Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if I encounter a stray animal?
What happens if my pet is turned into the shelter?
If your pet is not readily identifiable by tag or microchip, your pet will be held for three (3) days as required by County Ordinance. If your pet is identifiable by tag or microchip you will be contacted immediately and you will then have three (3) days to pick up the animal and pay the Reclaim Fee upon pickup of your pet. Unclaimed pets become the property of the Carroll County Animal Shelter and will be adopted out or in the case of lack of space, poor health, and/or ill temperament, humanely euthanized.
What does it cost to reclaim a shelter pet?
Pet owners are charged a $25.00 reclaim fee. We recommend you have your pet microchipped before leaving the shelter and can be completed at the shelter for $20.00. All animals that are reclaimed must have proof of rabies shown at time of pickup or it must be completed within 48 hours of pickup and brought back or faxed to the shelter upon completion. Failure to do so will result in Animal Control issuing a citation with a fine up to $1000.
Do I have to have my pet spayed or neutered?
Spaying or neutering is not required for Reclaimed Pets, although we highly encourage responsible sterilization of pets.
Does the Carroll County Animal Shelter pickup stray animals?
The Carroll County Animal Shelter does not pick up stray animals but they should be reported to the Carroll County Animal Control office at 770-834-8150 to have an Animal Control Officer dispatched.
If I witness what I believe to be an act of cruelty/neglect, who do I call?
You will need to contact the Carroll County Animal Control office at 770-834-8150 or you can send a report in via Animal Control Incident Report Page.
Do you euthanize ("put to sleep") animals?
Yes, but our goal is to be a "no kill" facility. Humane euthanasia is still currently performed for various reasons (over-crowding, poor health, owner request, bad temperament, etc).
What does it cost to bring an animal to the shelter?
There is a $25.00 charge per animal to surrender an animal to the shelter. We would, however like to remind the public that we stay full and there is always that chance that an animal could be euthanized for space. This is why we ask that you exhaust all possible
other avenues before surrendering your animal to the shelter.
How long do you keep animals before they are euthanized?
Euthanasia decisions can be made at any point following the standard holding period for impounded animals, which is three days. Surrendered Animals are not subject to a holding period and become the immediate property of the Carroll County Animal Shelter and are evaluated on availability of space and disposition.
Can you call me before you euthanize an animal?
We have over 4,000 animals brought to the shelter on an annual basis. We cannot guarantee that the we can call you when we are making euthanasia decisions. If it is your own animal, we suggest that you exhaust all other possibilities for placement of your pet, before bringing it to the shelter-we should be your last resort. You may, however, get the animal number and call us to check on the animal, we will be glad to answer your questions.
Can I have my animal micro chipped at the Shelter?
YES! The shelter does micro chips for the general public Monday-Friday 12:30-4:30 and Saturday 9am-4pm. the cost is $20 per pet.
Please be advised that micro-chipped pets cannot be tracked in “real time” (similar to GPS) and must be scanned by a Veterinarian or Animal Shelter upon entering either facility. However statistics show that micro chipped pets have a very high percentage of being returned home safely. Currently over 7,000,000 pets in the United States have been micro chipped.
What happens if my pet is turned into the shelter?
If your pet is not readily identifiable by tag or microchip, your pet will be held for three (3) days as required by County Ordinance. If your pet is identifiable by tag or microchip you will be contacted immediately and you will then have three (3) days to pick up the animal and pay the Reclaim Fee upon pickup of your pet. Unclaimed pets become the property of the Carroll County Animal Shelter and will be adopted out or in the case of lack of space, poor health, and/or ill temperament, humanely euthanized.
What does it cost to reclaim a shelter pet?
Pet owners are charged a $25.00 reclaim fee. We recommend you have your pet microchipped before leaving the shelter and can be completed at the shelter for $20.00. All animals that are reclaimed must have proof of rabies shown at time of pickup or it must be completed within 48 hours of pickup and brought back or faxed to the shelter upon completion. Failure to do so will result in Animal Control issuing a citation with a fine up to $1000.
Do I have to have my pet spayed or neutered?
Spaying or neutering is not required for Reclaimed Pets, although we highly encourage responsible sterilization of pets.
Does the Carroll County Animal Shelter pickup stray animals?
The Carroll County Animal Shelter does not pick up stray animals but they should be reported to the Carroll County Animal Control office at 770-834-8150 to have an Animal Control Officer dispatched.
If I witness what I believe to be an act of cruelty/neglect, who do I call?
You will need to contact the Carroll County Animal Control office at 770-834-8150 or you can send a report in via Animal Control Incident Report Page.
Do you euthanize ("put to sleep") animals?
Yes, but our goal is to be a "no kill" facility. Humane euthanasia is still currently performed for various reasons (over-crowding, poor health, owner request, bad temperament, etc).
What does it cost to bring an animal to the shelter?
There is a $25.00 charge per animal to surrender an animal to the shelter. We would, however like to remind the public that we stay full and there is always that chance that an animal could be euthanized for space. This is why we ask that you exhaust all possible
other avenues before surrendering your animal to the shelter.
How long do you keep animals before they are euthanized?
Euthanasia decisions can be made at any point following the standard holding period for impounded animals, which is three days. Surrendered Animals are not subject to a holding period and become the immediate property of the Carroll County Animal Shelter and are evaluated on availability of space and disposition.
Can you call me before you euthanize an animal?
We have over 4,000 animals brought to the shelter on an annual basis. We cannot guarantee that the we can call you when we are making euthanasia decisions. If it is your own animal, we suggest that you exhaust all other possibilities for placement of your pet, before bringing it to the shelter-we should be your last resort. You may, however, get the animal number and call us to check on the animal, we will be glad to answer your questions.
Can I have my animal micro chipped at the Shelter?
YES! The shelter does micro chips for the general public Monday-Friday 12:30-4:30 and Saturday 9am-4pm. the cost is $20 per pet.
Please be advised that micro-chipped pets cannot be tracked in “real time” (similar to GPS) and must be scanned by a Veterinarian or Animal Shelter upon entering either facility. However statistics show that micro chipped pets have a very high percentage of being returned home safely. Currently over 7,000,000 pets in the United States have been micro chipped.