The City of Chico resumed operation of the Chico Animal Shelter in 2012 with a mission to courteously and compassionately promote the health, safety and welfare of citizens and animals in our community by honoring the human-animal bond, treating each person and animal as an individual, and providing humane care and positive outcomes for unowned/unclaimed animals.
Chico Animal Shelter is responsible for caring for all animals brought to the shelter by Chico Animal Control. This includes stray dogs, sick and injured cats, orphaned kittens, safekeeping, quarantined, and abandoned animals, and cruelty cases from within the City of Chico. In just the first year of operation, shelter staff raised the standards for animal care and public service while increasing the live release rate and drastically reducing euthanasia rates.
While taxpayer dollars cover the cost of mandated services and running the shelter, donations cover non-mandated, but essential, services like medical care and foster and adoption programs. Direct donations to the Shelter are managed through North Valley Community Foundation and are 100% tax deductible. Donations through the 2024 Chico Pet Calendar Photo Contest are managed through Friends Of The Chico Animal Shelter and are 100% tax deductible as well.