Animal Care & Control

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Animal Care and Control, the city's open-admission municipal shelter. It takes in every animal that needs help regardless of condition, including cats no other shelter will accept, and handles animal control for the city and county.

Adoption fee From $127

Hours Tue-Sun 12-5pm, closed Monday

Areas served City and County of San Francisco, California

Adopting

Fees, requirements & process

From $127

Adult cats: $127
Kittens (under 6 months): $202
fees include spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinations and a vet exam. Adoption fees waived for qualified veterans; seniors receive a discount.

How it works

Call (415) 554-6364 to check availability, then visit to meet the cat. Plan for about 90 minutes to meet an animal and complete the adoption.

Location

Find Animal Care & Control

The area

San Francisco County at a glance

Population 830,235

Housing units 414,602

Est. households with a cat 116,834

Estimated by applying the AVMA's 2024 national cat-ownership rate (32.1% of households) to the county's real household count from the Census Bureau — a national rate applied locally, not a local survey. Population and housing figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to adopt a cat?

Adult cats are $127 and kittens under 6 months are $202. That covers spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinations and a vet exam. Fees are waived for qualified veterans and discounted for seniors.

What are your hours?

Tuesday through Sunday, 12pm to 5pm. Closed Monday.

Will you turn an animal away?

No. This is San Francisco's only open-admission shelter, meaning it accepts animals regardless of age, health or temperament.

Get involved

Support Animal Care & Control

Surrendering a cat

Visit the surrendering/rehoming page for current guidance and appointment scheduling; call (415) 554-6364 with questions.

Donate Become a foster