Animal Welfare and Control

Animal welfare concerns including: negligence, abuse, noise violations, and lost/stray animals should be reported to the agency responsible for that jurisdiction. Please see below.

City of Vancouver and unincorporated Clark County

Clark County Animal Protection & Control - Provides animal control services for the unincorporated areas of Clark County as well as the City of Vancouver. 
Concerns/Reports - 564.397.2488
Licensing - 564.394.2489

Animal concerns in other Clark County cities and jurisdictions

Camas/Washougal Animal Control - 360.835.9701
Battle Ground Animal Control - 360.342.5100
Yacolt Town Hall - 360.686.3922
Ridgefield Police Department - 360.887.3556
La Center Police Department - 360.263.2745

I Paw'd it Forward

I Paw'd if Forward is nonprofit organization that provides support for lost and found pet services and adoptable pets in the greater Clark County area. They offer trapping and tracking for lost dogs, chip scanning, on-call support, help reunite lost pets with their families, and more. They partner with both HSSW and Clark County Animal Control to help ensure our community is safe for pets in need. You can learn more about their services at ipawditforward.org.

Animal emergencies

For emergency concerns or support, please dial 311.

Animal welfare concerns including: negligence, abuse, noise violations, and lost/stray animals should be reported to the agency responsible for that jurisdiction. Please see below.

City of Longview | Longview Police – 360.442.5800
City of Kelso | Animal Control at Community Development Department – 360.423.1371
City of Castle Rock | Castle Rock Police – 360.274.4711
City of Woodland | Woodland Police Department – 360.225.6965
Unincorporated Cowlitz County | Cowlitz County Sheriff – 360.577.3092

If your pet is experiencing an urgent or emergency medical issue, please contact your family vet or visit your nearest emergency veterinary center. Click below for list of local animal hospitals offering emergency care services.

Emergency Clinics

If you have captured wild animal do not bring the animal to HSSW. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife handles all questions and concerns pertaining to non-domesticated wild animals. The Department also maintains a list of licensed trappers in Clark County for nuisance wildlife.

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife - 360.696.6211
Licensed Trappers in Clark County

Animal Help Now is another resource which directs users to the closest and most appropriate resource to respond to wild animal concerns.

For urgent or emergency reports of wild animals, contact your local animal control officers.

Please contact the animal control agency responsible for the jurisdiction that the deceased animal is located within. 

For most of us, July 4th is about time with family and friends, backyard parties, and (like it or not) fireworks! Even if you don’t live near professional fireworks events, chances are you’ll still have some booms and pops in your neighborhood and that can be stressful for pets. Here are some tips from our team to help your pets cope:

• Bring pets into the most interior room in your house, away from doors and windows. Give them a place to hide, whether that’s behind your legs, in a crate, under furniture, or in a cozy cave you create with blankets and pillows
• Make it a movie night, and muffle the noise with the TV turned up
• If your pet is a flight risk, be sure to contain them securely and safely in a room or crate where they cannot escape
• If practical, travel out of town with your pet to an area that may have fewer fireworks
• Prior to the event, seek your veterinarian’s advice for medication if your pet’s fear is extreme and causes them discomfort and anxiety

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Prepare for the potential your pet could become separated from you. Ensure your pets have up-to-date identification like ID tags and microchips. You can microchip your pet with your family vet or at a number of clinics in our community including mobile clinics with Good Neighbor Vet. If your pet escapes, begin your search right away and file a lost pet report with us and find more lost pet resources at hssw.org/lost-found.

The ASPCA Poison Control website - or 888.426.4435 - is a resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Contact them if you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance.

Programs of the Executive Horse Council - or 503.780.4402 - include Ripley’s Horse Aid and Adopt-a-Horse program. The voucher program provides temporary financial assistance to horse owners. Visit their website or contact them for a list of included services. 

Lost and found horses, call Brand Inspector and Animal Protection and Control: Ron Balkowitsch - 360.600.3166 or [email protected]

Please contact the animal control agency responsible for the jurisdiction that you're located within.

Please contact the health department responsible for the jurisdiction that you are located within.