We attended the PAWS AND CLAUS event at the shelter. My family has been adopting our animals from the Antioch shelter for years. We have always had a wonderful experience. This was our first time attending this event. We absolutely loved that they had each family go in one at a time into the private space so that the animals could feel safe and less distracted. Not only at the shelter take pictures, but they had no problem with me setting up my tripod and camera. Andrea, Santa, and the other amazing worker (sorry I didn't remember your name) not only set up such an amazing backdrop, but also did such an incredible job helping the animals to focus and do their best. My dog Truman is a super picky dog when it comes to treats and they happen to have the one brand that he likes to eat. They really thought of everything! read more

Antioch Animal Services - PAWS AND CLAUS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Antioch, California

See all

I adopted a bonded pair of young female cats in May 2025. One of the best things I've ever done shortly after the death of my wife and last remaining previous cat. One of the best things I've ever done. Previous owner had brought them back twice (????).Staff was friendly and helpful.Had to wait while older girl recovered from spaying. All Good. read more

Grateful for their hardworking efforts to keep local animals safe. Always donate to them when I can.

I wish I could give negative stars for how awful Antioch Animal Services is. Saturday April 23rd our neighbors aggressive dog which we have previously raised concerns with the owner, this dog broke our fence which you can see in the pictures that it was pushed from their side. The dog then took and mauled our puppy that we have had for 3 weeks, the sweetest most perfect puppy that was not the curious type to even mess with the fence. Animal Control eventually came after Antioch PD which they are great but the Animal Control Officer that came went directly to the neighbor and took their statement which I should mention they had a party and had their music blasted and they claimed that our 23lb puppy broke the fence and was in their yard and their dog had the right to kill her. They eventually came to us to take our statement and had already come to the conclusion that they would not take the neighbors dog. Pretty much telling us it was our puppies fault that she got killed. To add to this my boyfriend and I were in my room after everything happened only to hear our neighbors sister saying that she "punked" the animal control supervisor into letting them keep their dog which has had many other occasions which she has attacked other dogs. Since she was in their yard after getting dragged from our backyard it was not on them. This place has to be the absolute worst and does not care about your animals. They made us feel that it's okay for another dog to break your fence and take your puppy but since the dog took her to their side it's the puppies fault for being in her backyard walking along the fence line only to get taken and killed. They have to be the most unprofessional, incompetent, useless department. read more

Antioch Animal Services - Animal Shelters Near Me - Antioch, California

See all

Customer service is trash. How do you even call yourself a shelter, when you won't take in animals in the area. Meanwhile you guys are one of the only no kill shelters even close to my area all other no kill shelters are over a hour away. I know for a fact that if I send this dog to the contra costa animal shelter he will probably be euthanized. This happened a few years ago when someone dumped their dog (pit bull mix breeds) on Byron hwy or delta and the rescues won't even help either? Im starting to question if they just all profit off the donations and don't even help the ones most at risk for euthanasia. It's sad but because they're breed is known to have a bad reputation. It's not fair they get to pick and choose the ones they have space for. At least help them find they're owners. It's like y'all are scared of this breed. I'm honestly about to look into what I have to do to be official to help these animals most in need. I just washed this confused angel that I mostly believe was dumped and was wondering on DELTA RD people fly up and down the street I'm very lucky someone was able to keep him for the night while I got some stuff situated for him at my house in the morning. Just looking for his family or his forever home I did notice he's not doing the best just mostly napping and confused when waking up almost like he's not at his home makes me so mad and sad cruel people can do this. He definitely has some kind of skin condition usually this breed does I have the same issues with my dog. Usually the food can't have grain. He hasn't eaten since he's been with me hopefully that will change. read more

See all

As far as shelters go, this one is pretty awesome! We adopted a dog here and they knew their dogs personalities and helped us find the one that fit in with our family the best. They let us visit with several and we're very helpful and caring. I was very happy with the experience and would highly recommend them. read more

Ok, just a heads up to all the seniors in Antioch. We got a bill for our dog (first time) and my husband went down to pay it, gave his drivers license to Adriana and told her he was a senior. She proceeds to charge him the full amount. I called her that day to inquire about it, she tells me that she didn't know he was a senior (she took a copy of his drivers license) and if I wants to get the difference in price I would have to drive down and get it!!! Really?? It was your mistake but I have to go and pick it up?! I wasn't happy. I went down the next day and low and behold she tried to do the same thing to another lady ahead of me, but she called her out on it and got her senior discount. Just BEWARE, they will not ask you or offer it. read more

My son really wanted a pet for his birthday as he suffer's from ADHD and could use a companion. After a little research, I came across Antioch Animal Services. My son and I took a trip to their location and a cat name Winter immediately caught our eye. Winter reached his little arm out to us and we knew he would make a great addition to our family. After meeting Winter and getting a chance to know him, we were able to adopt him the same day. Needless to say, we were right. Winter is an awesome addition to our family. He's so warm, cuddly and gentle. My son loves Winter and enjoys his new responsibilities! Thank you Antioch Animal Services for your dedication to helping us find such a great addition to our family. Everyone at Antioch Animal Services were nice, knowledgeable, patient and super kind. Also, the location was easy to find and clean inside. Thank you! read more

Antioch Animal Services - The newest member of our family, Winter! Thank you Antioch Animal Services! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Antioch, California

I had a great experience with Antioch Animal Shelter. I adopted a 5-6 month old cat named Pharaoh and the staff were really great and helpful. The cat was well taken care of and had all his shots and was neutered before we got him. They also said he may have an upper respiratory infection and if I see any signs of one, I can just come back and get meds. This staff is great and know when someone is going to give an animal a great home. read more

Antioch Animal Services - This is pharaoh. He is doing great and is getting all the love he deserves. Thank you Antioch Animal Services!! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Antioch, California

See all

Had a wonderful experience getting our 1 year old kitty Callie (originally Glamazon wth haha) from here. During the month of October all fees were waved I guess because the shelters were full so we wanted to save a life. We originally were in Martinez where we became so frustrated at the rude treatment we had to leave. Thank God we decided to come here! It is a small shelter with a wonderful staff. This pretty grey kitty nudged the cage and connected with my son instantly. We were given ample time to spend in a room with her and even our children were allowed ( they weren't in the previous place.) The lady helping ( forget her name! Short blond hair) was very sweet to us and our children. They got us out quickly with our new family member. We've had her for a month now and she is the sweetest, most easy going cat-perfect for our small children.Thank you Antioch Animal Shelter! read more

See all

Visited several times over the course of a few weeks looking for the perfect playmate for our older cat Zoey. Each time, a different experience. We received mixed service, and care with each visit. From extremely helpful and friendly... to outright rude and bothered. Nonetheless, I was impressed with the cleanliness of the shelter and how many of the employees seemed to always be cleaning up one cage or another. The smell leaves something to be desired, but that's to be expected with any shelter. Despite a few subpar employees, I would have to say that Antioch Animal Services is an above-average shelter. The girls loved their larger "greeting" room... where once you've narrowed down the selection, is filled with your potentials. We were able to sit on the floor and just let them crawl all over to us. So cute. In the end though, we were unable to complete the adoption process. For whatever reason, Antioch Animal Services has a lot of restrictions regarding adoptions. Being that I am in a lease option to buy, I am not the "owner of record." Which is fine, but when I offered the lease option contract showing that I am authorized to have pets, I was told that the contract was worded poorly and did not clearly specify that I am allowed to have more than one. Even after I showed text messages between myself and the "owner of record" where she clearly gave permission to allow the adoption of another cat... the Antioch Animal Services staff was still not satisfied. I doubt that I am the only one who has found it difficult to give a deserving animal a suitable, loving home. It's sad, really. Ultimately, we went the private route and my children and I were able to bring home a sweet 4 month old boy that we named Joey. Zoey (the older cat) and Joey (the new addition) are quickly becoming best of friends. read more

We came in to browse, but ended up adopting a dog... for one day. Super bad separation anxiety. She was a sweetheart, but my wife and I were ill equipped to give her the kind of care she needs. The staff is very friendly and approachable, and they all love animals. They took the dog back the next day, and did everything they could to make me not feel bad for giving the dog back so early. Lots of dogs, but mostly pitbulls and chihuahua's. However, this is the norm for most shelters. read more

After reading reviews from customers about your customer service and horrible fees I will take my business elsewhere. Looking for a cat, have a big house outside walled in area for sun. Seems you guys like taking advantage of people/animals read more

I adopted my first beloved pet from this facility 4 years ago. She was spayed, fully vaccinated, microchipped and licensed all at once. according to the staff My puppy at the time was abused and surrendered by her previous owners with her siblings and mom and dad who were brother and sister. The staff they have down there are amazing including all the office pets behind the counter. With all the city budget cuts and furlough closure's this shelter goes to adoption events, awareness events educates our young girls and boys scout troops and finds time to host their own events at the small shelter. I encourage people in our community Antioch or other cities to come help and support this little shelter and keep making it better and better. read more

See all

This shelter is very clean and does the best they can on their limited means. We adopted our new friend Nikki and she has quickly become a part of our family. Please always keep an open mind when adopting or looking for your next best friend. Take the dogs there for a walk or play with the kitties either way give all of the animals a far chance as shelter/kennel life is not easy. Go today! read more

Antioch Animal Services - Adopted now Nikki from here and she has quickly become a part of our family! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Antioch, California

This is actually a city department that issues dog licenses, impounds animals and all of that but it also handles pet adoption and provides euthanasia services for a fee so you could call it a business even if a not for profit one. Our experience was with the euthanasia service. Our beloved cat had gotten to the point where the only humane thing to do was put him to sleep. We had heard that they offered this service and called and were told it was a very reasonable $25.50 so we bundled up our cat and went over. Here we were dealt a shock. They insisted he had to be held for four days before being put to sleep. Why they would insist on holding a cat in great pain for that long and add the trauma of being separated from his family I cannot fathom. Needless to say we did not leave him there but took him to a veterinarian. I just fail to understand what that policy is about. read more

The facility is only open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,and Saturday. They won't accept stray, abandoned, or hurt animals from other towns. The kennels are always smelly and dirty with crap and urine on the floor. The employees are rude and not helpful, except ONE young guy there. And their adoption fees are RIDICULOUS. We are trying to do you and the animal a favor by ADOPTING it and making room in your shelter so you don't have to kill anymore animals (which you use as your excuse), but I can't because your prices are so ridiculous. instead of paying you $300 dollars to adopt a dog. I'd rather use that $300 to give that dog a great life. You don't seem to care about animals, just about making a profit off them. read more

Lady at he front desk 9/24. So we found a stray kitten in our shed. We go in to see if its chipped or an owner has claimed it. She started asking for general info in a rude manner okay no problem. But then when we ask what the process is for it to be adopted I decide its best for us to foster especially since i already have two rescue cats of my own and know how to care for them.I told her i would cover all costs and the kitten would be my responsibility until adopted. She stares at me and shakes her head in disagreement takes a deep breath and says okay. She rudely asked "so why did you even bring her in?" Ummm because were responsible human beings. Shouldn't they be happy they have one less cat in a cage at no cost to them. If this is how they treat people, imagine how they treat these poor animals. read more

I want to start off by saying i do appreciate the services they provide and that this review is soley based off a phone call. I called to report a stray kitten i had found and wanted to turn in. The lady who answered the phone was beyond rude and unprofessional to say the least. I explained we found a kitten and couldnt keep him and she responded in a very annoyed and condescending way "ugh we're over crowded as fuck but i guess bring him in" and yes she actually said that. After the phone call i felt like turning in the kitten would be a huge mistake as they clearly had no interest in helping him. If you work in customer service you should never make the person feel like an unwanted burden for doing the right thing, a simple "unfortunetly we dont have the space" would of sufficed. I dont think you should work with animals either if you lack compassion. I hope they either talk to their employees or hire people who actually care. read more

This shelter saved my Dogs life. I know there are a lot of challenges with shelters. It's really difficult to work or volunteer in a shelter so please don't avoid going to one if the staff seems stressed or rude like some of these reviews say. It's worth dealing with that briefly to rescue your new furry friend. Believe me, their experience was much worse than yours. However, my experience was great and I cannot thank them enough. Someone in my family had surrendered my late Grandmother's dog for euthanasia. When I found out, I called them immediately. Apparently, the little guy was so sweet & licked everyone who came to see him & they did not feel right about putting him down. He had been there for 5 days before I finally found him & took him home. He was supposed to be put down the day he was brought in. I could not be more grateful to the staff for seeing through this & taking care of him long enough for me to find him. This is truly a happy ending for me & my sweet little guy!! read more

I give this shelter 3 stars because it has an equal amount of Cons to Pros. It's worth checking out, but be wary. PROS: - Cleaner than most shelters. - More helpful staff than unhelpful - Fair bios on each animal, as staff spends enough time with each (unlike Martinez Imhoff) - Greeting room! - Actual animal compatibility testing (again, unlike Martinez) CONS: - A few uniquely rude and unhelpful staff members - Kennels have overpowering smell of urine and feces - Important information about some animals withheld - Conflicting information from different staff members - Questionable veterinary practices This place is cleaner than most, as I've never seen a kennel here smeared with feces. The pervading and frankly overwhelming smell of urine is pretty bad though, it's hard to stay in the kennel area for very long. Most of the staff are pleasant and helpful people. Some of them are incredibly sunny in their dispositions and put you at ease right away. But there are some exact opposites there as well. I had to return a dog and met two of these delightful ladies. As I was explaining my reasons for returning the dog (it attempted to bite me because it didn't want to be moved from where it was sitting) they began firing off reasons why it tried to bite me, all of which were conflicting ("she's probably jealous because you have another dog", I kid you not, that's what they said) and some were condescending in not only the question itself but the tone in which they asked it. I really appreciate that they spend enough time getting to know each animal individually so that they can provide a decent biography for potential adopters. It helps take a lot of guesswork out and helps ensure a better quality fit between adopter and adoptee, which is crucial. However, they do withhold some information. Such as the dog previously mentioned being disposed to acts of aggression when she's in a bad mood. Or my current dog, who is a total gem, being a Reactive dog. That's pretty critical information, and things such as these should not be left to be discovered later after the adopter has taken the pet home. It limits the chances of successful adoption. I love, love, LOVE the greeting room! You get to meet the dog one on one in an indoor, private room and get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. You can even bring in your current dog to meet a potential new family member in a safe and secure environment. Which is ideal, honestly. It's better to know before you shell out the money and then bring a new animal into your home, especially if you're unfamiliar with how to respond to conflict between pets. There's some conflict of information depending on who you speak with at this shelter. It's usually minor stuff, but now and then something essential gets lost in translation and causes all kinds of hiccups and problems. As for the veterinary practices... Our personal Veterinarian had to really lean on this shelter to get them to release what vaccinations they had supposedly given to the dogs we adopted. They refused point blank when we asked for copies the first time we adopted here, and wrote down a bunch of nonsense words they tried to pass off as vaccine names on a sheet of paper. The second time we got a sheet of paper with the stickers you get in the package of At Home vaccinations that puppy breeders buy. They also said they neutered our current dog, but they in fact did not, as they COULDN'T because he's a cryptorchid. All in all, it's better than a lot of shelters but you're still taking chances with this place. I still suggest looking in, as some of the animals there are absolutely wonderful and are worth spending your time to see if they'll fit in your family. read more

Everyone is super nice, they work very hard for being understaffed. They do what they can as fast as they can and ss accurate as they can. I appreciate the hard work by the staff/volunteers they work so hard for the animals and make them feel as special as they can while the animals are in there ca tree. read more

I have had wonderful experiences with the shelter. They are very caring compasionate and hard working. They rely on Volunteers and the small staff that they have. I'm sure they could use help cleaning those smelly kennels ;) Every staff member that has helped me has been very friendly and helpfull. It take a special person/people to do what they do on a dialy basis of seeing cruelty and neglect and keep it together. As many people don't know Antioch only is able to intake animals from Antioch, all other animals from other cities have to go to the county shelter in Martinez. read more

I have spent my life thinking of "The Pound" as a place where discarded and unloved animals go, with very little chance of ever coming out, but Antioch Animal Services has changed my thinking. The supervisor, Monika Helgemo, and all the staff and volunteers there, truly care about those animals and the people who need their help. We all know that the budget they are given to work with is not nearly adequate to get the job done, but they all do everything they can to make sure that the animals and the people are treated with compassion. It broke my heart when my neighbors abandoned their cats and I was not in a position to care for them. I agonized over the decision to bring them in, as I was sure they would suffer in a cage for months and then be euthanized. But, out of desperation and and a desire not to see them suffer hunger and disease, I decided I had to give them a chance at a nice home. Because of the large number of irresponsible pet owners, there are so many animals there and it took a little bit of time, but the kind hearted staff at Antioch Animal Services used all resources available to them... and now those two kitties both have loving new homes, where they are wanted and cared for. I am so grateful! I'm also grateful that they allowed me to call and inquire about their welfare and status many times while we waited for their new owners to discover them. read more

I was able to adopt my first dog from this shelter. I was very impressed with the facility and how well I was treated during the addition process. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and answered all my questions. I never rescued an animal before but I plan on going through the Antioch Animal Shelter if I decide to bring home another pup. read more

I would not even give it a one star if that was a option.. My daughters and I went in to look for a doggy. It was very smelly and most of the kennels had poop in them. Some with no water.. Due to my health disability I can only have a small dog.. There were four small doggies but they said they had all been adopted which is great, but I asked if they could put my name down in case the people change there minds or dont come to pick up. The lady at the front desk Angie was very very very rude and snapped at me for even asking such a question. I was curious how things worked around there and asked a few questions and she was extremely rude and a total B word! I have never been treated so bad and with so much disrespect. This woman needs to work somewhere other than with the public. I hope whoever is in charge sees this and takes action. Everyone has bad days but this was ridiculous . My daughters 21 and 23 couldnt believe how mean she was. On the plus side there was a younger volunteer there in the cat room who was so sweet and friendly. She should train the front desk lady Angie or even replace her and put Angie in the back. The trip was a big disappointment and upset us all.... read more

We obtained our first dog through this shelter. The experience was nice, easy, and thorough. Coming to return a recent kitten that we picked up(not from this shelter), because my mom is unable to take care of it due to it's energy and her disability, we come to the likes of a very mean and ugly staff member. An older lady, who works in the front with customers. Before even speaking with her, hearing the discourse between her and a man was enough to understand she was an incompetent staff member. She spoke to him telling him that she doesn't like to "repeat herself", and as he says "sorry, I don't want to anger you", she continues by saying it's "too late", in a completely condescending manner. So as we approach her to talk about giving the cat away for adoption, we can already tell that the experience will be unpleasant. And it was. She is completely condescending, mean, snappy, and downright horrible to talk to. The ridicule we experienced caused us to just walk out. Her treatment is not worth going to Antioch shelter for, at all. read more

Their website is the WORST!! I've adoped my last two cats here, but when I recently went to their website, there is NO way to see their available cats. Shame on them!! Does no one there care about having their animals adopted?? I guess I will have to go elsewhere to adopt a cat. That is deplorable! I paid almost $200 to adopt my most recently adopted cat...so, get with the program. Who is running this center? They should be fired! Bring in someone who has an interest in getting your animals adopted. Yesterday, already! read more

WOW, I wanted to add that when I did go and pay to get my dog out, I withdrew from the ATM the amount needed... counted it... my girlfriend was with me when I did all this.... I handed it to the officer who was processing my paperwork to release my dog... she took it and put the money where I couldn't see it and a few minutes later she told me I was $20 short! This little chick literally stole $20 from me. read more

About 2 months ago, my family and I lost Belly, a cat we had for 7 years. Her companion Binx was depressed and needed a friend. So we adopted a cat named "Frosty" on the 29th of December from Antioch Animal Serives. When we got to the clinic, there weren't many cats left. One cat was hissing at our children and was older, the other cat was Frosty, a 6 month old cat who was playful and purring. She was sneezing, and had the word, "sick" on the paperwork on her cage. We asked the adoption people if she was clear to go, and treated for her sickness. They assured us she was good to go home. After a couple days, we found her symptoms worsened. Boogery eyes, sneezing, and hacking sounds were the symptoms. We called when we grew concerned about 3 days after adoption. Left a message and waited to get a response. Banfield said that it was the shelters responsibility to cure the cat of any ailment. After no follow up call, and over a week went by, we call again. The lady was nice, and told us to bring Frosty in between 2 and 3pm to see the vet. So we did. After waiting in a long line, which seemed not to move for 15 minutes, I was called into a room to speak to a lady named "Monika". Monika was less than accomodating. After I explained the situation, she spoke very condescending to me, stating that once I signed the paperwork, 100% of the responsibility was on me to care for the sick cat I adopted. I understand my responsibility as a pet owner. But she said I either have to give the cat back, and lose it, after my family and other cat have already grown fond of it, or pay fort he vet bill myself. So, I got scammed, they let a sick cat leave their facility without being treated as it was supposed to be. And now, noone thatw orks at the facility will help. Thanks for the awesome cat, who my family and I love, but i seriously hope you guys get faced with a big fine one day, and hope that Monika loses her job for negligence and horrible customer service. People like that, don't deserve to have jobs that involve talking to people. She should just stick to fetching. read more

Does anyone know how much they charge to take in a cat? My cat is really aggressive with my girls and he makes a mess with the toilet paper everyday. I don't feel comfortable with him in the house anymore. Plus I'm pregnant and I'm scared of him now. Please help. read more

I want to start by saying that the officer in charge of our case was extremely nice. My complain is with the caregivers. There was an incident between my dog and a neighbors dog, Deeming my dog "VICIOUS" there were multiple things we had to do before his release. Self locking gates, security doors, kennel, the list goes on and on. The security door alone is almost $900 then add installation. He was there over a month beacuse we had to do all the work ourselves and still go to our full time jobs. It was alomost $700 to get him out. You can see his back bone and ribs he's so thin. He lost at least 25 lbs and he smells horrible. He has kennel cough but no medication was given and he's covered in dried poop. He was neutered today and can't be bathed for 7 days. Really?? No one could give him a bath before the surgery. I've seen dogs get taken away from owners that are in better shape. I am infuriated, disgusted and appaled. You call yourselfs animal lovers. All I can say is shame on you! read more

This shelter has had my 2 dogs for a week. One of them hurt a little dog that got into my back yard while I was at work. They took my dogs & the officer told me on the phone they would do an evaluation for aggression and if everything went okay I would be able to pick them up in 4 working days. Even though the week was going to kill me being away from my dogs I felt I had nothing to worry about because they are not vicious. I fixed my fence as the officer instructed me to do. One of the dogs is my big baby & I know is having a very hard time being away from me as I am being away from him. They won't let me see him, they won't return calls. I have to go down to the shelter to talk to someone & I'm told a supervisor will call me which never happens. This separation is killing me, now on the phone the officer tells me my dogs are being deemed vicious because of the act on the little dog.Why didn't they tell me this the first day. My dogs have been around children of all ages, adults, big and small dogs, they are no where near vicious. I think it's a money making scheme & in the mean time my dog is setting in a cage scared & wondering where I am. This supervisor has still not called me. I have no idea what they are going to charge me and I'm scared I won't have enough money. This place is horrible and I feel helpless not being able to bring my baby home. Doesn't deserve even one star. read more