22 Dogs Removed From West Oxnard Encampment
Only one of the 22 dogs had a microchip, so Oxnard owners should confirm their own dogs' microchip records are current.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Dogs
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Ventura County Animal Services removed 22 dogs, including eight puppies, from a homeless encampment near a river bottom in west Oxnard on Monday, November 2, 2026. The dogs were taken to a county shelter that is already operating at about 130% capacity.
Why it matters
The dogs were roaming onto an oil field and private property near vehicular traffic, and the county says a pack of 20 dogs at large is a safety concern for both the animals and people in the area. Only one of the 22 dogs had a microchip when scanned, which makes reuniting strays with owners difficult and pushes more animals into an already crowded shelter system.
Ventura County Animal Services removed 22 mixed-breed dogs of varying ages, including eight puppies, from the encampment with help from Oxnard municipal animal safety workers and the nonprofit Dog Days Search & Rescue. Just one of the 22 dogs tested positive for a microchip, and the county's two shelters are running at about 130% of capacity.
The players
Ventura County Animal Services
The county agency that operates the region's two animal shelters and handles stray and at-large animal removals and adoptions.
Dog Days Search & Rescue
A nonprofit animal rescue organization that assisted with the removal of the dogs from the encampment.
The details
Animal services workers responded to a police call about the pack and found the dogs at the encampment, then transported them to a county animal shelter. Before any dog is adopted, it will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, treated for fleas, and microchipped. All of the dogs were vaccinated on the day they were taken in, and the agency is optimistic that each dog can become safely handleable and a good companion with time and patience.
Timeline
Three large dogs were adopted in the days before publication after spending more than 200 days in the shelter.
Monday, November 2, 2026: animal services removed the 22 dogs from the west Oxnard encampment.
The Home Front
Ventura County's shelters are running at about 130% of capacity, so every large intake like this one forces staff to juggle space, spay-and-neuter scheduling, and adoption timelines at once. The removal also shows how stray packs in fringe neighborhoods can spill into oil fields and roadways, which is a neighborhood-level concern for Oxnard residents.
If you live near the west Oxnard river bottom or the oil field off West Montalvo, keep dogs leashed and report any roaming packs to animal services. If you have lost a dog in the area, check with Ventura County Animal Services, since most of these dogs were not microchipped.
The takeaway
Microchipping is the single fastest way to get a lost dog home, and only one of these 22 dogs had one. If you have a dog, confirm its microchip registration is current with the chip company.
Further reading
For more on keeping dogs safe and healthy in the community, explore our Dogs section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Los Angeles Times.
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