Thank you for your interest in saving a life by adopting a pet! We bring in 20-40 new pets most days, and we need YOUR help to save them! If you don’t see a pet you’re interested in today, check back tomorrow—our listings are updated constantly!
We invite you to browse through our online listings of adoptable pets any time of the day or night or come see us at 2350 Appling City Cove any time during our adoption hours. As of 2/1/22, those hours are daily from 12-4pm, but check www.memphisanimalservices.com before coming to the shelter.
How to Adopt
Some pets are already available for adoption, and some pets are being held to see if their owner reclaims them. For pets who come in stray, we are legally required to hold them for three days to give a potential owner a chance to reclaim. For pets who have not yet completed their stray hold, you will see a date that they become available for adoption if they’re not reclaimed by their owner. NEW! You can pre-adopt pets who are still on their stray hold. See below for details.
PETS WHO ARE NOW AVAILABLE
For pets who are available for adoption now, just come to the shelter during adoption hours ASAP to meet them and hopefully adopt! You’ll need your driver’s license as well as the adoption fee in the form of cash or card (we don’t accept checks).
PETS WHO ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE
For pets who are not yet available for adoption, you can pre-adopt them. Pre-adoptions must be done in person at the shelter and will be canceled if an owner reclaims or anything else occurs preventing the pet from being adopted. Pre-adoption fees are not refundable in the event an adoption isn’t completed, but will remain as a credit on your account toward another adoption.
Adoption Fees
$10
Barn cats
$20 Pets on the urgent list
$40
Adult dogs (over 5 months) over 30 lbs
Adult cats (over 5 months)
$80
Small dogs 30 lbs & under
Puppies under 5 months
Kittens under 5 months
Dog adoption ($20-80) includes:
• Spay/neuter
• Microchip
• Vaccinations for rabies (if old enough), distemper, parvo, and bordetella
• Deworming treatment for hookworms and roundworms
• Heartworm test (if old enough)
• Heartworm treatment medications (if heartworm-positive and deemed a good candidate by vet)
• Collar
• Leash
• Customized ID tag
Cat adoption ($20-80) includes:
• Spay/neuter
• Microchip
• Vaccinations for rabies and rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia
• Deworming treatment for hookworms and roundworms
• FeLV test
• Collar
• Customized ID tag
OTHER ADOPTION FEES
Horse: $250
Large bird: $40
Pig, Goat: $30
Rabbit, Ferret, Small bird: $20
Hamster, Guinea pig, gerbil, snake, lizard: $10
Chicken, rat: $5
Visiting Pets at the Shelter
If you visit us, we invite you to walk through our dog and cat rooms to view all currently adoptable pets. If you need more information about a certain pet or advice about what type of pet would be a good fit, you can ask any of our staff or volunteers for assistance. We invite you to spend time with pets you’re interested in to see who you connect with.
Once you’ve reached a decision on a pet to adopt, a staff member or volunteer will retrieve the kennel card and proceed with you to the reception area where you can fill out the adoption contract. There may be a short consultation session. Once the contract is completely filled out, you’ll give it to the adoption clerk to process your adoption.
Is This Pet Good with Dogs? Cats? Kids?
It’s a good idea to ask what information we have about a pet, but in many cases, we simply don’t know. We rely on previous owners and finders to tell us what they experienced with the pet, and the majority of our intakes come in through our animal services officers, who have spent very little time with the pet before bringing them to the shelter. If we don’t have behavioral history from the pet in a home, we have to go on what we see in the shelter, which can be very unreliable. If you have pets you’d like to get information on before deciding whether to plan a visit to meet them, email us at mas@memphistn.gov.
We always recommend that you bring all family members to meet any potential new pets. If you’re adopting a dog, bring the family including your dog(s) provided they’re current on vaccines and in generally good health. If you’re adopting a cat, bring the human family but please leave the other pets at home.
