Animals

County Animal Services Set to Transfer Cities’ Operations

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County Animal Services is in the final week of transferring jurisdiction over the animals of six contract cities to the San Diego Humane Society. The County’s contracts with the cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, San Diego, Santee and Solana Beach expire Saturday, June 30. The County Board of Supervisors voted in March 2017 to let the city contracts end when they expire.

The cities chose to contract with the Humane Society, which will take jurisdiction of the animals in those cities on July 1. The County’s Gaines Street shelter in the Morena neighborhood belongs to the City of San Diego so it will also be turned over to the Humane Society.

All three of the County’s shelters will close at 1 p.m. on Saturday June 30 to transfer any animals from the contract cities to the Humane Society and finalize the move out of the Gaines Street facility. The County’s two shelters in Carlsbad and Bonita will reopen for their regular hours on Sunday, July 1. County Animal Services will continue to serve the unincorporated area.

The county department has formally notified kennel operators, rescue partners, law enforcement and other local animal shelters about the upcoming operational changes.

Letters went out to residents in the contract cities who have current dog licenses for their pets advising them that their licenses will remain in effect until they expire and then residents can purchase a new one from the Humane Society.

As of July 1, residents of the cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, San Diego, Santee and Solana Beach will need to contact the Humane Society for animal-related issues.

Tracy DeFore is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact