Animals and Pets
Pet licensing helps ensure that pets are healthy, safe and happy. Pet owners who are concerned with their animal's health and safety will take the easy step to ensure that their pets are licensed.
It is also the law in Foster City! The City requires that all dogs be licensed and recommends that cats also be licensed to make sure it is easy for lost pets to be found and returned, to ensure the health and safety of both people and pets in Foster City and to help manage the domestic and feral animal populations.
Foster City attempts to provide a clean, safe environment for people as well as one that is friendly to animals. Many Foster City residents live in condominiums, apartment complexes or other housing that has limited space for pets to run.
"No owner shall fail to exercise proper care and control of his animals to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance (Foster City Municipal Code)." Nuisances include excessive, continuous or untimely barking, molesting passersby, chasing vehicles, attacking other domestic animals and trespassing on school grounds or private property causing damage.
The Peninsula Humane Society, or PHS, contracts with San Mateo County to provide animal control services for Foster City. PHS is available on a 24-hour emergency call basis to pick up stray animals or injured stray animals. The Humane Society will hold stray animals they receive for four working days before offering them for adoption.
If you find a lost animal you may run a free "found" advertisement in local newspapers for three days.
From time to time undomesticated or "wild" animals such as raccoons, skunks, squirrels, rats and opossums wander into residential and commercial areas. The Peninsula Humane Society advises citizens not to attempt to capture or trap wild animals. A qualified animal control company is best qualified to handle traps and animals. To find a pest control company, look in the yellow pages or do an online search for "wildlife pest control in San Mateo County."
Many of the features that make Foster City attractive to humans also make it attractive to migratory water fowl. Lush green parks provide ample food and the City's beautiful waterways provide safety and protection from land predators.
Many Foster City residents and property owners care about Foster City's local wildlife. But sometimes, wild birds create situations that are unpleasant and unsettling. When that happens, we occasionally get questions about the control of wild birds.
