Spotsylvania County Animal Shelter
450 Tv Drive,
Fredericksburg,
VA, 22408

Phone: 540-507-7459
E-mail: animal@spotsylvania.va.us

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday: Viewing/Adoption 12pm-4pm, Lobby cats 8am-4:30pm. Call 540-507-7459 to schedule an appointment for adoption, visitation, redemption, or surrender.
Closed Sunday, Monday and Holidays

Adopting a dog?
Virginia law says that we have to keep a dog for 5 days so that the owner can claim it before we can put the dog up for adoption. If you are interested in a particular dog before its available date please contact us. We would like a dog to go to a new home or rescue as soon as possible after its 'available' date.

For animals that have not been spayed or neutered: adoptions are open to residents of Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline, Hanover, Louisa, Orange, Culpeper Counties. If an animal is already spayed or neutered then it is available to be adopted by anyone (even out of state residents). Phone to check that the dog is available and what paperwork is required from you.

Make sure that you are able to take your dog home on the day you adopt it. We will not keep a dog for you after its "available" day.

Our Adoption fee for dogs is $85 and for cats is $55, other companion animals: $20. Dog/cat adoption fee includes some vaccines and spay/neuter surgery. Virginia law requires that a sterilization agreement be signed. This agreement states that you will have the adopted animal sterilized within 30 days of leaving the shelter or by 6 months of age. If you do not live in a surrounding county, the dog or cat will have to be sterilized before it leaves our facility.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY ADOPTION

• All dogs are spayed/neutered before leaving the shelter unless too young to do so.


• Dogs can be adopted out of state with the proper identification required (see below), unless they have not been spayed/neutered, in which case they are restricted to residents of Spotsylvania and adjacent counties (Stafford, Caroline, Hanover, Louisa, Orange, Culpeper County).


• To adopt a dog you must be 18 years of age or older.


• You must provide a picture ID with a current address at the time of the adoption.


• Each pet is required to be vaccinated for rabies within seven days of adoption, if it is four months of age or older. Rabies vaccination is required for each pet, upon turning four months of age.


• Every new owner of a pet adopted from Spotsylvania County Animal Shelter shall have the pet sterilized within thirty days of the pet turning six months of age, or within thirty days if the pet is over six months of age.


• Out of state adoptions must be spayed or neutered before leaving Virginia.


• Return of the proper paperwork (sterilization and rabies certificates) is required within seven days of sterilization.


• State law requires that all dogs and cats be vaccinated for rabies.


• If you rent your home or land, you must have written permission with a telephone number to contact your landlord before the adoption takes place.


• Adopters must agree to comply with all state and local ordinances/laws governing animals.


• Animals are placed as household pets, not as guard dogs and mousers.


• NO animals adopted to persons having a history of losing, giving away, selling, turning in animals to shelter/s, or having animals injured or killed by moving vehicles/accidents.

In households where there are small children under six (6) years, application for adoption of puppies and kittens less than five (5) months of age shall be judged by the following guidelines:

1. Age of Child.


2. Compatibility between the child and the animal, which will be evaluated by the Animal Shelter Assistants before adoption.


3. The child's previous experience with other animals.