Foster City Animal Licensing

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.

When a pet goes missing, it is heart-wrenching for the family and it is terrifying for the animal.  Each year in San Mateo County, more than 6,000 dogs and cats are lost and end up at the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA.  Of those, 60% of the lost dogs and over 90% of lost cats are not reunited with owners.  Unfortunately, the shelter has no way to contact owners when animals arrive without a license, identification tag, or microchip.  Those who make sure their pet is licensed have a better chance to beat those odds.  A license is a great way to identify a lost pet so that it can be returned to its owner.

Pet owners know how important it is to vaccinate their furry family members and they know that licensing is a great way to monitor and be sure their pets' rabies vaccinations are up-to-date.  In the event a family member or pet is bitten by another animal, it is crucially important to quickly know whether the biting animal is vaccinated.  Information on licensed pets is easily accessible on a countywide database, and can avoid the need for costly and painful medical treatments for rabies or other diseases.  Rabies is fatal if not treated quickly, and if a bite occurs, all involved will want to get accurate, up-to-date information fast.  Licensing helps to make sure that happens.

The fees from animal licensing help our community pay for animal control services, including services provided both in the shelter and on our streets, and discounted spay and neuter services to both domestic and feral animals, which enables us to manage the pet population in Foster City and throughout the County.  One dollar of every annual license fee goes into the spay/neuter fund.

Licensing is quick and easy by going online to www.petdata.com, or by calling 1-866-925-5906.  Information about licensing in-person is online at www.smchealth.org/animallicensing.  More information about pet ownership and services is also online at www.peninsulahumanesociety.org.