Review #969 2026-035 Carson Animal Care Center is part of the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC), one of the largest progressive animal control agencies in the U.S. It covers an expansive region of 3.4K miles of cities, beaches, mountains, & deserts, providing 24/7 animal control & rescue services with a 24-hour communication center. DACC adopted a new philosophy expression: "Socially Conscious Animal Sheltering" in which their shelters strive to create the best outcome for all animals by treating them respectfully & alleviating their suffering with the intent to maximize their lives while balancing animal comfort & public safety. My son & I were in the neighborhood for lunch over the weekend, & saw that Carson Animal Care Center was en route home so I wanted to stop by their cat house to see if there's any kittens/cats that might be a good fit with our Lynx Point Siamese kitten that we adopted last year. There were several possibilities, but only 1 stood out, a cute 4-month old gray & white kitten; ID: A5756923. He kept meowing at us when we were near his cage, & paraded/rubbed himself back & forth in his cage... definitely wanted our attention! He reached out with his paws to tap our fingers & hands, & liked the mini rubs that we were able to give between the bars. I nicknamed him "Butter" because he just melts your heart & in your hands. He was on hold, to be released W, 02/25/26. I tried to come back before Carson Animal Care Center opens at 11:00 AM, but was slightly delayed (11:15 AM) & Butter was gone. Sad for us, but happy for him to find his fur-ever home. Yay!! I walked around to see if the previous cats had warmed up yet. Again, there were 2 cats that called out when I was near their cage... a charming 14-month old brown, black, & white female tabby with beautiful golden eyes named Sadie, & a 1-year old white & tan male domestic shorthair with gorgeous light blue eyes (similar to Snow's eyes) that is unnamed. I trekked to the front office to request interaction time & had to complete a form. By the time I received the form & returned, Sadie was adopted in a span of 10-mins; while friendly at CACC, she might be a handful at home. I waited a few minutes & no staff returned to the cat house so I went outside, & another officer pointed to another officer who could help with my interaction request. He crossed off the previous ID, & noted A5757653. The makeshift plexi-room echoed a bit so I let him explore the open space & waited for him to warm up to me. I clicked a couple of times & he came to me. This boy has a more gentle temperament, though he'll shed like crazy. He likes head & neck rubs, didn't mind me cleaning gunk from his eyes, or holding his paws/squeezing his nails too much, which means I can probably cut his nails. While rubbing against my leg, I picked him up to place on my lap & he marked my tee & jeans. I scratched him a bit more before leaving & informed the officer that I intend to adopt him. I spent almost 1/2-hr. waiting in the front office, waiting for my turn to process the adoption. I mentioned that he appears to be intact (he is) & CACC will neuter him tomorrow. I asked if it can be pushed to F, 02/27/26 due to the kids' after-school activities, & if he can be cleaned up/groomed because I won't be able to after his surgery. His coat was dirty & slightly matted, & had long, sharp nails; I'm hoping they can take care of this so he's somewhat clean coming home. There's a February adoption special... all adoptions are $14 (I'm guessing for Valentine's). Thanks for our fur baby addition, Carson Animal Care Center... we can't wait to welcome this cutie home! read more

See all

I had one of the worst experiences ever at the Carson Animal Shelter. I came in hoping to get help for my dog, but instead I was met with extreme disrespect from three different women working there. This incident happened between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM on March 21 From the moment I walked up, their attitudes were cold, dismissive, and honestly very unprofessional. I was trying to explain my situation and get assistance, but they barely listened and spoke to me in a very rude and condescending way. It felt like they had already decided they didn't want to help before even hearing me out. What made the situation even more frustrating is that they refused to take my dog without giving me any real compassion, options, or proper guidance. read more

I have a few friends who volunteer at this shelter/care center, and honestly, the volunteers are amazing. They're the reason I even picked up a foster -- seeing all THEIR social media posts about the dogs really works. That said... my frustration isn't with the volunteers, it's with the staff. This is by far the most unorganized and disengaged shelter I've ever dealt with. I know shelters are understaffed and underpaid -- totally get that. Trust me, a lot of us are in the same boat. I work at a university, do the job of four people, and I'm severely underpaid too. But we still show up and provide a decent experience for the people we serve. I've never seen so much disinterest toward people who actually want to foster or adopt. I understand how jaded shelter staff can become -- people dump animals, lie, mistreat them, or return them later. I see those posts too. I get how disheartening that is. But there are people who genuinely want to help, and the experience here is honestly so frustrating and off-putting that I would never recommend this place to anyone looking to foster or adopt. If you see an animal there and want to save them -- absolutely do it. Just know you'll probably be there 3-4 hours, and not because the paperwork is hard (it's actually the easiest part). It's the lack of focus and follow-through from staff. Once I chose my dog, it took three hours of staff intermittently dealing with me. People would start the process, disappear, go on break, chat in the back, then come back like they had no idea who I was -- and act annoyed when I asked what was next. What should be a one-hour process turned into three. No wonder people give up and leave. Other shelters manage to do this in an hour to an hour and a half, max. The dog was already cleared. The volunteer handed staff the clipboard with all her info -- name, ID, everything -- yet staff kept asking me questions I couldn't possibly answer. It honestly felt like they didn't care whether the dog got fostered or adopted at all. And please don't tell me how hard the job is or how long the hours are. Difficult, stressful, underpaid jobs aren't exclusive to shelters. I've volunteered at shelters too. I understand the emotional toll. But basic organization, customer service, and respect still matter. Focus on one person at a time. Get them through the process, then move on. Stop handing people off to multiple staff who don't know what's going on. Stop the attitude. Work with the people who are trying to help -- not against them. Streamlining this process would make it easier for staff, for adopters and fosters, and most importantly, for the animals. We should be in and out in under two hours. Right now, going to this rescue is honestly worse than the DMV... and that's saying something. read more

Yes, we went to go look at some animals at the Carson animal shelter, one of the male guys that had like a rescue uniform on was so rude. The volunteer elderly lady was so upset and so frustrated about her job. She just yelled at us for asking a question about a couple of adoptions we wanted to adopt it said away was available, but according to Carson animal shelter, said since I wanted them that there was not available both animals come to find out. I went back a week later and those animals are still needing of adoption so why would you say that they're already adopted if they're still in the system I will never go there. I recommend San Pedro. Animal shelter is way better than Carson's animal shelter very poor services and they wonder why their dogs are now animals are not being rescued‍ read more

Any negative reviews are basing them off the wrong data almost guarantee it. I've been to enough shelters. They aren't here to kill all the animals, that hasn't been the case since at least a half century ago. The problem is all you irresponsible people keep bringing them in or dumping them for others to catch. I've gotten help when I didn't have pet food here, they gave me enough for both my dogs. And when I do have enough time and money for my own, the staff has been super helpful sorting out the foster program for me and being very open with the process. Yes they euthanize animals. This is not an animal retirement home, it's a shelter. Dogs can't live here forever. If you want the system to change then come volunteer. read more

Carson Animal Care Center - Sample kennel card with notes - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

20 minutes on the line with repeated prerecorded prompt message and nothing. No answer.... Business might see this as a administrative and receptionist time saver but o boy. What an disappointing services. It's like callers can never get through when services are required. read more

So I lost my friend a few weeks ago and another one last year and it has not been easy to replace them. After looking at so many dogs over the past few months I can see that there are a hellova doggies that need a new home and some love. I feel bad I can't take them all home. So this was my second kennel in a week and I never thought this would be so hard. I did find 2 dogs I would love to give a home. I hope they are there when I come back because I have one more place to go to. I got here and there was a little bit of a line. They hand you a clipboard and tell you to go look and if you see a dog you like to get help from someone in a blue shirt. After looking for 20 minutes or so I began to look for help but noone was to be found. I went to the front desk, the guys called out over the loudspeaker and still noone showed up. So the service was a little disappointing, you'd think with all the dogs they are trying to help they'd be ready to help. I was fortunate to find someone who could help me and I appreciated him for taking the time to help me because he actually was doing another job. The weirdest thing, I've never been to a kennel before but you take the smell of it with you, funny. I hope to be back and get the doggies I like, I want to prepare my yard for them if I actually get them. read more

See all

puppy prisons are depressing. it hurts my heart to see so many amazing dogs on death row because of bad owners, bad luck, or both. space at shelters is limited. backyard breeders and a chronic failure by the general public to spay and their neuter pets has caused a surrender-and-stray pandemic. when many more dogs are coming in than are being adopted, shelters like Carson have become death camps. most dogs go there NOT to find forever families, but to die. volunteers at Carson and the rest of LA County's care centers do the heroic work of caring for pups and getting their adorable faces in front of the public. we found our new pack member on Saving Carson Shelter Dog's Instagram page. those folks put me in touch with Molly, a volunteer. there are not enough stars in the heavens for her Yelp rating, and the yard staff seems to be on top of things, but the office staff is problematic. not comfortable giving Carson one star (which is more than they deserve) because I was afraid that would discourage potential adopters who glanced at the rating and didn't read the review. I spent nearly two hours enduring their adoption process which consisted almost entirely of showing my driver's license, confirming the address on my ID was current, and giving them my cell number and was handled in a painfully inefficient way. our other pup's adoption a year ago from the Downey Animal Center was a completely different experience which, even though it was ten times more thorough, was wrapped up in less than twenty minutes. nearly thirty years ago, I was whining about not having a dog because I lived in a condo when a friend reminded me condo life would a major upgrade from living in a puppy prison or an even gloomier outcome. finding it hard to argue with that logic, I adopted Ajax, a scruffy, red, husky-looking mutt, from a local shelter. he and I were best buds for fourteen years. I still think about him every day. you can't save all the dogs, but you can save one. read more

Carson Animal Care Center - posting by SavingCarsonShelterDogs on Instagram where I first "met" Cherry - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

When I decided to come here I saw nothing but negative, awful reviews. I was nervous I am elerdely and handicap. I was unable to find a parking space and a young worker came up to my car and ask if you could help me, big smile, full of compassion. I explain bringing in a dog and its nowhere to park could she take her while I find a space. She took her and when I return she ws still holding the dog , reassuring me and the dog she was safe. The receptionists took my information again a pleasant kind smile. So you negative people, I don't. know but I encounter two people who was nothing but kind, compassionate and ready to assist me. read more

Please be very cautious when getting your animals from here. I recently adopted a dog and she is an amazing dog! Loving,kind,playful!!! Everything you could want in a dog. We had to bring her back for her spay after adoption due to kennel cough she contracted there. When getting her back the same day of spay I already was annoyed at the fact that the man that handed me my dogs leash was dragged her across the floor! O dont understand why he was pulling her that way, she just had surgery for one, and two she was out of it due to anesthesia. We get home and shes pretty outbox it which I assumed was to be expected. 2 days go by and she still isnt herself, shes now vomiting all day and not pooping, also she is very very lethargic. I felt this was odd since it says after 72 hours they should be more themselves. On the 3rd day her stomach started looking ve4y bloated and I was getting worried because it just didnt seem right. We decided to take her into the urgent care. I thank god we did because they ran tests, they did ultrasounds, and saw she had fluid in her abdomen, they test it and told us she was septic and needed emergency surgery! We rushed her to Hope care where the amazing vet opened up our fur baby and witnessed her stomach full of blood clots!!! He also said each and every suture was not properly sewn so they were all undone!!! That vet and his team stayed after hours to help our poor baby and we are great full! We are bot great full that she almost died and had to have some of her muscle removed due to sepsis. We are not satisfied nor appreciate how unprofessional and fast they do these surgeries and just send this precious dogs home. I want compensation and our dog deserves that because now we have a giant vet bill that could have been avoided if her spay was done properly!!! read more

Carson Animal Care Center - Poor baby recovering from there botched surgery - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

Everyone was super nice and they've got lots of dogs, cats and rabbits and other animals for adoption. Hopefully, I'm moving back to Friday to get the dog that wants to live with me and Roy forever. read more

This staff here is rude, I wanted to drop off some strays I found and mentioned I had looked around and they were the closest open shelter, and that I had some time constraints today. The receptionist told me I should've left them in the street if I wasn't going to follow protocol. When I asked what that protocol was, she handed me a map of another facility that was closed that day, and I had already called. I wouldn't recommend here unless you want to be talked down to. read more

If I could give negative stars, I would. I don't typically write reviews--especially not like this--but after my experience with Carson Shelter, I feel compelled to speak up. Not just for myself, but to defend the rescue that stepped in when this shelter failed to do the bare minimum. At the end of May, my husband and I agreed to foster a dog named Nash to save him from being euthanized. It was our first time fostering, and sadly, it will probably be our last--because this experience was traumatic. Let's be clear: DO NOT foster or adopt from Carson unless you're prepared to be misled, dismissed, and treated like your safety doesn't matter. The volunteer who vouched for Nash, Melissa, claimed he was "chill" and "just needed a ball." What we got was an extremely aggressive, reactive dog who needed serious behavioral rehabilitation. Nash attempted to lunge at people, children, other dogs--basically anything that moved. This wasn't a matter of us being inexperienced; multiple experienced handlers, including my dog walker, witnessed it firsthand. I kept the volunteers updated, even invited Melissa to observe Nash in real time. Her response? "Your neighborhood isn't ideal." As if I could magically change the fact that I live in a busy apartment complex with people, kids, cats, and dogs. Her response was dismissive, gaslighting, and downright unhelpful. When it became clear Nash needed more than we could provide--both for his safety and everyone else's--I reached out to have him placed with another foster. Instead of stepping up, Melissa began harassing me and the rescue that had been helping support Nash. I received rambling, accusatory texts past midnight, filled with denial and delusion, insisting Nash was still "chill"--despite everything we and multiple professionals observed. If Melissa spent half as much energy finding Nash a proper home as she did sending me unhinged texts, he might actually have one by now. To the manager of Carson Shelter, Justin: your volunteers need training--not just on how to handle dogs, but on how to treat people. You're losing the trust of the very people trying to help you. Bottom line: beware of Carson Shelter and their shady volunteer network. Thankfully, Nash was saved by the most hardworking rescue--Hug Hearts Foundation. LisaMarie was a godsend. She not only took immediate action, but also alleviated the immense stress we'd been under for months. Her dedication and compassion are everything that Carson Shelter severely lacks. read more

This was my first time to a shelter. It was sad to see all the animals - many who were poorly treated or abandoned by their owners-but I was moved by the amazing volunteers here who provide love and care to every animal. Their hard work saves so many deserving pets , but many are still lost due to overcrowding. Although it's not glamorous, the dog runs were clean and more spacious than I expected. Admittedly , the office was a bit chaotic and would benefit from some better systems in place , but the employees and volunteers were doing their best to triage as people were flooding the office with surrenders, sick pets, and those like us who were looking to foster ! I am so thankful to have visited this shelter and hope to foster and adopt more dogs in the future to support their hard work. Adopt don't shop! read more

THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES YOU SHOULD VISIT TO FIND A FOREVER PET. Updated: see the very bottom. Giving 5 stars to encourage adoption. The dogs here are wonderful. I visited 12/18/23 at 4:30pm (30 mins until closing) to photograph dogs for my FB page (Search: "Elle Supports Pet Adoption"). I met some of the sweetest dogs ever. I'll be posting my photographs but 30 mins was not even enough to see all the dogs. I didn't make it to the cat area. There are a LOT of dogs here, & the cleanliness of the shelter can be greatly improved. Perhaps it was the time I visited (low traffic time?) but I just wanted to clean everyone's kennel. There was a dog that wanted to come near me, but there were four piles of ... & he didn't want to step on it, so he stayed at the back of his kennel. There was no staff on the floor during that 30 mins. I want to mention something really important: dogs will act differently in a shelter environment like this that does not resemble a home. Some dogs will bark loudly out of fear, but could be the sweetest family dog if welcomed to your home. On the other hand, a dog could be quiet & soft while other dogs are barking & trying to get your attention (or respond with fear), but act differently when introduced to a new environment. I don't know how it works if you're interested in a dog if you're able to play with them at another area of the shelter to see how they really respond to you & your family. What I did notice that saddened me is that a LOT of the dogs were owner surrenders, with another small percentage being strays (which I expected more of). This means that for whatever reason, the dogs were not compatible with the owner or their family. It could be as simple and harmless as an allergy that developed after months of having the dog. The shelter does not specify why the dogs were abandoned at the shelter, but there is an FB group called Saving Carson Shelter Dogs that seems to have more insight about some of the animals. I also noticed there was not one senior dog (7+ years). Every single dog was younger than 3-5 years old. THIS IS A KILL SHELTER. This does NOT mean that you should avoid it & not support animal adoption from here. This also means that the shelter is filled with pups & young dogs, so DO NOT GO TO A BREEDER - START HERE. Just because these dogs are at a city shelter does not mean they have issues or issues that cannot be fixed with proper training and love. I did not see one single dog that had an evident behavioural issue, so as long as you understand some dogs will bark out of fear/uncomfortable environment/hesitation to strangers/confusion, please please please come here to really save a dog's life & make your mark on this world. EVERY ANIMAL ADOPTED MAKES ROOM FOR ANOTHER ANIMAL THAT NEEDS A TEMPORARY HOME. I met the most beautiful, calm, sweet dog named Thunder that I would adopt in a heartbeat but I'm applying to medical school soon & don't know where life will take me. Please come here first - the adoption fees are very low, and you will be making a difference. UPDATE 01/01: I came back to visit this sweet dog that I met my previous time here in 2023. I went to the front office & an employee came to leash the dog & take him (affectionately named 'Thunder') to the back area that has three separate play pens. We started out in the smaller enclosed area but when another dog left the bigger area, we moved to the middle area which was larger. The dog was sweet but didn't bond with me like I felt when I saw him in his kennel, but it did show me the power of getting one-on-one time with a dog! You get to scope out if they're all about you or more interested in everything but you, haha. Thunder is still such a sweet dog and I truly hope he finds his forever home with an owner he is crazy about. But it confirmed that yes, you can get one-on-one time with a dog if you arrive at a reasonable time before closing hours, & this experience is so vital to seeing if you two are a good fit :) Thank you Carson Animal Shelter. COME HERE TO ADOPT...! read more

See all

This place will break your heart. I am not saying don't go there, please do and adopt a pet there. It is a kill shelter and they kill a lot more than you think. The kennels are dirty--but the size is okay. Good luck getting anyone on the phone or there to help you. You are pretty much on your own. Just walk the sad rows and rows of animals and when you find the one you may want, get someone to help you and you can play with them in their acceptable play yard. But only if you are interested in adopting or fostering do you want to go there. Beyond the smell, the bad food they give to the dogs and the way they are ignored and not given much of a chance before they are killed, you never want to go there. I do because I foster and I pick up there sometimes. It is always the same. They can't find the dog you put a hold on (rescues can do that), they misread the chip and tell you they were wrong the animal is a stray and has to stay, only to decide they are wrong again, when you demand a second scan of the chip and find the shelter is the one who scanned them. And never, I mean never, use their vet system to care for your animal unless they are just coming out. This is not the worst kill shelter I have ever seen, but boy is it up there. Oh, the staff is so rude. read more

These guys DO NOT take care of their animals. I recently adopted my pet from this shelter. They said dewormed her when I asked. In less than 24 hours she has tape worms coming out of her butt and stool. It is crazy how easily they lied. read more

Went in to check the cats out and adopt. I wanted to interact with a kitten which I was informed I couldn't because he was not spayed and neutered. That was okay, however, when I asked to view another adult cat that was in fact spayed and neutered, this lady refused. She said they don't wish to cross contaminate and I couldn't interact with cats unless I'm adopting that day. I have been looking around trying to see which cat would fit best for my home. I was not able to adopt right then and there on the spot, and because of that, said I couldn't interact. Doesn't make sense to me. If I'm going to adopt a cat, you would think I would be able to interact first before I adopt to see if the cat would be a good fit. Horrible experience, I'm not sure if she was a manager or what, but she was extremely rude and condescending. The young volunteer that helped me before her was very kind. read more

The staff members were mostly helpful and professional; however, the receptionist with blonde hair at the single desk with a heart tattoo was particularly rude and showed a complete lack of compassion. read more

Thanks again to the wonderful employees at Carson while I adopted 5 turtles they got them all secure to take home and made the adoption process very simple. There are also a lot of beautiful dogs waiting for their forever homes. read more

See all

Great service. Vet is the best. Honest prices. I tell people drive a little save a lot.

Staff are super helpful and friendly. Alyssa gave me very helpful information and was not rude once. She is super sweet and will get you answers when she can. The shelter was clean and you can tell they care for their animals. read more

We have been searching for a dog for a couple months. We kept looking @ a beautiful Rottweiler female we saw on the carson website. The shelter is a little ran down and in need of some TLC. You can just go straight into the areas where they have the animals. Gates are unlocked to let yourself in. Then you got to the Kennels/Cages view animals and take a pic of the animals cards you are interested in adopting. Now the Kennels/Cages are inside of a shed like building, but I didn't like how dirty they were. They look unkept and they have pigeons that get in and sh!t all over the the cages. Made me very sad:( The employees are friendly and helpful throughout the adoption process. We did a meet and greet. She was very skittish and scared to be touched. They told us that they didn't recommend her to a family with children, But her demeanor told us differently. We are very familiar with Rotties so we decided to adopt her. She got in the car no problem and made friends with the kids right away. She has really come out of her shell and adjusting quite well to her new home. We Absolutely love her! She's even really good with our new cat too. Definitely a keeper she's already a part of the fam bam! Overall it's a good place to adopt it's just in need of a serious makeover. She had been through a lot. She was used for breeding purposes then tossed n the streets. On the street she got hit by a truck. She needed to be rescued she had been at the shelter 4 around five months. read more

Carson Animal Care Center - Our new fur baby - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

I am just giving this shelter a good review to encourage more people to save the animals that are here! I have rescued two animals from this shelter now. I have a little female cat named Aurora that we rescued from here and a female Maltese named Sky. We got both of them for $50-$100 each so you won't be spending an arm and leg for a sweet fur baby, although they are both worth thousands of dollars for how much joy they've brought into my life. I was grateful to be able to rescue them so easily. We put in an application and was able to pick them up within that same week. With that being said, conditions that the animals have to face in this shelter are horrible. As I was walking around the shelter, looking at the dogs and cats I literally started crying because they looked so miserable. They do not want to be here and rightfully so because they are not treated well. Many dogs were sleeping in cages with loads of their own poop in it. I wish I could have taken them all home with me. Which is why I'm leaving this review. If you are thinking about adopting an animal from here and can provide them a happy home, please do. You'd be doing them a great kindness. Both of my babies were extremely dirty, scared and traumatized when we first brought them home. My dog hid under a chair for a week because she was so traumatized. But with a little care, love and patience they got more comfortable around myself and my family and are now the most adorable, sweet and loving babies I could ever dream of. PLEASE RESCUE YOUR ANIMALS FROM THIS PLACE!!! Note: The rating not reflect how I feel about how they treat the animals here. In fact, I think they treat them quite poorly here and should do a better job of keeping the animals clean and comfortable. Also please keep in mind that this is a kill shelter. So please don't abandon your animals here because they may potentially be euthanized. Take them to a rescue if you can no longer take care of them. There are so many other wonderful rescues throughout Southern California that will treat animals in a humane manner. read more

Carson Animal Care Center - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

I took 2 abandoned dogs to them and not only did they decline them they told me to take them back to the abandoned house and leave them there until someone calls them read more

Carson Animal Care Center - Sally - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

About 1.5 yrs ago I went with my aunt to the shelter where she adopted a dog. It was really difficult to find a shelter representative to ask to take to dog to the meet and greet dog area where we could get to know the dog better. There was no staff walking around to help, and I was searching for someone for a really long time. The adoption checkout process took a very long time as well. That said, there was a wonderful staff member called Rachel with Animal Control that made all the difference. She knew the story of most of the dogs because she and her co-workers were the ones bringing dogs into the shelter. She was patient with our questions. She was very kind during the process of her taking the dog out of its cage and spending time with us in the dog meet and greet area. Her personable personality made it a great experience. The dog, LL, is sassy, loving and an amazing dog. read more

They are so kind and caring towards the animals. I truly appreciated the time they took with my puppies. The vaccinations are low costs and the wait is not very long as well. The location is right off of the freeway and extremely convenient. I would definitely recommend them!!! read more

Staff is rude. I went to drop off a bag full of stuffed animals on behalf of Compton PetSmart. The guy told me just put it right there I'll have someone come and get it. So I did and some lady jumps out of her car and puts it in her car. I said excuse me what are you going she said isn't that to take. I said No! Those are for the dogs on behalf of PetSmart. They definitely need a better donation system! Especially when the items are in bulk coming from a big name supplier! read more

They have a decent amount of pets but I found out they euthanize them after 60 days. I also don't see the point of showing dogs you can't adopt right away but kill those that still need a home. read more

I personally went to this kill Shelter where they not allow you to put a hold on a pup that's on the euthanize list. As if they prefer to put the poor innocent pup down instead. We had multiple people willing to rescue poor SHAZAM & read to pay his adopting fee. They killed him simply because it was his 4th notice for euthanasia. So are notices set in stone??? we could have saved life. I HATE THIS PLACE. read more

HIGH KILL COMPLAINTS: shelters like this one can NEVER be a no kill shelter because that requires unlimited funding and unlimited space. if you want your local animal shelter to be no kill, then DONATE! call your local representative! the only reason why some shelters are no kill is because they can refuse animals if people are surrendering them. don't blame the shelter, blame the people! i don't know why there's so much hate towards this place, but i will say this: THIS IS A GOVERNMENT FUNDED PLACE FOR ANIMALS. of course it's not gonna be as good as the next private organization but if you're going to complain about them, DONATE! ADOPT! VOLUNTEER! don't just complain and give no effort! they're trying their best given their budget. i've adopted a cat and a dog here and they're honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me. read more

Carson Animal Care Center - tofu!! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

I've visited plenty of county animal shelters and this one is by far the cleanest I've been to. Yes, it's smaller than most but they keep the place clean. They also have installed a heater in each building for the dogs which is great because winters have gotten colder and colder. There is a separate building for non dogs, like bunnies, cats and turtles. It's a smaller building without windows. The building is maintained so well. It didn't small one bit. Parking can be a challenge but what's new? Definitely a great resource when looking to rescue a pet. read more

I only give a 3 because the accommodations were fair. The staff on the other hand , for some won't give out information on their dogs even when you absolutely want to adopt. I was completely given the brush off after being ignored for 30 minutes while the two staff members chatted about their kids read more

Staff at front desk very rude, non caring, shouldn't be working in a shelter. Wow and I just read Viv J's comment. She was here today also. I drove from Santa Ana to save a dog on the euth list and because I didn't have an appointment I was sent packing even tho there was literally one guy there for a dog. Do you even want to save animals cuz that girl up front certainly made me feel like you could care less. The black woman up front should be fired. She is not helping get animals adopted, she is rude and is makin people never want to come back!!! read more

Absolutely rude. They didn't answer the phone much and when they did they were very short and did not want to share much information on a particular dog with me. Luckily I was able to find a puppy elsewhere. Their online and adoption restrictions were awful too and I felt they were biased. I called about a dog and they told me the list to come see her wasn't up yet and to call back within an hour. An hour later the list was full and I wasn't able to view the dog. When I mentioned this I was hung up on. read more

I adopted my beloved canine here years ago - the best dog I will ever have. The process to adopt was easy and the staff was helpful. Sadly, it is a 'high kill' animal shelter but with limited resources, I'm sure it's impossible not to be. They accept dog/cat food, blankets, dog beds, towels and monetary donations (it is tax deductible). read more

Carson Animal Care Center - Vivi - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gardena, California

Absolute worst... Sadly my cousin had her both dogs in doggie care but some how they got out ... we looked for them all day and night .... Posted flyers and went on line with live service cite alerts ... We visited this shelter four times within two days !!! Let us tell you the spot was a complete chaos!!! Completely unorganized... unhappy workers who in fact told us and others waiting in line the place is a complete joke ... and they need to get things in order ..., As we walked looking for our pets the place was filthy with pee and poop just so unclean!!!! Just disgusting... those poor animals in filth barking and crying fir their owners oh my gosh !!!! I've never in my life seen soooooo many pets crying in such sad and poor and neglected conditions... oh my God help them all !!!! read more

Tried adopting a cat after waiting in their lot for 6 hours (its first come first serve so I didn't want to risk it), was able to meet the cat and as I was handing in my completed paperwork they said the owners next of kin just called to claim him. After waiting so long I thought they were joking. Anyways they said the next of kin would have a week to claim the cat, well I waited and on the 6th day I called to see if they had claimed him and was told "not yet" I was hopeful and tried calling them the next day. After waiting on hold for an hour and a half, they quickly told me the next of kin claimed him and hung up. It seemed sketchy, like they weren't really sure what I was referring to. Also the fact that this cat had already been kept in a cage for a month because his owner couldn't get him broke my heart. I'm not saying don't go here (because shelter pets should be adopted) but I am saying proceed with caution if you see a pet they list online and want to adopt it. read more

I definitely recommend this place because you are rescuing a pretty, innocent animal. When I arrived, I was assisted by Ms.Diaz. She was nice and informative. I got in line to see my dog and I was greeted by another respectful lady. She informed me everything I needed to know about Banjo and she was also very patient with him as he kept pulling the collar. After I had decided to take him home, I went back inside and Ms Diaz went over everything again to make sure I knew all about Banjo. She even read the report to me. She was great! Please visit this shelter, they are full of beautiful animals. All the employees were very respectful and kind. read more

CALL AND DEMAND CHANGE! The Covid restrictions are unnecessary and don't make any sense! There isn't any reason that they cannot do the same thing that IKEA does and everywhere else where you go and you look at individual animals one person at a time if needed. This location needs to be investigated. There are far too many good people that work here that are going through unnecessary locking of adopting in fostering pets. Not to mention the facilities. read more