints is as follows:

Complaints submitted to the City are followed-up by a Notification of Complaint mailed to the dog owner's residence. If the problem does not resolve within a reasonable amount of time, (generally, three weeks), and additional or follow-up complaints are received, a Notice to Abate will be issued to the property owner.

If the problem does not resolve within 14 calendar days of issuance of a Notice to Abate, and additional complaints are received, the City may elect to pursue legal action against the dog owner(s), including but not limited to citations, office hearings, court proceedings, monitored compliance, and more. Keep in mind that this is within the City's discretion based on information gathered as a result of complaint follow-up, and is determined on a case-by-case basis. In addition, the dog owner has 14 days from the date of a Notice to Abate to formally contest the complaint in writing before any action will be taken. There is no fee to contest this action.

For barking dogs that live outside of City limits, you may report the problem by using the Department of Animal Care & Control's (DACC) Animal Noise Complaint Form (an email address is required). For more information, please visit the DACC's Animal Laws & Ordinances page.

If you have any questions about barking dogs, or to follow up on the status of a complaint, please contact the agency with whom you filed the complaint. For the City of Lancaster's Public Safety Office, call (661) 723-5991 or email publicsafety@cityoflancasterca.gov; for the Lancaster Animal Shelter, call (661) 940-4191, or visit their office at 5210 West Avenue I, 93536.