The Shelby County Animal Shelter is operated and staffed by The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The Dog Warden and Deputy Dog Warden are sworn Deputy Sheriffs. The Shelby County Animal Shelter is designed to serve the residents of Shelby County. We answer calls for stray dogs, complaints of dogs running at large, as well as animal kills by dogs and coyotes in a timely manner. We pick-up stray dogs, answer humane complaints and reports of loose dogs. We enforce the Ohio Revised Code concerning dogs. Don’t assume because the Police Department or Sheriff’s Office is contacted that we will respond. Call us the following day on complaints and dog bites to make sure we are aware of the call and whether we need to respond. We are open to people looking for a pet, people looking for a missing pet, and to people who just want to look at the animals. We accept dogs and cats from owners, when space allows, as well as strays. A fee may be involved. Call the office during hours of operation to make sure. We offer dogs, puppies, cats and kittens for adoption. We are here for owners of lost dogs to claim their animals or report a lost animal. We have a bulletin board for people to offer animals to good homes and we have free information to the public on a variety of issues. We welcome any questions you may have about dogs, cats or the Animal Shelter. The Shelby County Animal Shelter is the designated facility for housing stray dogs within Shelby County. The Shelter Staff enforces section 955 of the Ohio Revised Code. This code entails the handling of stray dogs within the county. Based on these laws, the animal shelter does not handle calls or complaints concerning stray cats. The shelter is able to house a small number of cats, with cage space being available on a limited basis. Questions or concerns regarding stray cats in your neighborhood should be directed to village or city offices in the area you reside.
To adopt an animal you must complete an adoption application and be approved by the shelter staff. All required documentation must be turned in before an application will be considered. No adoption applications will be accepted until AFTER the mandatory hold period. In the case of multiple applications for a single animal, the applications will be reviewed in the order we receive them. Applications are not kept on file. You will need to complete a new application each time you are interested in an animal. There will be no “same-day” adoptions. In other words, the animal will not go home with you the same day you turn in the application. The only exception would be out of town adopters who have submitted an application in advance. We REQUIRE all unaltered animals be spayed or neutered within 45 days of adoption. We sponsor low cost spay/neuter clinics several times a year to assist with this requirement. We reserve the right to confiscate the animal if this requirement is not met. You will be required to provide proof of the spay/neuter to the shelter within the 45 day time frame. Animals at the Shelby County Animal Shelter have NOT been vetted or temperament tested. We do not guarantee the health or temperament of any animal adopted from the shelter. We do our best to make sure the animals are healthy and they do receive their first round of vaccinations. We encourage all adopters take their animal to their vet for a wellness check as soon as possible after adoption. All adoptions are FINAL. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE APPROVED BY SHELTER STAFF. Due to time needed, no adoptions will be done after 30min prior to closing. Adoption Applications are available at the shelter.