Glendale Wildlife Ordinances & Trapping Liability
Glendale’s unique positioning at the base of the Verdugo Mountains and the San Rafael Hills creates a highly active wildlife corridor. Neighborhoods like Glenoaks Canyon, Rossmoyne, and the Verdugo Woodlands border thousands of acres of natural habitat. As a result, homeowners routinely encounter coyotes, skunks, peafowl, Roof Rats, and even black bears foraging for food and water in residential zones.
The greatest liability for Glendale homeowners isn’t property damage; it is the legal exposure of handling nuisance wildlife illegally. Attempting DIY trapping or exclusion can violate state regulations and result in severe fines, while landlords have strict legal duties to perform structural exclusion (see our Glendale Tenant Rights Guide). For severe property cases, explore Glendale Pest Assistance Programs.
The California Catch & Dump Ban: Under California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 465.5, it is strictly illegal to trap and relocate furbearing mammals (raccoons, skunks, opossums) off your property. Legally trapped animals must be either released immediately on the site where caught or euthanized. Transporting a trapped animal into the Verdugo Mountains or Griffith Park is a severe violation of state law.
Glendale Wildlife Navigation:
Unlicensed Trappers Near Chevy Chase Canyon
Avoid “budget” handyman trappers offering cheap trap-and-release services in the foothills. If an unlicensed individual captures a skunk or raccoon on your property and illegally dumps it in a neighboring canyon or regional park, the Department of Fish & Wildlife can trace the liability back to you. Professionals must hold a CDFW Trapping License AND a Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) Branch 2 license to seal the access points legally.
Jurisdiction Warning: Pasadena Humane Contract
The City of Glendale does not use LA County Animal Care and Control. Instead, Glendale contracts its animal control and sheltering services to the Pasadena Humane Society. All domestic animal and wildlife safety calls within Glendale city limits must be directed to Pasadena Humane.
State Law & Municipal Overlap
“(g)(1) Immediate Dispatch or Release. All furbearing and nongame mammals that are legal to trap must be immediately killed or released. Unless released, trapped animals shall be killed by shooting where local ordinances, landowners, and safety permit… (h) Relocation. It is unlawful to relocate any trapped furbearing or nongame mammal.”
3 Authorities Managing Glendale Wildlife
Jurisdiction & Liability Matrix
Detailed Glendale Authority Directory
Pasadena Humane Society (Contracted for Glendale)
Local / ContractedPasadena Humane provides animal control services for Glendale. They will respond to wildlife calls only if the animal is visibly sick, injured, or confined within the immediate living quarters (like a bat inside a home) posing a direct threat.
Greater LA County Vector Control District
County / RegionalThe GLACVCD handles outbreaks of disease-carrying pests. If you have a severe exterior rat infestation spreading from public alleys, overgrown lots, or unmaintained community pools breeding mosquitoes, they can investigate and enforce abatement.
CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife (South Coast Region)
StateCDFW enforces state trapping laws and manages large predator sightings. Because Glendale borders the Verdugo Mountains and Angeles National Forest, CDFW frequently responds to black bear and mountain lion incursions.
Glendale Wildlife Trapping & Liability FAQ
Bears are a common occurrence in the foothill communities of Glendale. If the bear is acting aggressively or attempting to break into your home, call 911 immediately so the Glendale Police Department and CDFW can respond. If the bear is simply foraging in trash and leaving, authorities generally will not trap it. Residents in these zones are required to use bear-proof trash receptacles and remove all outdoor food sources to deter them.
Peafowl have established feral populations in several Los Angeles foothill communities. Pasadena Humane will not trap or remove healthy peafowl simply for causing a noise or property nuisance. Because they are not native wildlife but also not typical domestic pets, managing them is complex. Homeowners must hire specialized, licensed wildlife removal companies if they want peafowl ethically trapped and relocated to permitted sanctuaries, as standard pest control cannot poison them.
No. Pasadena Humane does not perform structural exclusions on private property, and California Code of Regulations Title 14 prohibits the relocation of trapped furbearing mammals. You cannot trap a skunk and drive it up into the Verdugo Mountains. You must hire a licensed pest control operator with a CDFW trapping permit to humanely evict the animal using one-way doors or trap-and-euthanize protocols before permanently sealing the deck.
Need a Fully Permitted Wildlife Professional?
Do not hire unlicensed handymen to handle foothill wildlife in Glendale. Ensure your contractor holds both an SPCB Branch 2 license and a CDFW Trapping Permit to avoid severe legal and ecological liability.
View Verified Glendale Exterminators