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Animal Rescue & Control
Report Animal Abuse or Neglect
Animal Rescue & Control
PHS/SPCA is a private, nonprofit under contract with San Mateo County (and its cities) to provide state-mandated services. Highly trained PHS/SPCA officers provide animal rescue, pick-up stray and injured animals, remove dead animals from public right-of-way (except freeways/highways which are maintained by CALTRANS), and enforce laws that protect animals and people. Barking dog complaints are handled by individual cities’ police departments – not PHS/SPCA. Also, PHS/SPCA is contracted to pick-up dead or live wildlife on private property only when such wildlife has had direct contact with humans and/or domestic animals which involved a bite or attack. In all cases, PHS/SPCA officers prioritize calls. For example, a call for a dog stuck in traffic will be prioritized over a call for a stray, confined dog or a deceased cat, since the dog in traffic is still directly in harm’s way.
Animal Rescue & Control van, livestock trailer, and Large Animal Rescue equipment
Download our Large Animal Rescue Flyer which includes information on this service and who to call to report a Large Animal Rescue
Handling “nuisance” wildlife
PHS/SPCA responds to calls for sick or injured wildlife, but our contract does not include removal of nuisance wildlife (raccoons, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, deer, etc.) from private properties. PHS/SPCA advises residents to seek and remove that which is attracting the nuisance wildlife -- usually inadvertent food or water supplies or shelter – and provides humane tips (see tips of living with local wildlife). Residents can pay an animal trapper or pest control company to remove nuisance wildlife, but this is largely ineffective; new wild animals simply claim the open habitats.
A note about Humane Investigations and Animal Cruelty…
Our Humane Investigation work is funded entirely by donations and is carried out by Humane Investigators -- not by Animal Control Officers or Humane Officers. As evidenced by media accounts, we take this work seriously and our team is a model for other humane organizations across the country. When we receive an animal cruelty call or complaint, we review it fully and take necessary action, which could range from an “education-only” visit to removing an animal from harm’s way and forwarding a report to our District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution. If you are aware of an animal being abused, please call 650/340-8200. See Reporting Animal Abuse or Neglect and San Mateo County Animal Laws.
News
One Day, Two Rescues…
On March 19th, 2010 at 9:04 a.m. two Humane Officers responded to assist the North County Fire Authority on a dog over the cliff rescue at Mori Point in Pacifica. The dog, a very friendly female golden retriever, was precariously perched on a 1’ wide ledge about 30’ down from the top of the Mori Point. The ledge then dropped down about 80’ to the rocks and surf below. Once a rope rescue system was ready a firefighter was slowly lowered down while the dog’s owner talked to her from on top of the cliff to keep her calm. PHS/SPCA’s Large Animal Rescue 4x4 also carries two different dog harnesses for rope rescues, however, due to the narrow ledge it would be very difficult to put the harness on without further endangering the dog or the firefighter. Instead the firefighter fashioned a makeshift harness out of rope, hooked it into his harness, and grabbed the dog in his arms. By 9:48 a.m. both the firefighter and the dog were safely hauled back to the top of Mori Point where the dog was reunited with her grateful owner.
Later that same day at 3:19 p.m. three Humane Officers arrived on the scene of a Large Animal Rescue call where a cow was stuck in a roadside ditch on Stage Road in San Gregorio. Like the earlier Cliff Rescue two of them responded in PHS/SPCA’s Large Animal Rescue 4x4 while another officer responded in one of our regular Animal Rescue & Control vans. When they arrived on scene they met with units from Cal-Fire, the cow owner’s family, and several neighbors and bystanders. A short time later a unit from the La Honda Fire Department arrived with their newly purchased Large Animal Rescue equipment. When the veterinarian arrived on scene he recommended euthanasia after consulting with the cow’s owner by phone. After some additional discussion it was decided to tranquilize the cow and move it back onto its property using a knuckle boom crane to see it if would recover on its own, however, her condition was guarded at best. The entire operation took about an hour and a half.
As a side note to the Large Animal Rescue call, PHS/SPCA Humane Officers do not have the authority to stop the euthanasia of an animal if that is what the owner chooses to do. Humane Officers can seize animals and obtain veterinary care, including euthanasia, but only in cases of stray animals where an owner is not known or in cases where the animals are neglected or abused by their owner.
PHS/SPCA responds to Large Animal Rescue
On the afternoon of September 10th, 2009, three Humane Officers responded to a report of a downed horse on Bear Gulch Road outside of La Honda. When our officers arrived on scene they were met by firefighters from the La Honda Fire Department and CalFire. Firefighters had already cut a path to the horse which was lying on her side in a ditch and had her legs tangled in old vegetation. According to the owner, the horse was 30 years old and was last seen in the paddock area the night before. With the assistance of one of our officers, firefighters removed the old vegetation that the horse’s legs were tangled in, however, one of her legs had to be pulled out of some thicker vegetation using a long “J” hook device specifically designed for Large Animal Rescues. The 20’ Large Animal Rescue strap was then used to reposition the horse’s body so the veterinarian could administer IV fluids. A short time later, and with some barking and encouragement from the veterinarian’s dog, the horse stood up on her own and was able to walk out.
The three photos above are credited to Captain Cathy Whitney of the La Honda Fire Department. The top photo shows the overall position of the horse when responders arrived. Notice you can’t see her head at all. In the middle photo you can barely see the red halter on the horse’s head which was bent down sideways into the ditch under all the old vegetation. The bottom photo shows one of the La Honda Firefighters (left) holding the lead line while a Humane Officer (right) gets ready with some 2” webbing to reposition one of the horse’s legs. Several of the La Honda Firefighters on scene had recently taken the California State Fire Marshal approved class, Large Animal Rescue – Operational, a class which all three Humane Officers on scene have also taken. Since the Humane Officers and Firefighters had the same training, and since the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA maintains nearly all the necessary equipment for Large Animal Rescues, it made this somewhat difficult rescue almost seem routine.
PHS/SPCA responds to raccoon rescue
On August 6th, 2009 just before 11:00 a.m. Animal Rescue & Control received a call for a juvenile raccoon perched on top of a 125’ pole at the Mariners Point Golf Course and Practice Range in Foster City. The pole was one of many supporting the mesh netting that keeps stray golf balls from striking people or vehicles at the nearby windsurfer’s parking lot. Humane Officer Dustin Lorensen and Animal Control Officer Olivia Covey responded to the call and began to formulate a rescue plan. First a basket truck was brought in by the golf course to try to reach the raccoon, but it wound up being too short. Since the basket truck wouldn’t reach, the Foster City Fire Department was requested for assistance to rescue the raccoon and they responded with Truck 28, a 110’ aerial ladder apparatus. Once the aerial ladder was set up it was apparent that it was about 15’ short from the top of the pole. Thankfully Animal Rescue & Control has an 18’ telescopic net, mainly used for bird rescues, and it was quickly brought to the scene.
Officer Lorensen was placed in a safety harness and he ascended the 110’ ladder carrying the telescopic net. It was hoped that the raccoon might climb down the mesh netting on his own by moving the telescopic net in such a way so the raccoon had to back away from it. The plan worked, however, the raccoon began climbing down the opposite side of the mesh netting away from the rescuers. The telescopic net was kept above him to try to encourage him to continue to climb down. After over an hour of slowly working the raccoon down the mesh netting, the rescue effort had to stop so firefighters could reposition the aerial ladder. While they were doing this, the raccoon began climbing back up the mesh netting! Officer Lorensen quickly climbed back up the ladder and positioned the telescopic net above the raccoon to try to stop his progress. The raccoon, who was probably very tired at this point, lost his grip on the mesh netting and fell about 80 feet to the ground below. Thankfully the practice range has fairly soft ground and the raccoon began to run away immediately upon hitting the ground. He was quickly captured by Animal Rescue & Control Captain Jeff Christner who had been positioned on the same side of the mesh netting as the raccoon. The raccoon was transported to the Wildlife Care Center at the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA where he was given a clean bill of health. After the raccoon ate some food and got some well deserved rest, he was released back to the wild later that same night. Special thanks go out to the Foster City Fire Department for their assistance on this unique rescue.
PHS/SPCA participates in cliff rescue in Pacifica
On February 21st, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. three Humane Officers from the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA responded to a report of an adult Rottweiler that had fallen over the side of a 200’ cliff on Westline Drive near Skyline Drive on the Pacifica/Daly City border. Upon talking to the owner it was learned the dog was being walked off leash when it fell about 200’ down onto the beach where it walked around for awhile before collapsing. The Humane Officers requested the North County Fire Authority for assistance in rescuing the dog. The fire department soon arrived on scene, and two firefighters, equipped with a dog muzzle and dog treats, were lowered to the beach along with a basket type stretcher to put the dog in. It was thought the dog was severely injured and would be easily loaded onto the stretcher since it did not move from the spot it initially had collapsed at. When the firefighters approached the dog, it got up and became fearful and aggressive with them.
Since the dog was not letting the firefighters approach, it was decided to lower one of the Humane Officers down onto the beach to tranquilize the dog using a blowgun. The blowgun can discharge darts containing a tranquilizer out to a range of about 20’. In short order the dog was successfully hit with the dart, however, the tranquilizers can take up to 15 minutes to take effect. Eventually the dog became disoriented and went out onto some rocks and was nearly swept underwater by several waves. The Humane Officer had brought a control pole down to the beach in addition to the tranquilizer gear. The control pole is a metal pole with a loop on the end which allows officers to capture aggressive or fearful dogs. The Humane Officer captured the dog with the control pole, removed it from the water, and gave it additional tranquilizers. Once the dog was immobile it was loaded onto the stretcher where it, both firefighters, and the Humane Officer were hauled up the 200’ cliff. With permission from the owner, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA transported the dog to the vet, while the owners followed in their own vehicle. Thankfully the dog was not severely injured during the ordeal. Had it not been for the ability of the Humane Officers to tranquilize the dog, this rescue may have not been possible.
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