Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where is the Wake County Animal Adoption Center located?

Our address is 820 Beacon Lake Drive in Raleigh. From the I-440 Beltline, take the US 64 Business exit (Exit 13B) toward Knightdale. Look for brown Wake County Animal Center signs. At the second light, turn right onto Corporation Parkway. Then at the first stop sign, take a right onto Commerce Park Drive. This road will turn left; the Center is the first driveway on the left. Note: Do not turn onto Beacon Lake Drive from US 64 Business (New Bern Avenue), as this road ends prior to reaching the Animal Center, contrary to what many online mapping tools illustrate.

What are the Adoption Center's hours of operation?

Our hours for adoptions and when we are open to the general public are as follows:

Daily (7 days a week): noon–6 p.m.

Our office hours for phone calls, turning in animals and reclaims are:

Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

How much does it cost to adopt a pet?

All dogs and cats are required to be spayed or neutered before adoption, thereby requiring payment for the spay/neuter fee in addition to the adoption fee. If you are adopting an animal that is already spayed or neutered, you do not have to pay the spay/neuter fee of $50, thereby reducing the overall cost of your adoption.

Dog Adoption	$ 45
Dog Spay/Neuter Fee	$ 50
Cat Adoption	$ 15
Cat Spay/Neuter Fee	$ 30

We also have other animals available for adoption, aside from cats and dogs. Please check out our adoption galleries to view our available pets.

Bird	$ 20
Ferret	$ 45
Guinea Pig	$ 15
Reptile	$ 30
Rodent	$ 10
Rabbit	$ 20

What is covered in the adoption fee for the cats and dogs?

The adoption fees include the pet's first series of shots (DA2PPV or FVRCP), a general dewormer, a heartworm test for dogs, a FIV/FELU test for cats, a topical flea and tick treatment, a microchip and a rabies vaccine. If the animal is under the age of four months at the time of adoption, it will be considered too young to receive its rabies vaccination. The adopter can return with the pet once it reaches four months of age to receive its rabies inoculation.

What if the animal is too small or sick to have its spay or neuter surgery?

All dogs and cats are required to be spayed or neutered before adoption. If an animal is unable to be spayed or neutered due to its young age, the animal may be temporarily fostered through our Foster-to-Adopt Program. The adoption fees are the same, but the adopter must place a $200 deposit on the animal and have the animal spayed or neutered when it is old enough for surgery. The surgery can be completed at the Wake County Animal Center or at the adopter's private veterinarian. Once the surgery is completed, the difference between the adoption fee and the deposit will be refunded to the adopter. FTA is no longer available for unhealthy animals. Please read more about our Foster-to-Adopt Program here.

What is the adoption process?

We require that you be at least 18 years of age and provide identifications such as a driver's license. Visa and MasterCard, in addition to cash and checks, are accepted forms of payment. Wake County will not adopt out any cat or dog that has not been spayed or neutered. There are three adoption scenarios listed below.

Scenario 1 – The animal is already spayed or neutered. Simply pay the adoption fee and take the animal home on the same day.

Scenario 2 – The animal has not been spayed or neutered and is old enough for surgery. Put a deposit of $50 on the animal and we will schedule it for surgery. While the surgery slots often fill up quickly, we make every effort to schedule the surgery within a few days of the adoption date. Once the animal has the surgery, you may pay the balance of the adoption fee and take it home. Note: In some cases, the animal may be too small or an illness prevents it from having the surgery. If that occurs, we will offer you the option of 1) refunding your deposit, or 2) transferring your deposit to another animal, or 3) entering into a Foster-to-Adopt agreement on the animal (see scenario 3).

Scenario 3 – The animal is too young or small for surgery and has been determined an appropriate Foster-To-Adopt (FTA) candidate by staff. While the adoption fee does not change, we require a $200 deposit on the animal. You may take the animal home and foster it immediately. The animal remains under the ownership of the Wake County Animal Care, Control & Adoption Center until it is spayed or neutered. You will then schedule the animal for its surgery either at the Center or at your private veterinarian. Once the animal is spayed/neutered and proof is provided to the Center, you can adopt the animal. We will refund the difference between the $200 deposit and the adoption fee. It may take from four to six weeks to receive your refund in the mail. If you choose to have your animal spayed/neutered at your private vet, we will reduce the adoption cost by the $50 spay/neuter surgery cost. Learn more about the Foster-to-Adopt Program.

My animal is scheduled for surgery at the Animal Center. Will I be notified that the surgery has taken place?

When you place a deposit on an animal that will have its surgery performed by the Animal Center, you are notified of its scheduled surgery date at the time the deposit is placed. As the animal will reside at the Center until its surgery date, we make every effort to schedule it for surgery as quickly as possible. Our contracted veterinarians perform the surgeries on site. Occasionally, a surgery date may be moved up due to available space on a particular day. For those surgeries that were moved a day or two up on the schedule, we will notify you and the animal can be picked up that day after 4 p.m.; otherwise, if the surgery took place on the originally scheduled date, you will not receive a call notifying you of the surgery completion and are expected to pick up the animal after 4 p.m. on its originally scheduled surgery date.

Where can I take my animal for a low-cost spay or neuter?

We've prepared a list of low-cost spay and neuter service providers in the area.

I adopted my animal from the Center and want to bring it in for its booster shots.

Unfortunately, we only provide care for animals in our Center. Once the animal is adopted, you will need to bring it to a veterinarian for additional care and its booster shots.

My animal needs a rabies shot. Where can I get a low-cost rabies vaccination?

Wake County offers rabies and microchip clinics in various locations. Check our rabies and microchip Web page for information on upcoming clinics. We provide rabies vaccinations for $5 and microchipping for $10 at these clinics.

I lost my pet. What do I do?

Follow the steps on our "how to find your lost pet" Web page.

If my lost pet is at the shelter, do I have to pay any fees?

You will be required to pay a reclaim fee and daily boarding costs. The reclaim fee depends on the number of times your animal has been at the Center.

First reclaim – $50
Second reclaim – $75
Third reclaim – $150
Boarding fees – $8 per day for dogs, $6 per day for cats

If an Animal Control Officer picked up your animal for running at large, you will be required to pay the reclaim fee, the following penalty and boarding fees:

First offense – $100
Second offense – $150
Third and subsequent offenses – $200 each

I found an animal. What do I do?

We recommend the following steps when looking for a pet’s owner:

Submit a found animal report on Triangle Lost Pets (www.trianglelostpets.org). This website, sponsored by Wake County, allows individuals to post descriptive information and view maps of where pets have been lost or found. This site also allows individuals to prepare a Pet Flier that can be posted in neighborhoods, vet offices, grocery stores, convenience stores, and the Wake County Animal Center.
Get out in the neighborhood where you found the pet and ask people in the community if they know where the animal lives.
Make a Found Pet Flier with a picture and description of your pet. You can easily print a flier when you list your pet on www.trianglelostpets.com. Be sure to include your contact information. Hand this flier out in the neighborhood, post at local vet offices, grocery stores and gas stations.
Visit the Wake County Animal Center's website and the SPCA of Wake County's website to report the animal as found. You can also view the lost pet reports on both sites.

If you are unable to keep the animal for any length of time, you may surrender it to us during our office hours at no cost to you.

What are your requirements for turning in a stray or surrendering my animal?

First, we encourage you to review some options prior to surrendering your animal. If you've made a decision to bring your animal to the Center, please bring your driver's license or other form of identification and some proof that you own the animal. North Carolina State law requires proof of ownership when surrendering an animal to the shelter. If no proof is available or if the animal is a stray, the animal will be held for 72 hours at the shelter prior to being made available for adoption. We will also ask you to sign a form stating that you give up any claims to the animal and place it in our care. There is no fee. You can bring the animal in during the Center's office hours.

I saw an animal on Craigslist and it is different from the information posted on the Wake County website.

The Wake County Animal Center staff does not post to Craigslist and cannot guarantee the accuracy of its content. Some of the posted animals may have been adopted or euthanized days before they are posted on the Craigslist site. Well-meaning members of the public will post ads and pleas for help for the animals; however, the information posted may not be 100% correct. For a more up-to-date list of our animals available for adoption, visit our adoption gallery.

Are there any volunteer opportunities at the Adoption Center?

Of course, and we welcome you to volunteer. Visit our volunteer Web page to learn more, and contact our volunteer coordinator to sign up. Welcome—we're glad to have your help!