Surrendering a Pet

Please keep in mind that the shelter is not an ideal place for your pet to be. We ask you to explore other options prior to surrendering your pet to the shelter, such as private rehoming as an alternative.

There is no fee to surrender a dog or cat to us. However, you must be a county resident, have a driver’s license with a county address, you must be 18 years or older, and call the Shelter first. We are full at certain times of the year, so make sure to reach out to other agencies and rescues. We have a list of local shelters and rescues that may be able to assist if we are full.

Pet Rehoming Resources

If you’re faced with a situation where you cannot keep your pet, there are resources available to assist with finding them a new home.  Please visit these websites which will list your animal online:

• Home to Home
• Rehome by Adopt a Pet

Privately rehoming your pet offers the following advantages:

• Allows you to screen potential owners to make sure your pet is placed in a loving home.
• Avoids the stress on your pet of being placed in a shelter.

Things to keep in mind if you must surrender your pet to us:

• We only accept pets from residents of Livingston County or animals that were adopted from LCAS. Proof of residency will be required prior to surrender.
• LCAS is a managed intake shelter. If the shelter is at maximum capacity, we may be temporarily unable to accept your animal.
• If the shelter is full, you will be placed on a first-come first-served wait list.
• All intake is by appointment!
• LCAS makes no guarantee of future placement for your pet.  We may euthanize animals if they are medically suffering or if they demonstrate behavior that makes them potentially unsafe to be placed in a home.
• Surrendering a pet to a shelter is a very traumatic process for an animal. Your pet can start to exhibit medical issues or negative behaviors that are brought on by the stress of being removed from their home.
• We ask that you bring all items that will help your pet adjust, including food, bedding, toys, medication, etc.

Steps to take to surrender your pet:

• Call the Shelter first (517) 546-2154, to ensure there is room to accept your animal.
• Once you’ve confirmed there is room or have requested a spot on our waitlist, fill out the appropriate intake form. This is required.
  The intake form assists us in finding your pet a forever home.  It is best to fill out the profile before you come in. We understand that saying goodbye to your pet can be a very emotional experience, so please take the time to fill out the profile in the comfort of your own home.
  • Cat Profile Intake form
  • Dog Profile Intake form
• When space becomes available a staff member will call to schedule an intake appointment.
• When bringing your pet to the shelter, please bring all medical records.
• You will need pictured ID with you in order to start the surrender process.
• The pet surrender process takes 30 minutes; please ensure you have dedicated uninterrupted time for this process.

We accept dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Please call first, as we do not always have space, or special cages and food available for animals other than dogs and cats. We do not accept wildlife or livestock at our Shelter.