Animal Intake
Due to the volume of animals admitted, we highly encourage scheduling an appointment for admission! The admission process may take up to 30 minutes per animal.
Found a stray?
KCHA accepts stray animals from Kanawha County provided shelter admission is the best solution for that pet. If the animal will be better served using a non-shelter means, we will provide you with alternatives to help the pet.
Before you bring a stray to the shelter, please call (304) 342-1576 ext. 118. At the time of your call, we can advise you if we are able to accept the stray animal.
Healthy stray cats will not be accepted. We will only accept stray cats that meet the following criteria:
- Appear to be ill or suffering from disease
- Injured
- Declawed
- Neonates (no mother, need to be bottle-fed)
- Pregnant cats with imminent delivery
We offer a TNR (trap-neuter-return) program to help you control the population of stray cats in your area. For more information about this program, call our public spay/neuter clinic Fix Charleston at (304) 342-5660
Surrendering your Pet?
Animal Help Desk
The best thing for your pet is to remain with the family it loves. Let us help you make that happen! Our Animal Help Desk is a free service that provides pet retention counseling and resources. The Help Desk is staffed Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. To reach the Help Desk, call (304) 342-1576 ext. 116.
In addition, we now have an animal behaviorist on staff to assist you in solving behavior problems and to provide free training advice. To reach the behaviorist, email Julie Hypes at Julie@adoptcharleston.com.
Scheduled an Appointment to Surrender your Pet
If circumstances force you to surrender your pet, call (304) 342-1576 ext. 118 and we will work with you to set up a date and time to surrender the pet. Appointments are available Tuesday through Sunday from noon until 5:30 pm.
Pet relinquishment is by appointment only and is subject to space limitations.
Fees
On average, the cost for a five day stay is $95 per dog, and $75 per cat. We kindly ask owners to offset the first five days of a pet’s stay by paying an admission fee. Litters of puppies and kittens are $10 per animal with a requirement their mother be spayed.
Why do I need to schedule an appointment?
KCHA strives to ensure every healthy and adoptable animal in our care finds a loving home. In order to best serve animals, our admissions team does a thorough assessment of every animal entering our doors. The admissions process may take up to 30 minutes per animal.
- KCHA is better prepared to meet the needs of individual animals when they arrive.
- When staff is prepared, the admission process is shorter, meaning less wait time!