The City of Westminster does not have off-leash dog parks. Dogs are allowed in all of our parks as long as the dog is kept on a leash no more than six (6) feet in length and in the hands of a person capable of controlling the dog. Always remember to pick up after your dog.

The Westminster Adoption Group & Services (WAGS) has pets available for adoption. Please keep in mind that you must meet certain criteria to be able to adopt a pet. Please call WAGS at (714) 887-6156 to get more information.

If you wish to maintain more than the legal limit of pets allowed, you must apply for an animal maintenance permit. You may request an application in person only at the Police Department front counter. The non-refundable permit processing fee must be paid at the time of application. It takes approximately 30-60 days to complete the process. At the discretion of Senior Animal Control Officer, the permit may or may not be granted.

If a neighbor’s pet is bothering you due to noise, it’s preferable that you first try to contact the neighbor personally to see if the problem can be resolved prior to filing a formal complaint with Animal Control. If you have already contacted the neighbor and the problem has not been resolved, contact Animal Control to file a complaint. If you are complaining about a barking dog, you must fill out a Barking Dog Information Report to formally file your complaint. The Barking Dog Information Report can be mailed to you upon request, obtained online, or you may come to the Westminster Police Department front counter to request one.

You may obtain a license online.

Animal Control currently does not offer an owner relinquishment program. If you need to surrender your pet, you may do so by transporting the pet yourself to the Westminster Animal Care Center. Please contact them at (714) 887-6156 for further information and the fee schedule for pet relinquishment.

Please keep in mind that adoption is not guaranteed. Many health and behavior factors are taken into consideration before a pet is deemed adoptable.

Contact Animal Control at (714) 548-3201 to have a deceased stray animal removed from your property. Request for disposal of owned deceased animals is provided, however, a disposal fee is charged. Contact Animal Control for information on this type of service.

Contact Animal Control at (714) 548-3201. If no one is available to answer your call, you may leave a message and an Animal Control Officer will follow up. Messages are checked several times a day. If your call is urgent, such as the stray animal causing a traffic hazard or is aggressive, please contact Police Dispatch at (714) 548-3212.

There are no leash laws pertaining to cats. If you are reporting a stray cat that is able to be handled safely and would like it to be picked up, contact Animal Control. The cat must be confined in a transportable container such as a sturdy box or carrier.

Contact Animal Control at (714) 548-3201 to report the incident. You will be asked to provide the exact location of the pet and a description. If the matter is urgent and requires an immediate response by an Animal Control Officer, contact Police Dispatch at (714) 548-3212.

The Westminster Animal Care Center and Westminster Adoption Group & Services (WAGS) has a volunteer program. Please contact them at (714) 887-6156.

All dogs must be on a leash no longer than six (6) feet in length, and in the hands of a person capable of controlling the dog whenever on public property. Dogs and other animals cannot be on any private property without the consent of the property owner.

The City of Westminster allows up to three dogs over the age of 4 months or three cats over the age of 4 months or any combination thereof. Any more than that would require the pet owner to apply for an animal maintenance permit. If you have, or maintain, more than the number of pets allowed without a permit, you are in violation of Westminster Municipal Code 6.12.020 and may be subject to citation.

Feral cats are wild and most of time cannot be handled safely. Cats will not be picked up unless properly confined. Animal Control provides traps for rent to Westminster residents on a first come first serve basis. Please call Animal Control prior to coming to the Police Department front counter to make sure a trap is available. Valid identification and a deposit are required for the issuance of a trap.

Animal Control does not respond to calls regarding wildlife unless it is deceased, injured, or orphaned. If you are reporting injured wildlife, it must be confined placing a box or other such item like a laundry basket over it. If it is able to be handled safely, you may place it inside a transportable container such as a sturdy box or carrier. Once the animal is properly confined, call Animal Control at (714) 548-3201 for pick up.

Residents are able to trap wildlife in humane traps and relocate it themselves. Animal Control will not relocate healthy wildlife that has been trapped. If you are uncomfortable or uneasy trapping wildlife, you may contact a licensed private animal trapping and removal service found in your local yellow pages or online.

If you are reporting mallard ducks, please keep in mind that they are federally protected birds and in most cases cannot be removed. Animal Control is restricted by the California Department of Fish and Game to remove healthy wildlife from private or public property. If you have questions about wildlife removal, contact the California Department of Fish and Game at (858) 467-4201.

You may contact Orange County Vector Control at (714) 971-2421 for rat problems. Any other type of pest removal, such as gophers and mice, is the responsibility of the property owner. The property owner may contact a private pest control company for these issues. Other types of wildlife may be protected by state or federal law. Contact Animal Control at (714) 548-3201 to discuss your individual situation.

It is the pet owner’s responsibility to obtain veterinary care for the sick or injured pet. There are many local veterinary offices that can care for your sick or injured pet. If your pet becomes sick or is injured after hours or on a weekend, search online or look in the yellow pages for 24 hour emergency veterinary facilities.

If you have been bitten by an animal and there is a skin break, Animal Control may have to quarantine the animal or have it tested for rabies. Dogs and cats are routinely subject to quarantine if they have caused a skin break with their teeth to a human. Dog owners having knowledge that their dog or cat has bitten another person are required to report the incident to Animal Control immediately.

Not all animals are subject to quarantine. Animal Control does not routinely examine low risk animals such as rabbits, rodents, hamsters, or guinea pigs. To report an animal bite, contact Animal Control at (714) 548-3201.

Contact Animal Control if your pet is missing. We will create a lost pet report with the pet description and owner information in case the pet is found at a later date. If you are missing a pet, please make a strong effort to personally check the Westminster Animal Care Center and any other shelters nearby.

Contact Animal Control at (714) 548-3201 to have the animal removed. If no one is available to answer your call, you may contact Police Dispatch at (714) 548-3212. Try to keep the dangerous animal under observation until the Animal Control Officer arrives, but do not approach it.

Rabies is a viral disease that can affect most warm-blooded animals. In the US today, most cases are found in wildlife such as bats, racoons, and skunks. Vaccinations for this disease are readily available for your pet, and are required by state law. Please see the Orange County Animal Care for more information on rabies and locations to low-cost pet vaccination clinics.

Most veterinary hospitals offer spay and neuter services. Search online or check your local yellow pages for veterinary hospitals that offer low cost spay and neuter services.

Westminster Animal Control contracts shelter services. They are located at:

WAGS Adoption Pet Center
6621 Westminster Boulevard
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 887-6156

There is no public agency that will remove bees from private property. If the bee hive is on private property, the property owner is responsible for contacting a private pest control company or a private bee keeping service for the removal of the hive.

If the bee hive is on public property, you may contact the City of Westminster Corporation Yard at (714) 895-2876. They will contact the appropriate service to eliminate the hive.

If bees are actively swarming and attacking humans please call 9-1-1.