Animal Services FAQs

How do I license my dog?
Antioch residents are required to license their dog upon moving to Antioch, and/or after their dog turns 4 months of age. There is a 30-day grace period for either of these conditions to take care of the license. Thereafter, there will be a $30 penalty fee.
Before the license can be issued, you must obtain a rabies shot and certificate as proof of the vaccination. Spaying/neutering is not required to get a license, but there are reduced licensing fees for the animals that have received the alteration. To receive the reduced fee, you will need proof of the operation (either the operation receipt, or bringing the dog into the shelter if male). Sometimes the rabies certificate will show proof.
When you are ready to license your dog, you can bring the necessary paperwork to our shelter to purchase a one, two, or three year license, depending on the length of your rabies vaccinations. You can also obtain a license application from your veterinarian, and mail the information to the specified address with your payment.

If you are not an Antioch resident, you must license your dog with Contra Costa County Animal Services at (925) 335-8300.

How do I find my lost pet?
Even if you do not reside in Antioch, come to the shelter as soon as possible to look for your lost pet. We will have you fill out a lost pet report, and then take you through each part of our shelter to try and locate your pet. If you do not find your pet, we will hold your report on file. Re-visit the shelter frequently thereafter, because only you know what your pet looks like. Your lost pet report will expire 30 days from your last visit, so put the current date on your report each time you visit. We will also give you a printout on “How to find your lost pet” for additional suggestions and resources to reunite you.

My neighbor’s pet is causing me or my property trouble. What can I do?
If this is a non-vicious matter, read on. For a barking or howling dog, or a dog causing damage to your property, you may call animal services at 779-6989 to file a complaint. Although all information is kept confidential and not shared, you must give us the exact address of the dog owner as well as your name, address, and phone number. We will mail a “Notice to Correct” to the dog owner to make them aware of the problem. If the problem persists, you may file additional complaints after the initial 30 days given to correct. The case will be escalated as necessary, but may need to be handled in a civil court in some cases.

For a nuisance cat, you can rent a trap from the shelter at $5 per day with a $50 cash deposit. (Call the shelter before visiting at 779-6989, to make sure we have traps available for rent.) If the owner comes to pick up the cat, he or she will learn the cat was brought to us in a trap, but we will not disclose your information. Hopefully, the owner will keep the animal indoors and the nuisance will be solved. Because cats are considered to be free-roaming animals and are not required to be on a leash, you will not be able to file an “At Large “ complaint with us. We will still take a complaint if it is an Animal Care or abuse issue. If you still want to amend the problem, you can pursue the matter by contacting the Pittsburg Courthouse and filing for small claims court.

There is a nuisance or stray animal (other than a dog) in my neighborhood. How do I solve the problem?
If you are an Antioch resident and there is a non-vicious animal causing problems on your property (such as a raccoon or opossum), you may rent a trap from us for $5 per day with a $50 cash deposit. (Call the shelter before visiting at 779-6989, to make sure we have traps available for rent.)Upon pickup, we will instruct you on operation of the trap. After the animal has been trapped, you can bring the trap to our shelter, or call 779-6989 to arrange for a pickup.

I’ve come across a dead animal, where do I report it?
Call animal services at 779-6989 and report the exact location of the animal. Keep in mind that you can only place the report when our telephone lines are open (Mon – Sat 8am to 5pm; Tues & Thurs 8am to 8pm), and that this is an important but low-priority task. It may take up to 24 hours for an Animal Control Officer to come pick it up.

What happens if I find an animal that appears lost?
Although approaching an unknown dog or cat is not recommended, should you come across a lost animal in Antioch and it is now in your possession, read on. You should either surrender the animal to us for shelter, care, and possible re-connection with its owner. Or, if you can temporarily care the dog yourself, bring the animal in so that we may check for a microchip (or take to a veterinarian to check). Then fill out a “Found dog report” to keep on file at the shelter in the case the dog’s owner is looking for it here.
If you have picked up the animal outside of Antioch, you must contact Contra Costa County Animal Services at (925) 335-8300.

There is a stray dog wandering the streets, but I won’t approach it. How can I help?
If the dog is posing a public threat, such as an aggressive animal call Animal Services at 779-6989 if during regular business hours. If after hours call the non-emergency police number, 778-2441 and an Animal Control Officer will be dispatched. (There is an officer on call before and after regular business hours.)

If the dog is not posing a public threat, you may report it to the shelter. However, due to higher priority calls, our Animal Control Officers may not be able to find and impound the dog. On the weekend, the Animal Control Officers only respond to urgent calls – although a report will be taken by our front desk staff, it will not be handled immediately.

A mother cat had kittens on my property. Can you come get them?
Due to the shortage of Animal Control Officers in Antioch, we are unable to pick up litters of kittens – with or without the mother. If you are an Antioch resident, you can bring the animals to us for care and possible adoption. If the mother is protective and you are uncomfortable with handling her, you may rent a trap from us for $5 per day with a $50 cash deposit. (Call the shelter before visiting at 779-6989, to make sure we have traps available for rent.) It may be easier to remove the kittens once the mother is separated, but as always use caution when handling the animals.

I can no longer care for my pet. Can I bring it to you?
If you are an Antioch resident, you can surrender your pet to us for a fee. Please be prepared to provide current vaccination records and let us know of any health issues the animal might have. We typically do not accept large-sized livestock, but will assist you in finding shelter for the animal. Usually, we will accept just about any other type of pet.

If you live outside Antioch, you will need to contact Contra Costa County Animal Services at (925) 335-8300. Please keep in mind that surrendering your pet to Animal Services is always better than the alternative of putting the animal of the street or letting it fend for itself in the wild. This pet has known your home, and needs to be cared for in a humane manner.

There is a bee hive or yellow jacket hive on my property. Can you remove it?
Antioch Animal Services does not get involved with issues concerning bees, wasps, mice, rats, or similar creatures. Contact Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control (925) 685-9301 for possible free services. If they cannot help with your particular situation, contact a professional vector control service which you can find in the phone book.

How much does it cost to adopt a pet from the Antioch Animal Shelter?
Adoption totals can vary, depending on many factors. All dogs and cats adopted from the shelter must be spayed or neutered prior to adoption. If the operation was not performed prior to the animal arriving at our shelter, this can be the largest cost in the adoption, ranging from $50 to $200 – depending on the sex, type, and size of the animal. We do not perform spay or neuter services at the shelter; this must be done be an Antioch Veterinarian and we will inform you of those offices during the adoption process.

Our shelter also mandates the insertion of a microchip, which is the size of a grain of rice and inserted here at the shelter upon adoption and redemptions. It is relatively painless for the animal, and costs $20.00 to the adopter/owner (as compared to veterinarian offices which charge $30 – $60 for the service). If your pet gets loose and is picked up by an animal services agency or private party, the animal can be scanned by the agency or vet’s office for the microchip, then tracked back to you as the owner.

We vaccinate all dogs and cats that come though the animal shelter. Cats and kittens receive vaccinations for common transmittable viruses, which cost $15.00. Dogs and puppies also receive vaccinations for common transmittable viruses, which cost $15.00. In some cases, the animal may receive additional vaccinations, which would add to the total adoption cost.

The adoption fee is $15, which are the only funds (besides funding from the City of Antioch) that go towards running the animal shelter.

Does the animal shelter offer any services to the public?
In addition to dog licensing and adoption services, our shelter offers micro chipping of your pet. Before you bring your pet to the shelter, phone us at 779-6989 to make sure we have staff to insert the micro chip. You will be charged $20 for the service (as compared to veterinarian offices which charge $30 – $60 for the service). We also recommend you register your personal information with the American Kennel Club, which costs $14.99 per pet. This will add your pet to the national registry database.

The animal shelter does not offer spay/neuter, vaccination, or kenneling services to the public. You can contact a local veterinarian and/or kennel for these services.

Do you have animals other than dogs and cats available for adoption?
We also adopt out rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other pet rodents. Though more infrequent, we also adopt out reptiles animals such as turtles, snakes, and lizards.

Can I volunteer with Antioch Animal Services?
Please see the Volunteer Program section on this website for information on becoming a volunteer and an application.