This Saturday, Nov. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., the Humane Society of Sonoma County holds a grand-opening celebration at its Petaluma location, 840 Hopper Street. The shelter itself has been open to the public since Sept. 23. The afternoon includes shelter tours, a chance to meet the staff, local vendor booths and special adoption fees on senior pets for National Adopt a Senior Pet Month. The event listing on the Humane Society's site has the details.
Since September, Petaluma's animal services come from two organizations, and the shelter on Hopper Street is only one of them. Animal control calls and pet licenses now go to Sonoma County Animal Services. The shelter handles adoptions and stray intake. Knowing which one to call saves time on the afternoon your dog gets out of the yard.
The split, task by task
The Humane Society of Sonoma County's Petaluma page lays out the new routing. Here it is in one place:
| If you need to... | Who handles it | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Report a loose or dangerous animal, or get animal control help | Sonoma County Animal Services | 707-565-7100, press 1 for field services, or call the shelter at 707-789-5750 and select option 1 |
| License a dog or renew a license | Sonoma County Animal Services | 707-565-7100, press 2, or the county's DocuPet portal online |
| Drop off a stray you've already caught | Humane Society of Sonoma County | Bring it to 840 Hopper St. or call 707-789-5750 |
| Report a missing pet | Both | The Humane Society's Lost/Found page and the county's lost-and-found page |
| Adopt | Humane Society of Sonoma County | Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. |
The county's share is bigger than the phone tree suggests. Under the agreement the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved, county animal services covers field enforcement, licensing, rabies control and quarantine, bite investigations, cruelty and neglect investigations, dangerous-animal cases, after-hours emergencies and disaster response. So a barking-dog complaint, a dog bite or an injured animal on Lakeville Highway goes to the county, not to the adoption staff on Hopper Street.
How one address became two agencies
For most of the past decade, a single Petaluma nonprofit ran the city-owned shelter and its animal services contract. The arrangement unwound this year:
- Early March 2026. The Petaluma City Council voted unanimously to end its contract with North Bay Animal Services, which had run the shelter for eight years, the Argus-Courier reported.
- April through August 2026. Marin Humane, the Novato-based nonprofit, served as interim provider. It covered shelter care for stray and surrendered animals, field services, wildlife rescue and cruelty and neglect investigations.
- Sept. 1, 2026. Sonoma County Animal Services took over animal control and licensing. The supervisors approved a contract running from Sept. 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, at an initial annual amount of $505,375, with options to renew for two more one-year terms through June 30, 2029. The shelter closed temporarily from Sept. 1 to 14.
- Sept. 15, 2026. The Humane Society of Sonoma County began operating the Petaluma shelter.
- Sept. 23, 2026. The shelter reopened to the public.
City Manager Peggy Flynn set the goal in the city's announcement, which the Argus-Courier quoted: "Our goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible for residents and, most importantly, for the animals in our care."
Because two agencies now share the work, Petaluma's older animal services pages may still name a previous provider. The current answer for licensing is the county. For everything that happens inside the building, it's the Humane Society.
What the shelter half looks like now
The Humane Society runs the Petaluma campus four days a week, Wednesday through Saturday. Business services run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and adoptions noon to 5 p.m. Before the September reopening, the city had announced longer hours. The Humane Society's current page is the schedule to plan around.
Animals still at the Petaluma shelter on Aug. 31 went to other shelters, temporarily or permanently, depending on each animal's needs. The Humane Society took in 11 Petaluma animals during the transition, and 6 of them needed care from its shelter medical staff. The organization says it will keep adding adoptable animals as it finishes re-furnishing the animal habitats.
Leadership at the Petaluma shelter comes from the organization's existing team. The Petaluma Voice reported that Senior Operations Director Karrie Stewart would take over leadership at the Petaluma shelter, under the Humane Society's executive director, Cynthia King. In the same report, Marin Humane's Nancy McKenney said she believed the Humane Society and Sonoma County Animal Services could rebuild community trust.
The Humane Society reports its results as a standardized live release rate and puts its average at 98%. It has published its euthanasia decision procedures rather than using the "no-kill" label.
Senior-pet pricing, with a baseline
The Nov. 14 celebration includes special adoption fees on senior pets. For comparison, here is the Humane Society's regular published schedule, which covers the whole organization.
- Dogs are $195, senior dogs $125 and puppies $375.
- Cats are $145, senior cats $95 and kittens $220, or $385 for two.
- Rabbits are $65, and small animals are $25, or $40 for two.
Under the regular schedule, a senior dog costs $70 less than an adult dog and $250 less than a puppy.
Licensing moved online and to the county
Since Sept. 1, Sonoma County Animal Services has handled licensing for Petaluma residents through its DocuPet portal. You can register a pet for the first time or renew there. The application asks for payment and documents, including proof of rabies vaccination. You also need proof of spay or neuter to get the discount for altered pets. Have both records ready before you start, because the vet paperwork usually takes the longest.
The licensing line is 707-565-7100, press 2. You can't handle licensing at the Hopper Street counter. Lost-pet reports, though, go to both organizations. The Humane Society points owners to its Lost/Found page and to the county's lost-and-found page. If your pet is missing, filing with both gives you the best chance of a match, whichever agency ends up with the animal.
Ways to help, and one way you can't yet
The Petaluma campus takes donations during business hours, Wednesday through Saturday:
- clean towels and blankets with no holes or frays, and no quilts or crochet
- unexpired dry and canned pet food
- unexpired cat and dog treats
The shelter isn't accepting volunteers at the Petaluma campus yet. The Humane Society directs people to orientations at its other campuses and says it will update its volunteer page when Petaluma shifts open. Until then, the Nov. 14 grand-opening celebration is the easiest way to meet the Hopper Street team and tour the shelter. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m., in partnership with the City of Petaluma and Sonoma County Animal Services.
Practical questions like who to call about a loose dog come up all the time, and they matter most when a household is moving with pets. If you're planning a move in or out of Petaluma and want an advisor who keeps up with how the town works, Jen Birmingham is glad to help. Request a free home valuation and seller consultation to get started.
