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.
561. Project Second Chance, Inc.
The mission of Project Second Chance is to save, rehab, and & helping our rescues find permanent homes. With programs for spaying and neutering and feeding programs for stray and abandoned animals, we are attempting to alleviate the animal welfare crisis in Puerto Rico. We also help shelters and animals in need of immediate care.
562. Mount Purrnon Cat Café + Wine Bar
- Monday12:00 PM - 06:00 PM
- TuesdayClosed
- Wednesday12:00 PM - 08:00 PM
- Thursday12:00 PM - 08:00 PM
- Friday12:00 PM - 08:00 PM
- Saturday11:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Sunday12:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Our objective is to create a setting where cats can leave their cages, develop their social skills, and find their new families. Cat cafés have contributed to lower euthanasia rates and increased cat rescue in overcrowded shelters.
563. King Street Cats
In Alexandria, Virginia, King Street Cats is pleased to be the only no-kill, all-volunteer cat rescue organization. Our goal is to protect the cats in our care until they find their forever homes, as well as to inform and support the community about cat welfare. We have the "cat-friendliest cats" in town because we are a free-roaming facility.
564. Norfolk SPCA Adoption Center
- Monday01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
- TuesdayClosed
- Wednesday01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
- Thursday01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
- Friday01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
- Saturday01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
- Sunday01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
The Hampton Roads region of Virginia's household companion animals are treated, rehabbed, and rehomed by the Norfolk SPCA, which also runs two public veterinary clinics.
565. Monterey, VA 24465Highland County Humane Society
Through collaborative interaction with Highland County, Virginia, its residents, and other like-minded organizations in the area, we are a private, foster-based, non-profit organization committed to promoting health, safety, welfare, compassionate care, and protection of animals.
567. Lynchburg Humane Society
- MondayClosed
- Tuesday11:00 AM - 06:00 PM
- Wednesday11:00 AM - 06:00 PM
- Thursday11:00 AM - 06:00 PM
- Friday11:00 AM - 06:00 PM
- Saturday11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Sunday11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
The Lynchburg Humane Society has been providing care for stray and abandoned animals as a private, non-profit organization for almost 70 years. 3,811 animals were cared for at our Lynchburg Center for Pets in 2017, and 93% of them were adopted into new or existing homes. We are a No Kill Humane Society and a 501c3 organization that passionately believes that no healthy or treatable pet should be put to death. We take in the abandoned or lost pets from those communities by running the public shelter for the City of Lynchburg.
570. Portsmouth Humane Society
- Monday12:00 PM - 05:00 PM
- 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
A nonprofit organization called Portsmouth Humane provides assistance to the residents and animals of Portsmouth, Virginia, through admission, adoption, lost/found, and resource programs. Although we have a contract to care for the city's stray animals, the money we receive only covers a small portion of our expenses. We are really dependent on the donations from our kind supporters!
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