Animal Shelters

Animal Shelters Near You — Give a Pet a Second Chance

Every year, millions of dogs, cats, and other animals end up in shelters across the United States — many of them healthy, loving, and eager for a forever home. Petzooie makes it easy to connect with local animal shelters so you can explore adoptable pets, volunteer your time, or donate to support the animals in your community.

Why Adopt from a Shelter?

Adopting from a shelter is one of the most rewarding decisions a person can make. You are not just gaining a companion — you are directly saving a life and making room for another animal in need. Shelter pets come in all sizes, breeds, ages, and personalities. Many are already house-trained, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, which can significantly reduce your initial costs.

What to Expect When Visiting a Shelter

  • An intake process where you complete an adoption application
  • Meet-and-greet sessions with animals to find the right personality match
  • Transparent health history and behavioral assessments for each animal
  • Adoption fees that typically cover spay/neuter, vaccines, and microchip
  • Post-adoption support from shelter staff

Types of Animal Shelters

Municipal (Government-Run) Shelters

These are operated by local governments and often accept all animals regardless of space. They are open-admission facilities and typically serve the widest geographic area.

Private Nonprofit Shelters

These organizations raise their own funding and often have more resources for animal enrichment, behavioral rehabilitation, and long-term care. Some are no-kill facilities.

Rescue Organizations

Rescues are typically foster-based and specialize in specific breeds or species. They operate without a physical shelter, placing animals in temporary homes until adoption.

Beyond Adoption: How You Can Help

  • Fostering — temporarily house animals while they await adoption
  • Volunteering — walk dogs, socialize cats, assist with events
  • Donating — food, blankets, toys, and financial contributions are always needed
  • Spreading the word — sharing adoptable animals on social media saves lives

Find Shelters on Petzooie

Browse local shelters and rescues using the search tool above. Filter by location, type of animals available, and services offered. Whether you are ready to adopt, want to volunteer, or simply want to know what is available in your area, Petzooie connects you to the resources you need.

551. Fluvanna County SPCA

Time:
  • MondayClosed
  • TuesdayClosed
  • Wednesday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Thursday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Friday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Saturday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Sunday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM

501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation The Fluvanna County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was established in 1989. To save domestic animals' lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia, we have made it our mission to rescue them from abuse, neglect, and abandonment and to find them loving, long-term homes. We have devoted a lot of time and effort to achieving and upholding a No-Kill attitude as a tiny, rural, open-intake shelter.

552. Companion Animal Fund

The Companion Animal Fund's goal is to care for thousands of animals by making direct financial contributions to SPCAs, pet sanctuaries, and rescue groups. All of these organizations actively seek to find permanent homes for all of the homeless and unwanted animals they care for by giving them food, shelter, veterinary care, and loving care.

553. Basset Rescue of Old Dominion

Over 3,300 basset hounds and basset mix dogs have been cared for and placed in new homes by BROOD since 1996. Others needed to be rescued because their owners had to relocate, pass away, or were no longer able to care for their hounds. Some had been abused or neglected. We've been performing rescues for 26 years now.

554. Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue

Time:
  • Monday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM
  • Tuesday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM
  • Wednesday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM
  • Thursday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM
  • Friday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM
  • Saturday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM
  • Sunday08:00 AM - 09:00 PM

A non-profit 501(c)(3) group called Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue was founded in 1999 with the sole purpose of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming Shelties and Sheltie-like dogs. The majority of the owners of these Shelties were unable to care for them and gave them up to NVSR. Others are discovered in shelters because they are abandoned or stray animals.

555. Dickenson County Animal Shelter

Time:
  • Monday08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Tuesday08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Wednesday08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Thursday08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Friday08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

 

556. Fairfax County (Michael R. Frey) Animal Shelter

Time:
  • MondayClosed
  • Tuesday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Wednesday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
  • Thursday12:00 PM - 07:00 PM
  • Friday12:00 PM - 07:00 PM
  • Saturday11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Sunday11:00 AM - 05:00 PM

The sole municipal, open-access shelter in Fairfax County is the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. The shelter offers a secure location for dogs, cats, and small animals to stay while they wait for their forever families, receiving 4,000 to 5,000 animals each year. Visitors to the shelter are always welcome to meet cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, and dozens of small animals. We

557. Humane Society of Fairfax County

Time:
  • Monday10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Tuesday10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Wednesday10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Thursday10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Friday10:00 AM - 04:00 PM
  • Saturday10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
  • SundayClosed

The Humane Society of Fairfax County, Inc.'s goals are to advance humane education, stop all types of animal abuse—both domestic and wild—by using all legal methods at our disposal, and help the local community in any way we can with issues involving animal welfare.

558. The Little Black Dog Rescue Group

Time:
  • Monday08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Tuesday08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Wednesday08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Thursday08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Friday08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Saturday10:00 AM - 06:00 PM
  • Sunday10:00 AM - 06:00 PM

Regardless of breed, color, or size, our mission is to assist any abandoned, mistreated, or abused dog in the DMV in finding the best possible home. With empathy, openness, and a deep feeling of obligation to our dogs, applicants, volunteers, foster families, and sponsors, we work to attain this goal.

559. To The Rescue, Inc

"To The Rescue is a foster-based, non-profit animal rescue in the Washington, DC, metro region. We are a team of volunteers saving dogs and cats from kill shelters and neglect situations."

560. Vola Lawson Animal Shelter-EB

The Vola Lawson Animal Shelter is run by us, and it is an open-admission facility that accepts any animal brought to it from within the jurisdiction.