Reporting animal cruelty in Orange County can be a bit confusing. Many cities in Orange County contract with Orange County Animal Care (OCAC) which is the shelter in the city of Tustin. This is considered the “county” shelter, and they provide animal control services and have a shelter facility for keeping animals.

Though a victim of animal cruelty, Patriot is now a proud volunteer in our PAWS program helping spread joy and comfort to young and old.

The Orange County SPCA does not have the authority investigate or conduct welfare checks as we do not employ any State Humane Officers. However, officers with Animal Control or the police should respond to any animal cruelty concerns within their respective jurisdiction. At times, Humane Officers from nearby counties will become involved in animal cruelty cases. The Orange County SPCA refers people to the proper authorities and works with those authorities as needed. Some cities have their own Animal Control Officers through the city police departments, and a few cities have small animal shelters. For example, the city of Huntington Beach contracts with OCAC even though there is an animal shelter in Huntington Beach. A few neighboring cities contract with the shelter that is in Huntington Beach, but they have their own Animal Control as part of the police department. So, as you can see, it isn’t always clear how or who to report animal cruelty to and we hope this information will help.

For a Directory of Shelters and Animal Control Agencies in Orange County, Please visit our Shelters page.

Orange County Shelters & Animal Control

You can always call OCAC (714)935-6848 or the OC Animal Allies (formerly OCSPCA) (info@OCAnimalAllies.org) and they will direct you to the proper authorities.

When reporting cruelty, you can ask to remain anonymous and request to have an officer conduct a welfare check on the animals you are concerned about. You will need to provide the address. It’s also important to know which animal shelter the city you live in contracts with in case you have a missing pet that you are searching for.

Did you know?

• It is against the law to keep a dog chained or tied up to something for more than about 3 hours at a time in a 24 hour period.
• Pets must have proper access to food, water and shelter at all times.
• It is against the law to have your dog off leash or on a leash that is longer than 6 feet (flex leads and extending leashes).