There is no age limit on the pet to be surrendered.

• By law, stray dogs over 6 months of age must be held for 5 days in order to give owners a chance to claim the animals.
• If a dog is healthy and not aggressive, it will be placed for adoption.
• If the dog is injured or ill, it will receive basic medical care or may be sent to a rescue group to recuperate and be adopted.
• In cases where the animal is suffering, euthanizing it might become necessary.
• There is a 24-hour stray hold for puppies less than 6 months of age. 
• There is no hold period for cats or owner-surrendered dogs.
• Animals that are deemed eligible for adoption have no time limit after the 5 days. If they are not up for adoption and there is no rescue group to take them, they would be euthanized soon after the 5 days. Animal Services may euthanize them due to health, temperament or lack of space. 

The key criteria considered for adoption eligibility are health, temperament and space. If a pet has a medical condition, we ask a rescue group for help. If there are none, we have no choice but to euthanize them after the stray hold period. Aggressive animals will not be placed for adoption. Over 37,000 pets are brought to Animal Services each year, and sadly, there are not nearly enough homes for all of them. Spay or neuter your pets. It saves lives.

Pet owners who wish to find out if their former pet was adopted can call 3-1-1. Callers should have the identification number handy.