After the Fourth

The team at the Humane Society of Imperial County would like to take a minute to kindly remind our pet-loving community members that our shelter is not animal control, and it does not have animal control o cers.

This means our organization is not authorized to send out any of our staff members or volunteers to pick up stray, lost or found pets. Each city in the Imperial Valley (including the County) has its own animal control facility and animal control officers.

When stray or lost pets are found by community members, our shelter is not able to take in lost or stray pets directly. Stray or lost pets that are found must go to the animal control facility for the city or area where the animals were found for their state-mandated stray hold (with two exceptions). This stray hold gives the owners time to look for their lost pets and claim them.

The cities of Brawley and Calipatria are the only cities in the Imperial Valley that bring lost and stray pets that are picked up either through animal control or the police department, directly to our shelter for their stray holds. This is done because Brawley and Calipatria do not have their own holding facilities.

After the state-mandated stray hold has ended, El Centro, Imperial, Westmorland and Holtville bring unclaimed pets to our shelter. Calexico does not. Brawley and Calipatria animals simply remain in our care and are then adopted out or sent to rescue groups.

We know that hundreds of pets were lost the night of the Fourth of July due to the fireworks, and some people are still looking for lost pets or are finding lost pets from that night. The Humane Society team is doing the very best we can to help everyone accordingly.

If you have found a lost or stray pet, or if you have lost a pet; please make sure immediately to make contact with the appropriate animal control agency for the city or area where you lost or found the pet.

Please know that if anyone has found a lost or stray pet, the Humane Society of Imperial County would be more than happy to scan the pet for a microchip during our business hours. Because public access is still strictly limited due to COVID-19, please call our office when you are at our gate and we will send a team member out to scan the pet.

Let’s all work together and hope that we can reunite ALL these lost and terrified furkids with their families!