FAQs • Orange County, VA • CivicEngage

How do I relinquish a pet?: If you are having behavioral problems with your pet, please call us to see if we can help. If you must relinquish a pet, please bring all pertinent vaccination records with you. Write a list of what your pet enjoys, dislikes, and is good at doing. Include such information as whether or not he/she was kept indoors or out, was ever around children or other animals, is housebroken or not, etc. Please be honest as we need to know as much as possible about what type of home that would be best for your loved one. We can only accept animals from Orange County residents, strays found in the county or returned adoptions from our facility.

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Animal Shelter

1. Where can I purchase a County Dog License/Tag?: You can purchase lifetime dog licenses at the Animal Shelter or at the Treasurer’s Office located in the Gordon Building on Main Street. Please bring a copy of your pet’s current rabies vaccination certificate with you as we will need to verify the expiration date. The cost is $10 per animal. Kennel tags are only available at the Treasurer's Office.

2. How do I reclaim a lost pet?: You can reclaim a lost pet if it has gone stray and found its way into the Shelter. Please call us as soon as you realize your cat or dog has gone missing and file a “lost report” which gives us pertinent information such as gender, age, breed, color, location last seen, etc. This way, we can call you immediately should an animal fitting the profile be brought to our facility. When you come to pick up your pet, please bring your current valid rabies certificate with you as well as your county license receipt (dogs only; N/A for cats). If you don’t have current paperwork, don’t worry; you can still take your pet home right away. We will ask for a deposit ($15 each item) but you will receive a refund if you are able to update your records and bring in proof of compliance within a two (2) week time period. Boarding fees are $5 each day your pet stayed with us.

3. How do I relinquish a pet?: If you are having behavioral problems with your pet, please call us to see if we can help. If you must relinquish a pet, please bring all pertinent vaccination records with you. Write a list of what your pet enjoys, dislikes, and is good at doing. Include such information as whether or not he/she was kept indoors or out, was ever around children or other animals, is housebroken or not, etc. Please be honest as we need to know as much as possible about what type of home that would be best for your loved one. We can only accept animals from Orange County residents, strays found in the county or returned adoptions from our facility.

4. How can I volunteer at the Shelter?: If you have a few hours each day, week or month and would like to volunteer, please download a Volunteer Application or stop by and pick one up! We would love to have you at the Shelter and welcome you for as little or as much time as you wish to spend. Volunteers get to do all of the fun stuff like walking dogs, running play groups, letting the cats out for exercise, washing puppies, grooming dogs, and sitting with shy dogs who just need a friend. We are thrilled to have volunteers here every day of the week. Also, as we do not euthanize for length of stay, you can rest assured that the animals you played with today will be here tomorrow (unless they’re adopted)! Please come out and make even one animal’s day a little brighter. Volunteer Information.

5. How do I adopt a dog or cat?: If you would like to adopt a dog or cat you may begin by downloading and filling out a copy of the “Pre-Adoption Screening” form. You can also view profiles of some of our available pets on Petfinder.com. We welcome you to come out to the shelter with your family to meet our furry friends. You may bring your current dogs with you to meet ‘n greet, too! We have a cottage set up like a living room inside in which you get to spend time with the animals you are considering. You can also take them for walks or let them loose in the play yard to see how they interact with you. Once you have found the right animal for your (and their) personality and lifestyle, we will review your paperwork. If approved, you will receive copies of your new pet’s medical records, a free 4 lb. bag of dry food and for dogs, a free leash and either collar or harness (while supplies last). Adoption fees for in-county residents are $55 for a dog or puppy and $45 for a cat or kitten. Adoption fees for individuals outside of Orange County are $60 for a dog or puppy and $50 for a cat or kitten. Please note that if you rent your home, we need either a copy of your lease agreement or a letter from your landlord outlining any restrictions on the number, size or breed of pets you are permitted to have. Animals will only be adopted to persons 18 years of age or older. For more information, please visit our Adoption Information page.

6. How do I foster a pet?: If you have a big heart and some space in your home, please consider volunteering to foster a Shelter dog or cat. In many cases we have shy dogs, baby kittens and others who need a little TLC prior to going up for adoption. The Shelter provides all of the food, medicines, vet care, and supplies for fostered animals. Foster care can be easy or challenging depending upon the type of situation for which you sign up; it is totally your choice. Sometimes we are just crowded and need temporary homes for healthy, well-adjusted dogs and cats. Frequently, we have dogs undergoing Heartworm treatment--they just need a loving, calm home environment where they can be kept crated, quiet and hand-walked. During the warmer months, we often have orphaned kittens requiring bottle feeding. Please fill out a Volunteer Application, give us a call and come on out to see who needs you now! Please visit our Adoption Information page for more details.

7. How do I donate?: To donate to the Orange County Animal Shelter, click here.