Frequently Asked Questions

• Starting October 1, 2015, all dogs over 6 months are required to be spayed or neutered LBMC 6.16.085. Exemptions will be granted for (1) medical conditions with a veterinarian’s written assessment, (2) Certified Show dogs (proof required), (3) Service and law enforcement dogs. Additionally, any unaltered dog that has a valid license from the Animal Care Services Bureau prior to October 1, 2015 is exempt from the mandatory spay/neuter law as long as the license is kept current.
• You are not allowed to breed a dog without a breeders permit.
• You are not allowed to breed a cat in the City of Long Beach with or without a permit.
• Within the City of Long Beach , all cats over 4 months must be spayed or neutered.

The City of Long Beach Municipal Code 21.51.210 limits the keeping of household pet to the following:

1. Number. A total of not more than four weaned household pets may be kept at one site, unless any of the weaned pets are dogs bred pursuant to a permit issued under Section 6.16.190 of this code, in which case all such weaned dogs may be kept at one site until such dogs have reached the age of four months.
   This limitation shall not apply to fish, rodents (other than rabbits), or caged birds (provided the birds are not allowed to fly free and are maintained in accordance with all applicable health regulations).
2. Maintenance. Household pets shall be kept in a manner which does not damage or pose hazards to people or property and which does not generate offensive dust, odors or noise.
3. Horses. Horses may be kept subject to the provisions of Chapter 21.38 (Horse Overlay District).
4. Other Animals. Dangerous or wild animals as defined in Section 6.16.030 of the Municipal Code shall not be kept in any residential zone.

The City of Long Beach Municipal Code 21.15.2030 defines "Household pet" as an animal customarily kept in a house, such as dogs, cats, fish, caged birds, rabbits and the like. No wild, exotic, or livestock animals shall be considered household pets.

• Service Animal Information
• Service Animals in Places of Business

For information on avoiding dog bites visit the Humane Society

Emergency Calls:

• Priority One Calls = Person in danger or at risk
  - Quarantine = Bite to human. critical
  - Live animal on the freeway.
  - Wild life = Stray, acting aggressive towards people.
  - Dogs = Stray, acting aggressive towards people.
  - Animals = Semi confined, acting aggressive towards people.
• Priority Two Calls = Animal in danger or at risk
  - Sick or injured animals
  - Animal on animal fight in progress
  - Person physically abusing an animal, in progress
  - Animal in vehicle in distress.

Non-Emergency Calls:

• Priority Three Calls = Next available Officer
  - Quarantine post or lift, non-critical
  - Fire or Police assist
  - Cruelty = Abuse / neglect. Other than physical abuse in progress
  - School grounds = Animal confined or loose on school grounds
  - Animals in traps 
• Priority Four Calls = To be done today
  - Animal welfare check
  - Owner surrender alive or deceased animal
  - Assist other City department
• Priority Five Calls = Normal priority
  - Confined stray animals
  - Deceased animals
  - Patrols
  - Stray dogs
  - License checks
  - Barking complaints
• Priority Six Calls = Low priority
  - PR events
  - Miscellaneous deliveries / pickups.

Priority Four and Five Calls include all non-critical and non-emergency situations. Animal Care recommends that residents and customers transport the following categories of animal during regular business hours:
- Custody: trapped, stray or contained animal with no known owner
- Dead: deceased animals in the public or private space (Deceased animals causing a traffic hazard or visible in sensitive areas such as elementary schools may be classified as a priority 3)
- Stray Dogs: non-aggressive loose dogs
- Owner Pick-up: any live or deceased animal

To report a barking dog and file a complaint, please contact the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services at:

7700 E. Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7387

The City of Long Beach Animal Care Service does not handle calls regarding bees or their removal. If you have a problem with bees, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO KILL OR REMOVE THE BEES YOURSELF.

• For Stinging Incidents (victim involved) call 911.
• Honey Bee Swarms or Nests (outside, not a structure) - In the City of Long Beach, contact the Department of Health & Human Services at (562) 570-4132
• Honey Bee Swarms or Nests (inside or on a structure) - Check your local Yellow Pages under "Pest Control" for a licensed control operator. Only a licensed pest control operator can kill bees in or on a structure.
• Africanized Honey Bee Information - call 1-800-BEE-WARY or 1-800-233-9279

The City of Long Beach Animal Care Service does not handle calls regarding rats or other pests.

For rats or other pests (outside or on a structure)

In the City of Long Beach, contact the Department of Health & Human Services, Vector Control at (562) 570-4132

For rats or other pests (inside or in a structure)

Please search online using “Pest Control" for a licensed pest control company.

If you have been bitten by an animal, please contact the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services immediately at:

7700 E. Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7387

An Animal Control Officer will be dispatched to your location.

Animal Bite Treatment

Please contact the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services at:

7700 E. Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7387

Please be aware that dead animal pick-up's are considered a non-emergency (low priority call). If animal control officer's are currently responding to emergencies (animal bites, vicious animal, animal abuse, injured animal, etc.), it may be between 24 to 72 hours before the dead animal is retrieved. An option would be, using a shovel and gloves, place the animal in the plastic trash bag and bring it to Animal Care Services for proper disposition.

To report a stray dog or cat, please contact the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services at:

7700 E. Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7387

If you witness animal abuse or neglect, please contact please contact the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services immediately. We rely on concerned citizens to be our eyes and ears in the community and to report animal suffering. You can choose to remain anonymous, although providing us your contact information allows us to follow up with you when necessary.

To report a case of animal abuse and file a complaint, please contact the City of Long Beach Animal Care Services at:

7700 E. Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7387

Please visit our shelter during regular business hours to see if your pet is at our facility. We also have a book that lists all the animals picked up by our officers.  Our website also lists all animals in our care.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Domestic animals account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle, and dogs most often reported rabid.

Rabies is an infection caused by the rhabdovirus. It is typically transmitted through bite wounds from an infected animal, though cases of human infection have been reported as a result of inhaling aerosolized bat urine when visiting bat-infested caves. Common carriers of rabies include skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes.

Following a bite from an infected animal, the virus in the animal's saliva enters the victim's tissues, attaching to local muscles cells before penetrating local nerves and eventually progressing to the brain. There is an average of twenty to thirty days between the bite and a detectable virus in the brain.

Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

Vaccination against rabies is extremely important for pets. It's strongly recommended that even indoor cats be vaccinated as wildlife exposure is still possible.

What should I do if a coyote approaches me?

The most successful methods of frightening a coyote away from a person are for that person to appear as large and threatening as possible. Making aggressive gestures towards the animal (moving arms and legs), shouting in a low voice, throwing rocks, sticks or objects at the coyote, maintaining eye contact and moving towards active or populated areas are proven techniques of either making the coyote flee, or ending the encounter.

What should I do if the coyote keeps approaching me?

Even if the above methods don't appear to be working, continue to exaggerate them. Do not turn away or run. Keep constant eye contact with the coyote and continue to move towards other people, a building or an area of activity.

Coyotes are moving through my yard a lot recently. Why?

Regular coyote presence in your backyard is a result of a nearby food source. The coyote may be finding a meal in your yard, your neighbor's, or at a house down or across the street from you. Like it or not, someone in your neighborhood is feeding coyotes. Talking with your neighbors about recognizing and removing the following coyote attractants will reduce the potential of having coyotes in your backyard:

• Pet food stored or fed outside
• Accessible garbage bins and composts
• Fruit fallen from trees

Coyotes are very adaptable and though the majority of their diet consists of small rodents they enjoy apples, berries and other fruit, birds, eggs, fish and small crustaceans. The above food sources attract rats and mice as well, which is the mainstay of urban coyote meals. Even a poorly maintained bird feeder will attract wild mammals.

How can I discourage them from my backyard?

It is crucial to understand the importance of a unified neighborhood effort. If there is a regular coyote food source in one yard on your block, there will be coyotes active throughout the neighborhood. Therefore, the elimination of any potential food source is essential. High fences flush to the ground discourage them from entering yards. It is of equal importance to recognize that an indifferent attitude towards a coyote in your yard has a similar effect as feeding.

If a coyote is in your yard it is imperative that you make the animal aware it is not welcome there. Coyotes are most likely to be frightened by aggressive gestures, loud noises and large forms. Coyotes have been scared off properties by people waving sticks or brooms at them, people throwing stones, balls or tins at them, people clanging pots and pans in their direction, or by having the following home made coyote deterrents thrown or moved in their direction:

• The Coyote Shaker: A juice tin containing forty pennies, wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed with duct tape.
• The Can Clanger: A group of different sized tins and cans connected to each other by string.

The combination of the light reflecting on the foil and tin, the noise made by the clanging of the tins and the aggressive gesture of shaking / throwing the tins provide several deterrents which effect the coyote's visual (reflective light), aural (sound of metal) and motion (fear of being struck) senses simultaneously, thereby scaring the animal to move on. Don't stop at your property line. A coyote in your neighbor's yard is the same thing as having one in your own.

How can I keep my cat safe?

The only way of ensuring that your cat is safe from coyotes is to keep it indoors permanently. The more time your cat is outdoors the greater the risk it faces, not only from coyotes, but from raccoons, cars, domestic dogs, feline AIDS, leukemia, parasites and other illnesses and diseases as well.

How can I keep my dog safe?

• The most common conflict between coyotes and dogs is with cat-size or smaller dogs. To ensure your pet is safe the best action is to supervise it at all times it is outside and make sure your pet is off leash only in enclosed areas.
• There have been reports of coyotes taking small dogs from not only the direct vicinity of their owner, but directly off the leash. If you notice a coyote when walking your dog, either gather your dog in your arms if possible, or keep it as close to you as possible while using some of the deterrents noted above and move towards an active area.
• If your dog, of any size, is off leash, ensure your dog has immediate recall response, not only to eliminate potential contact or conflict with coyotes, but other dogs and people as well.
• If there is a den with coyote pups nearby, even large dogs may be attacked.

How can I keep my small dog safe on leash?

As mentioned above there have been occasions when coyotes have taken small dogs [less than cat size] directly from the leash. If there are regular coyote sightings in your neighborhood, in addition to the advice and deterrents mentioned above, the following precautionary measures can be adopted to reduce the risk of injury to your pet:

• If you are uncomfortable making aggressive gestures or throwing objects at a coyote keep a shrill whistle handy when walking your dog. The whistle may not scare the coyote directly (coyotes hear the same daily sirens, car alarms, horns etc. as we do), but it will alert other pedestrians in the area of your need for help.
• Walk your dog, on leash, in high pedestrian traffic areas such as relatively busy streets, jogging trails and park paths where help is nearby.
• Coincide the walks with times and locations of activity such as around schools at arrival, dismissal, break or lunch periods, along transit routes or transit connection routes as the work day begins or ends or around parks when activities / sporting events [nightly softball or soccer games] are held.
• Dog walk with friends and family.
• Avoid long stretches of bushy areas or paths and roads along abandoned properties.
• Make sure your dog is ahead of you while walking. If it stops to sniff or scratch behind you while on an extendable leash, keep an eye on it.

How can I prepare my child for potential coyote encounters?

Responsible parenting means keeping your children informed about all the dangers of living in an urban society. Coyotes do pose a risk to children, and kids should be made aware of what behavior [see above] has proven effective if they come into contact with a coyote. It is also important to keep the risk coyotes pose in its proper perspective.

Why should I not feed coyotes?

• A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote: Coyotes who associate people as a food provider invariably end up having to be disposed of for displaying aggressive behavior. For example, after one incident involving the shooting of a coyote, as a result of the animal nipping a child, a post mortem revealed roast chicken in the animal's stomach.

Feeding Coyotes is a Crime: Title 14 Section 251.1 of the California Code of Regulations, states that feeding of wild animals is considered a form of harassment. Title 14 Section 679f(4) of the California Code of Regulations states that healthy wildlife should be left alone.

To register your pet's microchip with Animal Care Services, you must either have the animal scanned by a staff member onsite, or you may provide the documentation that indicates the microchip has been implanted and registered with the microchip company. When licensing your pet, please be ready to provide the following in-person or by mail:

• Microchip number
• Documentation from a licensed veterinarian indicating the chip was implanted
• Certificate of implantation

It is important to note that many pet owners have microchips implanted but fail to submit the registration information with the microchip provider. Animal Care Services provides pre-registered microchips, and will submit the registration information on behalf of the pet owner to ensure successful registration.

Long Beach Animal Care Services provides service for the cities of Long Beach, Cerritos, and Signal Hill. Other surrounding municipalities are serviced by:

Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, Orange County Animal Care Services, South East Area Animal Control Agency, or Los Angeles City/South Los Angeles Animal Services.

If you are unable to keep your pet, the first step is to list your pet to people looking to adopt. Please use the app labeled “Find Your Pet a New Home” found on our home page. You will be able to screen adoption applications and find the right home for your pet. There are other resources to explore besides bringing your pet to the shelter. Rescue groups and social media can be helpful, especially if you post in the right places, including on NextDoor, Craigslist, and other sites. Usually asking friends or family to help, even temporarily, can be a solution. Sometimes, when your friends and family know that you will have to send your pet to the shelter, they are more likely to step in and help.  If you have no other options, you may make an appointment to surrender your pet.  There are 3 forms to complete: they are the “Animal Release Form”, “Surrender Questionnaire”, and “Surrender Vet History”.  Please complete these forms and email the completed forms to AnimalCare@longbeach.gov. Once we receive your completed forms, a staff person will contact you to make an appointment to surrender your pet.