Ventura County Animal Services - Simi Valley
Our Mission
Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) is dedicated to improving the lives, health, and well-being of the animals in our care while fostering a safe, compassionate community. We strive to be a catalyst for a future where the mental, physical, and emotional needs of all animals are met through dedicated support and education.
Serving Our Community
As an open-admission, lifesaving agency, we provide vital animal welfare services to residents throughout Ventura County. From our main facility in Camarillo to our specialized shelter in Simi Valley, we work tirelessly to address the needs of our community, offering everything from pet adoptions and licensing to emergency disaster response.
Our Care Model
We operate as a professional, municipal agency focused on progressive, lifesaving practices. Our shelters are vibrant hubs of activity where staff, volunteers, and foster families work together to provide enrichment and care for every animal. Whether it is through our dedicated medical team or our diverse array of community programs, we ensure our animals are supported every step of the way.
Your Next Best Friend
Adoption is a joyful journey, and we are committed to helping you find the perfect match for your home and lifestyle. We believe that thoughtful, compassionate pairing creates lasting bonds between people and their pets. By prioritizing clear communication and professional guidance, we ensure that every adoption is a positive, successful experience for both you and your new companion.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Ready to meet your new family member? You can view our available animals online or visit our shelters to begin the adoption process today. We invite you to join our community of animal lovers by volunteering, fostering, or simply spreading the word about the wonderful pets waiting for their second chance.
Trust Assessment
GoldRated Sep 9, 2026
Municipal ShelterPhysical Facility
Online Review Highlights
- Friendly and helpful staff
- Strong volunteer support
Coverage We Reviewed
ABC30 Fresno
5/23 - Windspeed level allows for crucial aerial firefight
The winds were strong in Simi Valley Monday, but they did not reach extreme levels, allowing crews to launch an aerial attack on the Sandy Fire.
Moorpark Acorn -
5/8 - Pet of the Week
SWEET COMPANION—Bonnie, ID No. A879113, is a 5-year-old pit bull terrier with a gentle, easygoing personality. The 63-pound spayed female came in as a stray and has been social when meeting new people. She walks nicely on leash with minimal pulling, loves treats, and is working on basic commands. Bonnie is available at the Simi Valley Animal Shelter, 670 W. <a href="https://www.mpacorn.com/articles/pet-of-the-week-637/">[…]</a>
Recent Videos
10/12 - Cooler temps mean more chances to fall in love with a shelter dog from playgroup 🍂🤎 Playgroup is a vital piece of enrichment at VCAS! It offers stressed dogs valuable opportunities to get some time out of the kennel, decompress and socialize. For many dogs, playgroups can even improve their confidence and overall behavior. Playgroup also allows our staff to safely evaluate dogs in a controlled environment before sending them home. Thank you to the staff and volunteers who make playgroups possible! All pups in this video are available with a $0 adoption fee. Located at 600 Aviation Drive, Camarillo CA and posted online to vcas.us/dogs ✨
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10/10 - Eve is a young, social, high-energy dog who is struggling with her exitability levels in the shelter… largely because she’s stuck in a kennel! Her excitement is coming out as jumping and mouthing... which is cute when you’re a puppy but becoming less cute as she gets bigger. She is now a year old! Staff/volunteers are working on calmer behaviors, and she’s on medication to help reduce her stress and arousal here! Outside of these moments, Eve is affectionate, treat-motivated, knows “sit,” and has enjoyed social play with other dogs. She even shares a kennel with another dog! We are hopeful that in a home with some exercise and a little support from her owners, she will be the best girl ever! Not that she isn’t already 🖤 She clearly wants to please her person. Please come visit Eve at 600 Aviation Drive Camarillo, CA or reach out to vcar.foster@venturacounty.gov to foster!
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10/9 - She’s been doing amazing with kids as young as 5 and another large dog in foster! Here’s a Fall #FosterFriday post for 3 year old Tawny A886514! Visit vcas.us/all-foster-animals, click on Tawny’s profile, and email her foster parent to learn more.
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10/8 - 600 days in the shelter is far too long. 😭 We’ve made multiple heartfelt pleas for rescue or home for Blanco in the last year. We are posting one more. Those who love Blanco (8 y/o) know him as curious, silly, and adventurous. He’s shown so many positive qualities! We’ve shared videos of him cuddling on the couch in foster, enjoying hikes, meeting a teenager, and going on jogs with his foster dad… but still, we know he is a challenging adoption candidate. Historically, Blanco requires careful management when it comes to meeting unfamiliar people/men, is working on impulse control for escape behaviors, shows a low tolerance for handling in situations like vet visits, and exhibits some low level resource guarding of toys. At the shelter, he is stressed, losing his appetite, and has shown repetitive behaviors that have led to self injury in the past. In foster, Blanco made amazing progress! He started off apprehensive of his foster dad... eventually they were jogging together. He made leaps and bounds with learning to wait at gates/doors, coming when called, playing gently, and managing his wariness of unfamiliar people. He tolerates his muzzle for safely navigating new situations, which helps him build confidence! He may still have excited moments like jumping up or attempting clumsy face kisses, but that’s part of what we love about him. While Blanco is generally stiff and intense in shelter playgroups and participates muzzled, we have seen him make some awkward attempts at play with other dogs! After months in foster, online posting by staff/volunteers, rescue pleas, and outings in the community, still there has been no interest in Blanco. Having been with us since February 2025, our concerns about his ongoing quality of life and limited options for a safe placement (despite extensive outreach) are high. We are HOPING this post reaches a rescue partner who can give Blanco further eval + the tools to thrive until he can find a permanent home. 🤞 Rescues - please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or let us know if there are any resources we can help with by emailing: vcar.rescue@venturacounty.gov with Blanco A785926 as the subject line.
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10/8 - Her ear was heavy with swelling from chronic infection😭 Betty Boo is an 8 year old Beagle/Chihuahua mix. We have not been able to safely handle her… yet. Betty arrived terrified - thrashing on leash, rolling, and urinating/defecating out of fear. She attempted to bite several staff members, and our veterinary team was not able to examine or treat her safely without sedation. Today, the VCAS veterinary team sedated Betty to for a full exam, drained the puss from her ear, and gave a much needed nail trim. Removing her from her kennel even with a blanket proved to be an ordeal… more thrashing, defectating, and screaming ensued 😭 We are hopeful that as she feels better with care, she will become more open to making friends. 🫶 It’s likely that pain, discomfort, and the stressful environment are contributing to her behavior. Progress with fearful, shutdown, or defensive dogs at the shelter can be slow. Of course we’ll keep working with Betty, but what she really needs is out of the shelter with an experienced foster, adopter, or rescue. Betty Boo was reported to have done well with adults, cats, and dogs in a previous home. Located at Ventura County Animal Services in Camarillo, CA
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10/7 - El Director Esteban Rodriguez comparte las cifras de Ventura County Animal Services del 21 de septiembre al 4 de octubre: 309 animales perdidos llegaron a nuestros refugios, incluyendo 115 perros y 171 gatos. 191 mascotas fueron adoptadas, 37 regresaron a casa con sus familias y 17 salieron con organizaciones de rescate, para un total de 245 animales que dejaron el refugio. Con un total de 522 animales bajo el cuidado de VCAS, nuestros refugios continúan por encima de su capacidad y las adopciones siguen siendo gratis. Agradecemos especialmente el apoyo de nuestros socios de rescate Animal Friends of America, Daisy Lu Ranch, Dog Days Search & Rescue, Legacy of Love, Pugnation, Purrmaid Cat Cafe, SPARC y Von Flufferton durante este momento. Por favor, continúen compartiendo nuestras publicaciones en redes sociales mientras promovemos a los animales disponibles para adopción, y ayúdenos a encontrarles hogar a los animales que aparecen en nuestra Lista de Llamado a la Acción (vcas.us/calltoactionlist). Gracias por su apoyo continuo. Ventura County Animal Services
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10/6 - 309 lost animals arrived at Ventura County shelters in the last two weeks, including 115 dogs and 171 cats. 191 pets were adopted, 37 went home to their owners, and 17 left with rescue partners for a total of 245 animals leaving the shelter. With a total of 522 animals in VCAS care, our shelters remain overcapacity and adoption fees are waived. We are especially grateful for the support from rescue partners Animal Friends of America, Daisy Lu Ranch, Dog Days Search & Rescue, Legacy of Love, Pugnation, Purrmaid Cat Cafe, SPARC, and Von Flufferton during this time. Please continue to share our social media posts as we promote adoptable animals, and network those on our Call to Action List (vcas.us/calltoactionlist). Thank you for your ongoing support. Ventura County Animal Services
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10/5 - COCO (A875590) is highly intelligent, high energy, highly treat motivated and very affectionate 1 year old mixed breed dog. We think she might be a mix of Dutch Shepherd, GSP, possibly Malinois but your guess is as good as ours. She loves to learn and take on new physical challenges, especially for a good treat. Coco is people friendly. Everyone who works with her loves her. She also does well in playgroup so she might enjoy having a canine companion as long as she receives a little individualized attention. A very smart, athletic dog requires a lifestyle placement rather than a typical pet home. Research these breed types to determine if this dog is a good fit before you adopt. A "highly trained human," or someone willing to learn and able to put in the time and effort to meet Coco's needs will hit the jackpot with her. Many dogs would love a couple of acres. Some would love to have an American Ninja Warrior type course set up in the backyard. Dogs like Coco need exercise but mental stimulation is equally important. That doesn't require a ton of space as you can see in some of the video clips. Tricks can be taught and worked on in the living room. Nosework can be done anywhere in the house or in a normal sized back yard. Making Coco - and dogs like her - use her brain can tire her out as much as a run and can also calm her down. A doggy treadmill doesn't take up much space and is great when it's too hot, cold, dark, etc to go for a run. If you don't have room for agility equipment you can get creative or take her to a Sniffspot. Dogs like Coco require time and intentionality. Because of that, she's definitely not going to be for everyone. But you don't need to be a triathlete or go on 10 mile hikes every day to keep her happy. Come meet Coco and see for yourself how cool she is. Shelter hours are from 1 pm to 6 pm every day. #dogsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #adoptdontshop #rescuedog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed
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10/1 - Happy Oct 1st!! Today we are celebrating National Black Dog Day with @vcanimalservices! Jules gave us a wonderful tour of the facility and introduced us to a lot of pups who are looking for their forever homes. In this video you’ll meet three amazing and lovable black dogs- who are all available for adoption! Please consider checking out @vcanimalservices if you’re considering adopting a new furry friend, or contact your local animal shelter/rescue! There are so many sweet angels waiting to meet their new families. 🖤 (Since making this video, Bruno the Pug has been taken in by @pugnationla - contact them for adoption information!) Video description: 2min and 48 second video taken at Ventura County Animal Services. We take a tour of the facilities and meet some adorable dogs with Jules who is the shelter’s social media manager.
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9/30 - “I apologize that the quality of these videos is not very good, but my sons and I took them of Masato and wanted to share them with you. When Masato was brought to VCAS, I named him after my 9-year-old son. At the time, he was still just a puppy, and now he is a grown up man dog. Because I named him, I feel a personal responsibility to help find him a loving forever home. Would you be able to help us post these videos on the VCAS Facebook page to increase his visibility and hopefully help him get adopted? If you need additional photos or videos, my sons and I would be happy to take more. Thank you very much for your help and for everything you do for these animals. Best regards, Yuka, Registered Vet Technician at VCAS” Yuka, we think the quality of these videos is great… maybe a little blurry. Wait, that’s just from us tearing up at how sweet Masato is being with the boys. 🥹 1 year old Masato A881029 is available to adopt through VCAS in Camarillo, CA
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9/30 - Which kind of dog would YOU foster? 🫵 VCAS Foster Coordinator Shani here, sharing a few of our frequent foster asks - from the long stays, to those who need some TLC while they recover from illness or injury! We are receiving an average of 27 new animals a day, and kennel space is limited by the proverbial four walls of the shelter… but YA’LL can help us expand into the community! Welcoming a foster dog into your home, even for 5-7 days is extremely beneficial for the animal, shelter staff, and future adopters. All individual dogs featured in this video are also available for foster! Please mention them by name in your application if interested. Please apply at vcas.us/foster 🫶 *Note: we are currently prioritizing medium/large dog fosters. We may not be able to respond to those who can only foster small dogs or cats at this time.
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