Pomona Wildlife Ordinances & Trapping Liability
Pomona’s unique geography sits squarely at the transition of the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. Flanked by the San Jose Hills to the west and the massive alluvial plains of the San Bernardino basin to the east, suburban development wraps tightly around older agricultural parcels, local colleges, and regional flood channels. This environmental setup creates high wildlife pressure, moving skunks, raccoons, coyotes, opossums, and Roof Rats directly into residential neighborhoods like Phillips Ranch and Ganesha Hills.
The greatest liability for Pomona homeowners isn’t structural property damage; it is the legal exposure of handling nuisance wildlife illegally. If you rent, attempting DIY trapping or exclusion can violate your lease, while landlords have strict legal duties to perform structural exclusion (see our Pomona Tenant Rights Guide). For severe property cases, explore Pomona 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 an animal into the San Jose Hills or up toward the San Gabriel Mountains is a severe violation of state law.
Pomona Wildlife Navigation:
Unlicensed Trappers near Ganesha Hills & Phillips Ranch
Avoid “budget” handyman trappers offering cheap trap-and-release services in the East San Gabriel Valley. If an unlicensed individual captures a skunk or raccoon on your property and illegally dumps it in local hillsides or regional parks, 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: Inland Valley Humane Contract
The City of Pomona does not operate its own municipal animal control division, nor does it use LA County field services. Pomona contracts exclusively with the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA (IVHS) for animal care, sheltering, and wildlife field safety issues within city boundaries.
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 Pomona Wildlife
Jurisdiction & Liability Matrix
Detailed Pomona Authority Directory
Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA
Local / ContractedIVHS provides animal control field services for Pomona. They will respond to wildlife calls only if the animal is visibly sick, injured, or confined within the immediate living quarters (e.g., a bat inside a home) posing an active safety threat. They explicitly do not trap or remove healthy nuisance wildlife on private property.
San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District
RegionalThe SGVMVCD addresses public health issues related to vector-borne diseases across Pomona. If a neighborhood experiences severe rodent outbreaks originating from flood channels or old agricultural easements, they provide assessments, technical guidance, and enforcement code enforcement.
CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife (South Coast Region)
StateCDFW enforces state trapping laws and regulates apex predator interactions. While Pomona itself is heavily urbanized, mountain lions or coyotes navigating down from the San Jose Hills or north from the San Gabriel foothills fall under their wildlife tracking mandate.
Pomona Wildlife Trapping & Liability FAQ
No. Coyotes are a native species tightly woven into the local foothill topography. The Inland Valley Humane Society will not trap or remove healthy coyotes for simply wandering through a residential neighborhood. They will only deploy field officers if a coyote is visibly sick, injured, or actively attacking a pet or human. Homeowners are responsible for installing coyote-proof roller fencing and securing attractants.
Absolutely not. Under California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 465.5, it is illegal to relocate any trapped furbearing mammal off your property. Moving a “city” raccoon into the hills causes severe territorial aggression, starvation, and accelerates the spread of rabies or distemper to wild strains. Legally, the animal must be released immediately on site or euthanized by a licensed professional.
No. While the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District tracks vector data and can inspect neighborhood infrastructure to issue code violations to property owners allowing major harborages, they do not bait or trap on private residential properties. Homeowners are legally required to manage their own property lines by hiring a licensed structural pest control company.
Need a Fully Permitted Wildlife Professional?
Do not hire unlicensed handymen to handle Inland Valley wildlife. Ensure your contractor holds both an SPCB Branch 2 license and a CDFW Trapping Permit to avoid severe legal and code liability.
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