County of San Diego Department of Animal Services — Local services in La Presa

I have never in my life have had such horrible and unacceptable service. My bulldog was let out by mischievous children pranking neighbors. This must've been 10/3/2016 late. Once I did realize he was missing I made sure to try and ask neighbors while I was attempting to speak with someone at the county of San Diego animal shelter. I got home around 4:30pm. By the time I grew frustrated that I wasn't being transferred to an actual human on their number and no luck with neighbors I had my boyfriend drive to the shelter since it's not to far. He walks in asks if they had a white male bulldog because ours was lost. Lady says she doesn't know he can check out back. He goes out to the the kennels and makes two rounds and nothing. He assumes since last wasn't awaree of having a bulldog and him not being in a kernel he must not be there. While all this is happening I'm making sure to report his microchip as lost pet. Assuming that since i made sure to microchip my pet in case this ever happens I'd be contacted. Ok well here is my issue. My Bulldog has a serious skin condition thy requires antibiotics. He was currently on medication. I would've assumed if a county dept received a animal the first thing they would do is check for a microchip and see if registered info is correct. Well NO, he wasn't checked and I wasn't contacted. The day I sent my boyfriend he was already in their possession. One of my neighbors found him and dropped him off before he went. We found out after when my daughter searched their online system again and lord behold he was there. It was to late to go back since they closed. Calling is useless since you can never speak to a live agent. You go in and employees have no clue to what protocol is or as to what pets they might have. This is a bulldog, how many strays could you possible get from this breed. He's not a pitbull. I'd also assume that they get a daily report of pets being dropped off just in case someone calls or comes in to ask for. Ok well next day around maybe 11am-noon I go in myself and clerk asks me what can she help me with. I said I was looking for my bulldog and wanted to pick him up. She asked if I new he was here and I replied yes. She follows asking me if I had a tag number for him and I say yes and give it to her. She then calls for another employee and let's her know that I was there for a pick up. The other representive was just sitting at her desk unoccupied yet tells her it will be a bit before she helps me. I take a seat. 5 min later she calls my pets name and for me so I head over to her pulling out his papers and shot record. I was already frustrated by this point at the neglect and desire of these employees even wanting to help or do their jobs correctly. She asks for my name and to have a seat. I then quickly ask that why have I not been contacted if he's been here and why wasn't my BF told he was here when he came day before. She makes a face at me then looks at computer and then replies with "we contacted and left message this morning, sometimes we don't attempt to make contact till 24hrs later." Ok so what number did you call because I never received a call nor VM I replied. She then reads out the number and I explain to her that it's not my number and it's definitely not the number on his microchip so why would they call that number. RUDELY, she turns to me and says that it doesn't matter anymore that it's basically irrelevant and I would still need to pay the fees. Excuse me but when once did i mention anything about fees? When did i even ask what they were? What I wanted to know was why I wasn't contacted and you felt the need as a county service to call a number you had in your computer and not on his microchip 24hrs later? Why wasn't my BF made aware he was there when he asked for a BULLDOG. Why couldn't I actually speak to a live agent when I called. What is the purpose of paying for a microchip if the main source of lost pets which is county operated can't make sure to check such a small and easy form of ownership. I had...

San Diego Animal Services

I hate that I even have to make this post, but I’m gonna be a voice not just for my dog but ALL animals leaving this shelter. I adopted my dog formally known as ginger, changed to Poppy, July 9th. We had met her July 5th, because after I saw her picture I just knew she was meant to be MY DOG. When we met Poppy July 5th she was bleeding. We were told she was in heat but when she was fixed it would be her last cycle. That was fine with us. At pickup July 9th she was bleeding and we were told verbatim that she had only started bleeding a few days ago and that she would be bleeding for another 7-9 days she was protruding at this time. No problem we can handle that. We go to her checkup with our vet and we notice the small protrusion but assume it’s swelling due to a heat cycle as it’s not much at this time. The bleeding continues past two weeks so we make mother vet appointment. We search for fox tail and when doing the test we notice that she has an infection it seems. We treat it, she stopped bleeding for a week then started again. We go back and she now has necroses in her and he protruding more and more. We rule out that no parts of her were left while in her so she should no longer be in heat or bleeding as it’s been over a month at this point. I reach out to the shelter and wait for a response. While I’m waiting for a response we do a biopsy on Poppy to see if possible cancer is present. A week and a half later we get her results back, she has TVT. The shelter got back to me the next day and a man named Manny let me know a lot of dogs come in with TVT but they don’t test for or treat it. I ask him the obvious question which is “WHY ARE YOU NOT TELLING THESE FAMILIES THIS?”. So when you say a lot, how many dogs in your shelter have TVT and why aren’t you advising families? So we adopt animals and shortly have to put them down because we can’t afford treatments? Just for a consult at an oncologist is over $500. A CONSULT. A test for the biopsy cost me $60. These babies aren’t worth that? He asked if she was already protruding, which she was. Her pet insurance wouldn’t cover it because it’s preexisting. He told me all I could do is file a claim and hope for the best. I saved all my receipts and everything and turned it in. While looking through some of her paperwork I looked closer at dates and she actually came into the county ALREADY BLEEDING. She never started bleeding a few days before we got her, she was actually bleeding for almost an entire month before. The reason her spirits were so high is because it’s almost a completely painless cancer. So she has all the signs of TVT and for almost a month and she just sat there like that? Honestly thank god for my vet going above and beyond saving this baby because she was seconds away from being out down. I’ve also spoke with others who have gotten dogs like this from here or the humane society and sadly their dogs didn’t make it. The only solution Manny offered was to foster and test these animals ourselves. You don’t let animals you “care” about bleeding for that long with infections without treatment. She never had an evaluation done on her vulva, ever. just wrote off as a “period” or “heat”. Do better. I’m happy to say that poppy is strong and we saved her, but the financial damage is crazy. No one expects for the animal they adopted to have such obvious cancer and then be told “yeah dogs come in like that all the time” and shrug it off.

Update:city refused to help saying we “could’ve returned her”. Why would I return her to a place that didn’t give a single care about her and was willing to let her suffer. No compassion from the city of San Diego or...

Got myself a new dog (second from the county shelter) this Tuesday. Very friendly staff, slightly dated facility (South campus is at bonita), but everyone should give the shelter a chance. There are tons of dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, pigs, horses, and all types of small critters in the bonita shelter who need a house or even a short foster stint outside of the facility. Having worked there many years ago, I know they make sure the facility is as clean as they could make it and during my visit, it felt as such. The staff were very eager to help so long as you have patience, however they may be understaffed since I didn't see too many people in the front. Everyone was kind and a pleasure to talk to. The kennels were loud, as is what usually happens when shelters are over capacity and have dogs who have been there way too long (shelter anxiety etc). Also remember that animals don't always act the same when they're outside of the shelter so give everyone a chance. As of this post, the shelter is taking part of clear the shelter day, meaning all dogs and cats are free.99. Aka 0 dollars for the whole month of August and a couple days of September. All pets are vaccinated, neutered/spayed, microchipped, and given information for 1 free wellness check from select vets. Registration would depend on where you live as they only register unincorporated San Diego, but everything they do is much cheaper than most vets. EDIT: read some reviews ... I don't think people realize the County of San Diego department of animal services can only handle animals from the unincorporated parts of San Diego. They aren't able to handle animals from cities with their own animal shelters (eg city of San Diego has the humane society and Chula vista has their own shelter). Your zip code may be close to the county shelter, but if they're part of said cities with their own shelters, the county can not handle the animal. The only exception is providing some vet care with HIGHER cost since that care would be out of their jurisdiction. People need to research their government bodies before defaulting to "government is bad". Also having worked there, the empty kennels are from animals being distributed to other shelters/fosters/rescues. Not euthanasia (which are for medical or behavior issues that can't be cared by the shelter without a dedicated staff/funding for said care). And vaccines/meds are given to ALL animals coming in because there's literally no history at intake time. Even if it's an owned animal, the shelter can't take the chance of the owner lying about shots and getting the rest of the shelter sick.

Adopt don't shop! Give senior pets a chance. And foster if you are able!

Pic is my Shiba (6 year old senior with too much weight and some health issues). He's potty trained, knows commands, and crate trained!

I also adopted my Yorkiepoo from the county shelter (Carlsbad location) for $69 a couple of years ago. She was 1 year old, from a hoarding. Shots, spayed, microchipped! Friendly...