Frequently Asked Questions

How do I adopt an animal?

Our Adoption fee for cats and dogs ranges from $50 to $100.00. This fee includes spaying or neutering, initial vaccines and flea treatment, an ID tag, a microchip, and a free physical exam from an area veterinarian. We will also provide a collar and carrying case for cat adopters, and a collar and leash for dog adopters. All animals are spayed or neutered before being placed for adoptions; usually you can take your new companion animal home the same day you visit the shelter.

What preparations should I make before adopting an animal?

Before you adopt a dog or cat from the animal shelter, it is a good idea to outfit your home with certain necessities.

If you are adopting a dog, you should purchase:

• Dog food (at the shelter, we feed the dogs Science Diet; if you plan to switch to a different brand, we strongly recommend mixing the new brand with Science Diet food for a few days in order to ease the transition)
• Food and water bowls
• Crate or baby gate to facilitate house-training
• Pick-up bags or "pooper scooper"
• Emergency fund
• Optional but wonderful: dog bed, chew toys (ask us about Kongs!), treats, and interactive toys such as frisbees, tennis balls, etc. 
  

 

If you plan to adopt a cat, you should purchase:

• Kitty litter pan and scoop
• Kitty litter (we recommend starting with ordinary clay litter, as this is what we use at shelter; you may switch gradually to your preferred type if desired)
• Cat food (at the shelter, we feed the cats Purina Cat or Kitten Chow; if you plan to switch to a different brand, we strongly recommend mixing the new brand with Purina food for a few days in order to ease the transition)
• Food and water bowls
• Emergency fund
• Optional but wonderful: canned food, cat treats, interactive toys (feathered wands, etc.)

Do I need a license for my pet?

Residents of the city of Asheville must obtain a license annually for their dogs. The fee for a license is $10.00. Failure to obtain a license is punishable by a $50.00 fine. You may obtain a license registration/renewal form at City Hall. If you reside in Buncombe County but not in the Asheville City Limits, you do not need a pet license, although we do encourage you to obtain Asheville Humane Society tags for all your pets.

Can I obtain an ID tag from the shelter if I don't adopt my animal there?

Absolutely, and we strongly encourage you to do so. We are one of the only animal shelters in the country to make tags available at no charge to the community (although we appreciate a small donation to offset our costs associated with the tag). All tags obtained from us contain a unique animal number, which we enter into our computer system. Whenever our animal control officers pick up an animal with one of our tags, they will attempt to return it to its home, or to contact the owner if returning it to its home is impractical.

We also sell customizable tags at the shelter: for the low cost of $5.00, you may have a tag printed with your name, address, telephone number, and other information.

Less than 3% of the cats that come into our shelter without tags are ever reunited with their owners; less than 15% of dogs without tags are reunited with their owners. Almost 100% of animals with current tags are reunited with their owners.

What does it mean to "microchip" a pet?

Although we strongly encourage every pet owner to obtain a tag for their pet, we recognize that collars can come loose and tags can break off. We therefore provide a microchip for all adoptable animals. The microchips we use are made by the 24hrPetWatch company and are smaller than a grain of rice. They are totally inert, and completely harmless. A shelter technician injects the microchip just beneath the animal's skin between the shoulderblades, where it will remain for the life of the animal.

Animal Control Officers scan every animal they pick up with a special device that detects the presence of a microchip. Shelter staff also scan every animal that comes through our doors. Each animal is scanned at least twice before it is euthanized or made available for adoption. If a microchip is detected, we will attempt to provide the same door-to-door service that we provide for tagged animals. Once we even returned a cat to its owner in South Dakota, based on the presence of a microchip!

We can provide a microchip for your own animals during most business hours, at a cost of $20.00.

What vaccinations will my new pet have?

Dogs and puppies are given a DHLPP booster (distemper-parvo booster), an intra-nasal Kennel Cough booster, and a general de-worming.

Cats and kittens are given a Feline Panleukopenia booster and a general de-worming.

All animals over the age of four months receive a rabies vaccination.

All animals receive a flea treatment on entering the shelter.