There isn't a single lens that's going to answer all your needs
That is, the lenses that would be suited to what you've listed there aren't the same ones.
You can probably get away without a really fast lens in California... What sort of price range are you looking at?
Your sports and dog photos might be well suited to one of Canon's 70-200mm lenses (the f4 is the standout performer price-wise. If you are prepared to spend the money, the f4IS is probably the best optically. And if you need speed (work in low light or indoors) then the f2.8 may be the best bet.
For birds you need a bigger telephoto. 300 mm is really the minimum. The 300mm f4 with/without converter is the value king in the canon L range. Alternatives could be the 400mm f5.6 or (if budget demands it) the 70-300f4-5.6IS
At the wide end, the canon 15-55 f2.8IS gets very good reviews
It's quite expensive though.
That's quite a line-up - and I'm not sure you were proposing to buy several lenses
Which sorts of photos do you want most to take? That might be a good way of deciding which to prioritise.