Shelter Information
View all Animal Shelter information before planning your visit
Available Animals
View animals available to reclaim, rescue or adopt
Find a Lost Animal
View lost animals in the custody of Cabarrus County Animal Control
The shelter is an open admission shelter, meaning we do not turn away any animal in need. We are a public facility that provides safe, temporary shelter for homeless animals while the staff searches for permanent homes for the animals through community adoption or transfers to rescue partners. The animal shelter is NOT a pet boarding facility. While the shelter is open admission, we operate under managed intake and require pre-scheduled appointments for all owner surrenders.
Staff is committed to placing safe and healthy animals in the community by searching for appropriate permanent homes for adoptable animals. We work with approved rescue partners nationally to place animals with workable behavior concerns and treatable medical issues with groups that have the resources to take of those specific cases. To determine if an animal is adoptable, staff must rule out any underlying medical conditions and/or temperaments that present safety risks to the community. Euthanasia is a last resort. When necessary, euthanasia is carried out with respect to the animal by a certified euthanasia technician following best-practice guidelines set by the NC Department of Agriculture. It is important to Cabarrus County that all animals at the shelter receive care and compassion.
The best way to limit euthanasia is to spay and neuter your pets! Intact males can catch the scent of a female in heat and wander off tracking the scent. This is a common reason for males to escape their yard. If the male finds the female in heat, there is a risk of mating if they can get to one another. By spaying your females and neutering your males, you eliminate this risk that ultimately leads to unwanted litters of animals that fill up the shelter. There are also many health benefits to spaying and neutering your pets including a lower risk of many types of cancer. Spaying and neutering can be an expensive surgery, but there are wonderful organizations, like Spay It Forward, that provide financial assistance so every pet owner can make the responsible decision.
Shelter Procedures
Any animal that presents to the shelter as a stray is held for 72 hours per the Department of Agriculture. These animals can be viewed on lost and found. Any animal that presents as an owner surrender is not required to be held for 72 hours. Animals are evaluated upon intake and receive a second evaluation before an adoption / rescue / euthanasia decision is made.
Once an animal has been evaluated, they can be viewed on adoption and rescue. All animal shelter laws can be viewed at the Department of Agriculture.