Janaury 2, 2019 - New hours, permit pricing and services go into effect January 2 at Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control.

The business office will be adding an hour of service to better accommodate residents. The business office is used for owners wishing to surrender their pets to the shelter, lost and found pets, pet registrations and law enforcement issues. A complete list of new hours for both the business office and adoption center are listed below. The adoption center will be closing at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays starting in 2019.

Business Office:

11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday

Closed Saturday and Sunday

Adoption Center:

Closed Mondays

Noon – 5:30 p.m. Tues, Thurs, Friday

Noon – 6 p.m. Wednesdays

11 a.m. – 3 p.m. First and Third Saturday of Every Month

In an effort to focus on public safety concerns, starting January 2 Animal Control Officers will no longer pick up animals owners wish to surrender out in the field. In the month of November 223 animals were surrendered to the shelter by their owners, only 27 of which were surrendered in the field to officers. Owners will now be required to visit the shelter to surrender their animals. By discontinuing this service officers will be able to concentrate their efforts on emergencies while shelter staff will be able to gain a better understanding of why the owners need to surrender, refer them to available resources to keep their pet and gather more information about the animal entering the shelter.

To help pet owners that need to surrender their pets, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control recently teamed up with Adopt-a-Pet.com to help people rehome their pets without ever bringing them to the shelter. The free resource allows pet owners to adopt out their pets with assistance from Adopt-a-Pet.com’s staff. We do not recommend using Craigslist or social media sites like Facebook to rehome pets as they do not have an application process like Adopt-a-Pet.com.

The New Year brings changes to permit pricing specifically for breeders, groomers, pet shops and kennels. The new permit pricing is available here. 

LOOKING TO REHOME YOUR PET

If a lack of resources is the reason you're giving up your pet - click HERE to see what services are available in our area. Our goal is to keep pets in their homes but we understand that sometimes rehoming your pet is a difficult but necessary step. 

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS

We encourage you to rehome your pet through Adopt a Pet. This FREE resource allows you to keep your animal in your home and out of the shelter. Plus, YOU get to handle the entire adoption process with the guidance of the trained staff at Adopt a Pet. The shelter can be a stressful place for pets and we encourage everyone to explore this option before surrendering their pet to us. You are also the expert when it comes to your pet and can help people get to know them better than anyone. 

If you absolutely cannot keep the animal in your home and go through the rehoming process yourself click HERE for information about admissions.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Adopt a Pet has made the process so easy for pet owners! In a simple four step process you will be able to find your pet a loving home all without ever having to go to the shelter. 

CLICK HERE TO START 

Host Holly Pasquinelli talks to Family Paws Parent Educator Debbie Bryant about helping your dog transition when you bring a baby into your home.