We've adopted 5 animals from this shelter over the last 8 years and they've all been great. I'm glad they finally let you see the small dogs through the cages which they didn't do for the longest time. This is how we met our current dog, a pug we adopted last week. He's very sweet, and the employee who introduced us to him was very kind and helpful read more

OC Animal Care - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

All shelters should consider looking through people financial status or something because my neighbor just adopted a pitbull mix from this shelter on March and the pitbull has really badddd skin infection or something like that. And I told my neighbor to take her to the vet, you know what she said? "I can't afford the vet. money is tight right now" how can you adopt a pet when you're financially struggling the poor dog is scratching in pain. Im sure my neighbor is not the only person out there, my cousin works in the vet hospital and tells me issues from clients just like my neighbors . I get it that pets need homes and rescue from being euthanized but cmon really? Don't put yourself on adopting a pet knowing you don't have the money, it's dumb and selfish, putting the pet in hope of happiness. This is also why pets end up going back to the shelter. read more

7/7/2025 There was a BUNCH of cats from a crisis event in August with a BUNCH of extra fingers. Talk about choice paralysis when picking your next best friend with 156 choices, but the worker was extremely sweet with giving her advice based on our family needs and she was COMPLETELY accurate. We definitely needed a boy to even out our sassy girls, and he definitely was a personality match! If anyone thinks they have one of his siblings let's set up a play date! Overall love this place and would recommend! read more

OC Animal Care - Dude - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

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"STAY AWAY! DO NOT TRUST THIS CLINIC! THEY KILLED MY DOG THROUGH PURE NEGLIGENCE!"I brought my dog to this facility for emergency surgery. They charged me $600 and performed the operation, but what followed was absolute malpractice and a horrific lack of human decency.They prematurely discharged my dog and forced me to take him home while he was still completely unconscious and under the heavy effects of anesthesia. The staff looked me in the eye, told me "everything is okay," and explicitly said: "He is still under anesthesia, so it will take about 2 to 3 hours for him to wake up." They gave me false medical assurance and dumped a completely anesthetized, vulnerable animal onto an owner instead of monitoring him safely post-op. He never woke up. He died a slow death at home shortly after.When I noticed he was fading and called the clinic in a complete panic, the staff completely dodged responsibility. Instead of telling me to bring him back immediately, they shoved me off, coldly stated they "did not know where the performing doctor was," and told me that if I wanted help, I should "take him somewhere else." They abandoned a dying patient that they themselves put in danger.This clinic took my money, botched the post-operative safety protocol, and then abandoned us when my pet was dying from their mistake. I am officially reporting this facility and the veterinarian involved to the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB) through the Bre read more

OC Animal Care - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

Very nice new facility. Their team seems efficient and caring. We were there for an adoption. They have appointments for visits. You check in and request to see a specific resident. You go to a meet and greet area. A team member brings the potential fur baby to you and they can tell you about them. Like age, weight, where they were found or if they were surrendered. It's always a challenge to not take home every resident read more

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Such a beautiful animal shelter with better maintenance compared to some other shelters I've been to. Went during the regular viewing hours and there were several dogs awaiting a foster or adopter. A lot of big dogs at this shelter right now, I didn't see that many small breeds read more

OC Animal Care - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

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Horrible facility with incredible disgusting staff. They are liars and don't care about the wellbeing of any of their animals. Kill shelter ‼ read more

Update: Dingo is doing great. We love him so much. Dingo is so polite, he asks permissions. I've never seen a dog that asks permission. He still loves to fetch more than anything so I always include it during our walk. Thank you OC Animal Care for letting us adopting such a sweet, beautiful boy!! He has been a great companion on my long walks. read more

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I arrived at 7:00 a.m. because that's the opening time posted on the doors. I waited over 30 minutes before anyone spoke with me. I brought in stray kittens that clearly had eye infections and respiratory symptoms, but I was told they could not be accepted because they were found in Garden Grove and that I had to go through my city's shelter instead. What made this even more frustrating was that after I left, I called and said the kittens were found in a different city, and I was told they would accept them as strays. That inconsistency was extremely disappointing. If intake depends on the city where an animal is found, that should be made much clearer to the public! I chose this facility because it had the earliest opening hours, hoping to get these sick kittens medical attention as quickly as possible. The sign also says they do not accept healthy strays, which made me believe sick animals would be handled differently. The name "OC Animal Care" gives the impression that it serves all of Orange County, when that isn't how the intake system works. Sick animals needing immediate care shouldn't be delayed because of confusing jurisdiction rules and inconsistent information. read more

I don't know how 'Hugo' can ignore people's legitimate concerns, so here's my story and experience. I've been documenting this problem to report to the OC Grand Jury and others. I have blatantly no money, I can prove that with my bank account and my current occupation as a student. I'm cleaning up someone else's mess by caring for these dogs that would either be let out to run away or dead from hunger/fighting each other. No one knows what it's like to deal with back-to-back dog litters while juggling studies and more. Bathing 8+ dogs, and then caring for puppies alone. I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying I have no help with this, I've had no information due to struggling to upkeep everything, and I don't use social media actively, either. I'm currently dealing with a citation that a field officer has modified, and in doing so, she changed the data from the initial citation. This renewed citation has different data on it that is still inaccurate. The certificate of mailing? To the wrong name due to a typo... attached to a document that has the correct name. No one stopped to look at the two as it was mailed together. 10/27 they sent out a notice to comply on licensing the dogs, not knowing I was working with OC Animal Allies to spay/neuter and shelter the dogs. OC AC never contacted me ONCE. BUT on 10/30, that's when the field officer wrote up a corrections to the citation... WHICH WAS NOT MAILED UNTIL 11/05. I've been trying to get my original citation dealt with which had the deadline of 11/03; I COULD HAVE RECEIVED IT THE SAME DAY AND NOT STRESS OVER NOTHING. My citation number was not processed by the courthouse at that date so there was nothing I could've done. But again, this field officer; she went straight to writing a citation, even gave me a notice to comply about the dog ears (7+ dogs worth of poop in the backyard and a 2 week heatwave, plus tendonitis, wtf do you expect?) wrote that I 'permitted' dogs to go without care regarding their ears; YEAH I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I CALLED OC AC FOR HELP YOU *($%'S. Oh and she wanted (Fly strikes), or over-medicate the dogs who really just needed first aid, which I did apply; their ears healed up, and they were inside during their surgery recovery either way. Oh, but OC AC is WONDERFUL, RIGHT? Let's go back to 10/27, the dog licensing. Since they couldn't wait 3 days to bundle everything together, the notice to comply has one set of information, the original citation has a DIFFERENT set of information, and now the updated courthouse information CONTAINS A THIRD SET OF INFORMATION. We can't dismiss the original citation because of the differences of the updated citation data; if she can update it, so can I. OC AA helped me get 3 dogs to a different shelter. Bella became pregnant while I asked OC AC for help and had a mental break down, even tried to post to reddit for help but then I developed severe tendonitis and was bed ridden for 2 weeks, then on/off recovery that would risk having the tendonitis be recurring because this household is useless. Guess the conception date? September 03~September 08. I had asked for help since July, but gave up after they ignored my second email. They would however, call back after that email. I knew the risk of the dogs getting pregnant again, but I physically could not get up after a point. I brought in all dogs during estrus, but it turned out I brought Bella in too late. They wanted a $306 surrender fee for EACH of 6 dogs. $1800+. (GUESS WHAT THE CITATION IS FOR? DOG LIMIT ABOVE 3) The field officer gave me no information and no help whatsoever, instead she was focusing on enforcement, because that's what their field officers are; role-players that act as the animal police. I have a complete documentation of these events including scans of every single document, so I assure you, I have nothing to fabricate here. If you are looking for some sweet angels that need work, go through the drive to the San Clemente-Dana Point animal shelter; it's far, but they took my dogs as a rescue effort. Cocoa, Bandit, Mochi are all looking for homes, and maybe perhaps Buddy (hopefully soon). No one knows what it's like to lose your bed to a pack of 6 dogs who can't stay put unless they're near you, all healing from their surgeries. I had to go through that for my babies, knowing I'd part with them soon after. OC AA helped me end my long-running misery, but also helped me give them a shot at a proper life. For reasons, a dog meant for San Clemente ended up being 'rescued' by OC AC; they assigned him a new coloring, red/white. That dog's had 3 different colors assigned by them. I'm hoping the corrupt animal gestapo don't end up euthanizing him, since I know they can create any reason to. Henry had an umbilical hernia repair, and was finally healing nicely. OC AC did NOTHING to help. 'real heroes', right? Bella gave birth, 1 died, I tried CPR, but too late. They could've temporarily held 3 males to prevent this. read more

OC Animal Care - Postage. Note the date. It is stamped November 5, when it was received and processed by the mail carrier. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

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Adopted "buddy" changed to Cairo Suerte about 2 months ago live changing best boy ever!! They train them and he is so sweet he was completely free as he was over 75lbs and summer promotion thank you everyone!! Here's pics read more

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The staff are all wonderful from calling to make an appointment with the most friendly positive person, to going and the clear process of meeting the animals. It was a positive experience overall and we love our new family member. read more

We are so happy we adopted Carla! She has been such a blessing to our family, and we're incredibly excited for this new chapter together. Everyone at the shelter was so sweet, kind, and helpful throughout the adoption process. A special thank-you to the person at the front desk who saved our appointment spot so we could meet her -- that meant so much to us. No regrets at all. Thank you for everything you do and for helping us find our girl! Please adopt Everyone! read more

OC Animal Care - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

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animal "care" more like animal "kill". please do not take your beloved pets here. my dog was taken here after he got missing and injured. the veterinarians did a surgery on my dog, and he died a slow death after they forced him to use. they didn't make sure if he was okay or not. they're greedy for money. PLEASE do not take your pets here!! they only want your money. read more

Hi we took in sick kittens and abandoned kittens in and also took in a first mom cat who had babies with her who was endangered. Love this place bc they do take them in . I know they tell us what may happen but that is in gods hands we can't just leave them sick or endangered. Good place to take those kittens. read more

I called to inquire about pet adoption a couple days ago. I was greeted over the phone and helped by a polite person. The lady was able to give me all of the information for pet adoption, and send me the adoption form to fill out and complete. I completed the form and sent it to them. They called me back and let us know that we were good to adopt. Then we checked the website for doggos to adopt, and found one we wanted to meet. The process was as smooth as silk. read more

OC Animal Care - The website lists the pets that are available - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

Called so many times of a missing dog and finally the person who found the dog said they dropped her off at the shelter since 8am but kept denying they got any missing dogs!! read more

I just seen a post on TikTok about this girl that took her frenchie to get groomed at this place and they didn't have AC on and it was at 84 degrees and their pup passed away (I inserted the pic and you can see how purple the pup was). To whomever the owner is, you're a piece of straight sh*t. Based on the reviews I read, you suck. Karma ALWAYS comes back. I hope your place shuts down. Can't even imagine all the poor animals that have suffered here read more

OC Animal Care - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

I called to report a dead cat and they never came to pick it up the next morning I called again and they said they'll come get it and never did! The third time my mom called and they told her to just throw it in the trash. They don't care about animals and don't take it serious! It's so disappointing how careless they are to say to just throw it in the trash! It's also not the first bad experience I've had last time I also called to report a cat that was injured they told us they were gonna send someone and I waited 2 hours no one came to help the poor baby and the cat ended up passing away! They don't take animals serious and they don't care. read more

My Pom Pom was almost passed out when I came to pick her up! I was with another woman who also picked up her pup and it was extremely hot in there! Almost high 80's and the kennels were even hotter! Also my pups nails were trimmed right at the quick so you can see the dried blood on them. Awful place and PLEASE AVOID!!!!! read more

Mother took in a kitten we were struggling to treat for ringworm, she was told by a male employee working there that the cat would be held, and looked at, as well as reach out to us so that we could come pick her up if they couldn't find a rescue that could take it BEFORE they euthanized the 5 week old cat. That didn't happen, no communication whatsoever from this place, lied to our faces, and killed the kitten we had helped keep alive and raise within 12 hours of her arriving at the shelter. Do NOT take your chances with this place, especially with handling strays. This place has no genuine consideration for life, clearly only consideration for convenience. read more

I adopted my precious fur baby here ... I came just to look at cats and saw my baby in there with a sign that said timid so immediately I was drawn to him I put my hand in to pet and he nibbled my fingers and that was it ge was mine... I have never had a better cat than this cat... he is a complete velcro cat and is the center of my universe and i found this place so kind and amazing.. read more

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Attempting to report deceased cat in the roadway. 22 minute hold. I understand that one should expect lousy quality for "free" public services, but considering they use tax payer funds, they should have someone to at least answer the phone. Are they even allowing the tax paying public to come in yet ? read more

Some people are criticizing OCAC here on Yelp... how many dogs have you adopted from OCAC? Have you volunteered to walk and train them? Next time you feel the urge to criticize, maybe adopt a dog or volunteer to help the animals at the front line; see the facts before you criticize from your comfortable home. OCAC supports 17 cities in the Orange County area, unlike other shelters. The reality is there are too many irresponsible animal breeders and owners. It's like trying to empty a bathtub when the faucet is still on full blast. OCAC employees, veterinarians, and Animal Services staff work their hearts out, getting down and dirty with pee and poop all over them, putting in long hours to care for hundreds of animals every single day. They're the real heroes, giving these dogs a safe place, love, and a fighting chance. read more

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I had an amazing experience with OC Animal Care. I've seen a lot of extremes as far as reviews go, with lots of 1- and 5-star reviews. We adopted a senior mixed dog who had been with them for a little over three weeks (earlier found as a stray). Making an appointment was super easy (called on Sunday morning and my appointment was that same Sunday morning) to meet her. Brianna was amazing, answering every question that I had with tons of patience and empathy during my introduction to the dog. The free training voucher, the free vet visit voucher, etc., just sweetened the deal, considering that our adoption fee for our sweet girl was a whopping $0 (free!). We were even given a bag of transitional food and a dog bed on the way out. The vet notes, adoption agreement, and important documents were all given to use in an orderly fashion--we were really set up for success. We truly could not be happier with OC Animal Care and have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone! read more

i reported a deceased kitten on the road and was told dispatch would be sent to pick up the animal. i gave exact coordinates and clearly explained the location. i drove by the very next day and the cat was still there -- except now her body was completely crushed by traffic. she was not like that when i called. this could have been avoided if the report had actually been handled in a timely manner. this isn't just about procedure -- it's about basic care, responsibility, and dignity. if someone takes the time to report an animal and provides precise information, it should not be ignored or delayed to the point where the situation becomes far more disturbing and traumatic than it already was. this was careless, disappointing, and honestly upsetting. animals deserve better, and so do the people who try to do the right thing. read more

I absolutely love this shelter and recommend to anyone looking to adopt very clean and neat with a big selection of animals at a very reasonable adoption fee rate. One of OC Animal Care staff members Sage was extremely knowledgeable and helpful during my visit / adoption process. read more

The reviews on here are bizarre and could even keep people from going and adopting a pet and saving a life, so I must review. A nicely done, modern shelter. It's structured so the cats are in a different area from the dogs so very quiet and stress free for them. Different sorts of animals are also available in this quiet section: chickens, bunnies, gerbals and lizards. My cat was unavailable (grey paws now known as Rosie) due to a medical complication from her spay but she screamed out to me and when I turned our eyes met and the rest is history. I didn't think I was going to connect with anyone after holding several cats during the week as I recently lost my best friend. But there she was and unavailable due to medical. I really admire how they spay and vaccinate all the animals before they ever see the public - with the vision that everyone gets adopted or rescued. It wasn't this way when I adopted my last cats 20 years ago. The staff, esp Stacey, took time to chat with me and talk about our older cats and losing them to Kidney disease which is horrible. It set my mind at ease and opened me up to someone new later in the week. I was also able to chat with them about cat covid, mentioned in these reviews and then do my own research. The fatal kind is RARE. Keep in mind these are rescue cats and can carry all sorts of diseases. It's not realistic to expect that no animal there has an illness or injury... that's why it's called "rescuing". They need help. From what I saw, the team at this shelter is motivated to get the animals to great homes and take good care of them while they are there. Everyone was friendly in the process and even tho my cat was unavailable the staff took cautious steps to make a match with me and consult the vet. They sent me home with antibiotics and told me if there is a serious complication, bring her back there and they will treat her wound. That set my mind at ease. I guess they knew she would do well in a cozy home with personal love and care and that is what she is getting! I have a free coupon for a vet visit and I am taking her to screen for other things and check her incision. Please do not let the reviews on here about animals being sick or injured keep you from finding and saving a wonderful companion. read more

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The most beautiful place to find an incredible little furbaby to take home and love I'm very happy I found Joobies sister. read more

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I would give 1000 stars if I could, but the only thing holding me up is the wait time for 2 to 3 minutes just cause I'm a very impatient person. No shame on the business because they answered they talk to me to give me the answers I needed, and I was able to do everything I needed to do Thank you ALFRED. I really appreciate your help your honesty your immediate answers your informational knowledge on everything it made everything so much easier for me. read more

This animal shelter is the cleanest animal shelter I saw. It's huge and also well organized. The staff here is super friendly, they truly love what they are doing. Check-in with the front desk, fill up the paper then you can wait for the staff to call you to check the cats. We came in on 2/25/23 to look for a cat. After checking in, we only waited for 10 minutes to see the cats. There were 6 cats available at that time. They are all cute, especially a kitten, super cute. The staff said during summer they were more cats coming in. If you are looking for a cat, I would choose to adopt one cat from here instead of going to a breeder. read more

OC Animal Care - Front Desk View - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tustin, California

Their adoption process isn't the most organized, but how critical can you be of a group trying to save critters? My advice is to get the basic stuff upfront and as soon as possible: vaccine and chip information. read more

Do you want to adopt a pet and save them from being killed? Oh well this place is RIDICULOUS! Their primary goal is not to get animals adopted but to do a power flex. We have come on 3 different occasions and it's been too hard for them to accommodate. 4:30pm they wouldn't let us take the dogs home we wanted to adopt. Then the staff thinks they should be allowed to let you see the dogs they think are suitable, not what you have asked for. Then the website said they opened at 11 on weekends . That's only if you have an appt, and they only take 2 appts an hour. My husband and I wanted to take not 1 but 2 dogs and give them a loving home, this has been an intense waiting game, by that we are still sitting in the waiting room WAITING to be allowed to see a dog. This is a kill shelter, shouldn't they want animals adopted? Just sitting here people were turned away saying that viewing hours weren't until 12. ITS NOT MAKING DOGS OR ANY ANIMALS GETTING HOME THEIR PRIMARY GOAL. Not okay They wouldn't let us take a 2 dogs, they lied saying there was aggression. The staff is not okay. They are on a power trip. They think they know more than you. What a joke. The manger Steven Blankenship, I was very upset with his decision he tried to make it right but there is a heartache of not getting the dogs we wanted. read more

Jennifer and Kennedy were so helpful and mindful. I will definitely be back to adopt another animal from here. The facilities are so clean and you can tell they take care of their animals. Thank you again! read more

I'm here to give my honest review because I was really suspicious of all the one-star ratings and second-guessed myself about this place. I decided to visit yesterday to drop off some donations after my dog passed away. I wanted to donate her stuff. When we got there, the guy at the front desk, who some people had called rude, was actually very professional and doing his job. We told him we had donations, and he directed us to where we could leave them. He doesn't have to be our friend. There was an open visit for the dogs from 2-5, so we decided to check it out. It's too soon for us to get another dog, but I was curious to see the place based on what I'd read. The place is clean and huge, and everyone there whether they're volunteering or working seems passionate about what they do. One dog caught my eye, and she followed me during her walk. The person in charge told me I wasn't allowed to touch the dog due to liability, and I totally understood. I wasn't offended or thought she was rude because she knows the dog better. If something happened, it would be on me, and some dogs have unpredictable behavior, so I appreciate her being cautious. As for the people who said they kill the dogs, I saw some dogs from 2023. You should check your sources before spreading rumors. The shelter has around 130 dogs, and I wouldn't be surprised if the staff had a tough day now and then. I don't regret donating my dog's things to them, and I truly appreciate their hard work. When the time comes for us to adopt, I will definitely consider this place. Some people need to remember that following directions is important, and just because you're passionate about dogs doesn't give you the right to criticize the staff for doing their job. read more

Find another place to rescue a dog. These people are the worst. Never experienced customer service this bad before. Completely unorganized. This place needs to be shut down. read more

I didn't go to adopt like some other reviews so I can't put any input on that. However, my friend and I found a stray dog while visiting in the area and this was the closest place we found to where we found her. When we got in the lady who helped us checked for a chip and we weren't able to find one. Another lady had me fill out the form and it super quick. It was a sweet dog but unfortunately my dog doesn't do well with others so I wasn't able to keep it myself. Everyone at the desk was nice to my friend and I, and also the dog. No attitude or rudeness. We bought a collar and leash to be able to transport the dog to the shelter and they directed us to the front where we can donate the items. Upon going to the front there was a male at the front desk who was super nice in telling us where we can place the items. I get bad reviews from personal experience but I also feel people need to realize these people are helping those who can't express themselves. They probably see levels of neglect and sadness we can't imagine to some of these animals. They see animals coming in scared, lost, alone. They are allowed to be picky when it comes to adopting animals out. They want to ensure they are going to loving homes. read more

OCAC operated on a $28 million budget in 2024, during which the director's salary and benefits totaled $312,774. Despite this level of funding, too many innocent animals are losing their lives. Animals become sick while in the shelter's care, yet treatment is often refused. This raises serious concerns about priorities and accountability. Where is the funding going if it is not being used for adequate medical care and humane treatment of the animals? The issue is not lack of resources, but how they are being allocated. The outcome reflects systemic failure, not lack of resources! read more

I got my new two kittens here and the staff was so kind and the adoption process itself was quick and easy.

I used to come here when it was just a bunch of trailers and the upgrades are great. I adopted my kitten from them who had pneumonia from the surgery and they did everything to help her before adopting her out like imaging, oxygen tent, antibiotics and just general hospitalziation. In other words, they take really good care of the animals under their care - no matter how small or old, they give them the medical care they need to survive instead of just thinking it is too costly and putting them down. That is a big plus in my book. The facility is also very clean, which I love. The adoption process was smooth and easy and I appreciate everyone's professionalism and letting me talk to their vet about my kitten before we took her. However, they don't test the pets they adopt out for some serious, common infectious diseases. They also do not give them de-wormer and flea meds or even basic vaccines. You pay $175 and then still need to go out and spend another $200 -$300 for the rest of the stuff. I had to give my kitten dewormer, pay for tests and vaccines. I understand they cannot do the whole suite but the basic ones should be included (or a voucher provided if kittens too young). And at least deworm them. I adopted from them about 11-12 years ago and back then they did rabies, FeLv testing and vaccines. All that is gone now for some reason, which is strange. I appreciate that they built this newer facility but I wish they would put the animals on the other side where there are windows are so they can get some natural light and see the sky and sun. My kitten had never seen the sun before. Some of these older babies are there longer and they should have some freedom of movement and see natural light. Seeing them being confined to that windowless room really broke my heart. I hope they change that. Otherwise, great facility to adopt from. read more