Vance County Animal Shelter, Control & Adoption 2026
Vance County Animal Shelter is the county-operated shelter serving Henderson and the surrounding Vance County area from 1243 Brodie Road, Henderson, NC 27536. The shelter phone is 252-492-3136.
Whether you are trying to adopt, locate a missing dog or cat, reclaim an impounded animal, report cruelty, deal with a bite or ask for Animal Control help, the correct next step depends on both the situation and the exact jurisdiction where it occurred.
What Do You Need Vance County Animal Services For?
Shelter visits and field enforcement are related, but they are not the same task. Start with the route that matches your situation.
Adopt a shelter pet
Review current animals, contact the shelter about the current adoption fee and application, then visit during a published public window.
Your pet is missing
Call quickly and visit in person. County rules allow unclaimed animals to move toward adoption or another disposition after the required hold.
You found a loose animal
Call Vance County Animal Services and give the exact location where the animal was found so staff can determine jurisdiction and the safest next step.
Cruelty, nuisance or dangerous-animal concern
County Animal Services is responsible for animal-law enforcement and cruelty investigations within its lawful jurisdiction. Call 911 when a human life is in immediate danger.
Vance County Animal Shelter Hours 2026
The current live shelter profile publishes the following public windows. Because Friday and Sunday are left blank there, this guide does not guess whether routine public access is available on those days.
| Day | Current public listing | Best action |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:30 PM–4:30 PM | Check the animal listing before driving for one specific pet. |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM–2:00 PM | Suitable published window for adoption or lost-pet follow-up. |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM–2:00 PM | Call first if your visit depends on one animal or one service. |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM–2:00 PM | Arrive early enough for questions and paperwork. |
| Friday | Not specified | Call 252-492-3136 before planning a routine public visit. |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM–12:00 PM | This is the current published weekend window. |
| Sunday | Not specified | Do not assume normal shelter access without confirming first. |
How to Adopt From Vance County Animal Shelter
Current shelter listings direct potential adopters to the County, the shelter’s website, email or in-person application route. They do not publish a complete universal adoption policy on the current main Petfinder profile, so the safest process is to verify each pet and application directly.
Check current animals first
Review the current Vance County Animal Shelter Petfinder profile . Save the pet’s name and listing details before making the trip.
Read the individual animal listing
Individual listings may contain placement restrictions, current health notes and application instructions that are not repeated on the main shelter profile.
Request the current application process
Current listings direct applicants to vancepets@vancecounty.org, fax 252-492-0104, the County/shelter website or an in-person shelter application.
Confirm the current adoption fee
Current Petfinder listings say to contact the shelter about the adoption fee. Do not rely on old fee tables or past fee-waived events.
Confirm today’s hours and pet status
Call 252-492-3136 if you are traveling for one specific animal or if your visit falls outside the clearly published Monday–Thursday/Saturday windows.
Ask about medical and placement requirements
Before committing, ask what staff can verify about vaccination, sterilization, medical needs, behavior, breed-placement rules and required follow-up.
What Is the Vance County Adoption Fee?
Call before payment
Ask 252-492-3136 for the current fee for the exact animal you are interested in.
Past specials are not today’s fee
A donor-sponsored adoption event or old fee table should never be treated as the shelter’s permanent 2026 price.
Important Current Listing Note for Pit Bull-Type Dogs
Lost a Pet in Vance County? Move Quickly
Vance County’s animal ordinance allows an unredeemed animal to move toward adoption or another lawful disposition after the applicable minimum hold. A lost-pet search should therefore start immediately.
Call the shelter
Call 252-492-3136 and provide your pet’s species, sex, color, approximate age, collar/tag details, microchip information and last-known location.
Check the shelter’s current listings
Review the current shelter Petfinder profile, but do not assume every recently impounded animal will appear online immediately.
Visit in person during a published public window
County ordinance provides lost-pet owners a right to view shelter animals subject to reasonable health, safety and evidentiary restrictions. An in-person visual check can be more reliable than a telephone description alone.
Bring proof of ownership
Bring identification plus pet photos, veterinary records, rabies documentation, tags, registration or microchip data that connects you to the animal.
Reclaiming an Impounded Animal: Current County Fees
Reclaim cost can include more than one item. The County ordinance lists citation, boarding, vaccination and other incurred costs separately.
| County fee item | Current ordinance amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| First ordinance citation | $50 | Applies when an ordinance violation citation is issued. |
| Second citation within 1 year | $75 | Higher repeat-violation citation. |
| Third or subsequent citation within 1 year | $100 | Repeat citation category. |
| Rabies vaccination | $5 | Listed vaccination fee under the current animal ordinance. |
| Boarding | $10 per day | Boarding charge may accumulate while the animal is held. |
| Veterinary costs | As incurred | Actual treatment expense may be added when applicable. |
| Feed fees | As incurred | Additional incurred feed-related costs may apply. |
Found a Stray Dog or Cat in Vance County?
Check for identification safely
Look for a collar or tag and arrange a microchip scan when it can be done safely. Avoid forcing contact with a frightened or injured animal.
Call Animal Services with the exact location
Contact 252-492-3136 and state exactly where the animal was found. That location matters because Vance County’s animal ordinance does not automatically apply identically inside every municipality.
What Vance County Animal Services Is Authorized to Handle
The County ordinance formally creates an Animal Services Department and assigns it enforcement and animal-welfare responsibilities.
Animal laws and ordinances
Animal Services is charged with enforcing applicable federal, state and County laws relating to animal care, treatment, custody and control.
Abuse and neglect investigations
County ordinance specifically assigns Animal Services responsibility for investigating cruelty or abuse involving dogs, cats, equines and other animals.
Public-health cooperation
Animal Services works with the Health Director on rabies vaccination, bite quarantine and related disease-control requirements.
Emergency & Important Vance County Contacts
| Need | Contact | Correct use |
|---|---|---|
| Vance County Animal Shelter / Animal Services | 252-492-3136 | Shelter, adoption, lost/reclaim, Animal Services and routine animal-help questions. |
| Immediate emergency | 911 | Immediate danger to human life or urgent police, fire or medical emergency. |
| Vance County Sheriff’s Office | 252-738-2200 | Sheriff’s Office main line for county law-enforcement matters. This is not labeled here as an Animal Control number. |
| Vance County Public Health / rabies exposure | 252-492-7915 | Vance County public-health contact for human rabies-exposure and bite/scratch health guidance. |
Animal Bite, Scratch & Rabies Reporting in Vance County
Get medical care first when needed
Serious wounds, facial bites, heavy bleeding or other immediate medical emergencies should be treated without waiting for a shelter call.
Report the animal to Vance County Animal Services
Call 252-492-3136 and provide the animal’s location, owner information if known, vaccination status and details of the bite or scratch.
Contact Vance County Public Health
Granville Vance Public Health’s Vance County office can be reached at 252-492-7915.
Follow the quarantine instruction
County ordinance requires the biting/scratching animal to be quarantined for 10 days under the direction of public health and Animal Services.
Vance County Dog License Tax: What the Ordinance Says
Vance County’s animal code contains an annual dog-license tax. This is separate from an adoption fee and separate from the rabies vaccine.
$2 per dog
Section 90.052 of the currently posted County code lists the dog license tax at $2 per animal.
Confirm the current collection process
The ordinance establishes the tax, but this guide does not guess which County office, payment method or renewal workflow currently applies. Call the County or Animal Services before making a special trip.
Rabies Vaccination Rules & the $5 Ordinance Fee
Dogs, cats and ferrets over 4 months
Vance County’s ordinance incorporates North Carolina rabies rules for covered animals over four months of age. Owners must be able to show current vaccination proof when required.
$5 vaccination fee is listed in County code
The current ordinance lists a $5 rabies vaccination fee.
However, a current 2026 public walk-in vaccination-clinic schedule was not independently verified. Call 252-492-3136 before traveling only for a vaccine.
Need to Surrender an Owned Pet?
A current public owner-surrender schedule, intake guarantee and universal surrender fee were not verified from the County sources reviewed for this page. Do not arrive assuming immediate intake is available.
Call before bringing the pet
Contact 252-492-3136 and explain why you need to surrender and whether the situation is urgent.
Ask whether intake space is available
Shelter capacity changes. Confirm whether the County can accept the animal and whether an appointment or application is required.
Prepare complete pet records
Bring vaccination history, veterinary records, medications, bite history and honest behavior information so shelter staff can assess safe placement options.
Does Vance County Animal Shelter Have a Public Veterinary Clinic?
Shelter animals can receive veterinary care
County ordinance allows veterinary expenses to be incurred for animals in custody and requires immediate veterinary care in certain injury/illness situations.
No routine public clinic schedule
A current public veterinary appointment program, named shelter veterinarian, owned-pet examination schedule or general public consultation fee was not verified.
For that reason this page does not invent doctor information
or add VeterinaryCare or veterinarian
Person schema.
Important: Vance County Animal-Control Jurisdiction Is Not Automatic Everywhere
If the incident happened inside Henderson or another incorporated municipality, give Animal Services the exact street address and ask which agency has enforcement responsibility before assuming that the County ordinance applies in exactly the same way.
Related North Carolina Animal Shelter Guides
If the animal issue happened outside Vance County, use the agency for the place where the animal was actually found.
Franklin County
For Louisburg, Youngsville, Franklinton and Franklin County shelter help, use the Franklin County Animal Shelter guide .
Wake County
For the county shelter serving Raleigh-area residents, see the Wake County Animal Shelter guide .
Raleigh city animal help
Raleigh city Animal Control and Wake County sheltering are separate routes. Use the Raleigh Animal Shelter guide when the issue occurred inside Raleigh.
Map to Vance County Animal Shelter
Shelter address: 1243 Brodie Road, Henderson, NC 27536. Call before driving if your visit depends on one particular animal, a Friday/Sunday visit or a service with no current published schedule.
Official & Primary Vance County Animal Resources
Use these resources for live animal availability, legal requirements, emergency routing and public-health follow-up.
Vance County Animal Shelter FAQ: 10 Common Questions
1. Where is Vance County Animal Shelter located?
The current shelter profile lists Vance County Animal Shelter at 1243 Brodie Road, Henderson, NC 27536. The shelter phone is 252-492-3136.
2. What are Vance County Animal Shelter hours in 2026?
The current shelter profile lists Monday 12:30 PM–4:30 PM, Tuesday through Thursday 10 AM–2 PM and Saturday 8 AM–12 PM. Friday and Sunday hours are not specified on that current profile, so call 252-492-3136 before planning a visit on those days.
3. What is the Vance County Animal Shelter adoption fee?
Current shelter Petfinder listings say to contact the shelter about the adoption fee. Older online prices and past fee-waived promotions should not be treated as the current universal 2026 price.
4. How do I apply to adopt a pet from Vance County Animal Shelter?
Current shelter listings direct applicants to the County or shelter website, to vancepets@vancecounty.org, by fax at 252-492-0104, or to the shelter in person. Review the individual animal listing and confirm the current process before traveling.
5. How long does Vance County hold a stray animal?
The County animal ordinance says an animal not redeemed within three days after being taken into custody may move toward adoption or another lawful disposition. Lost-pet owners should therefore contact and visit the shelter quickly.
6. What number do I call for Vance County Animal Control?
The shelter and Animal Services number currently associated with Vance County Animal Shelter is 252-492-3136. Call 911 when a person is in immediate danger.
7. How much does it cost to reclaim an impounded pet?
The final amount depends on the case. Current County code lists citation fees of $50 for a first violation, $75 for a second within one year and $100 for third/subsequent citations, plus $10 per day boarding, a $5 rabies vaccination fee when applicable and veterinary/feed expenses as incurred.
8. What happens after an animal bites someone in Vance County?
County ordinance requires the bite or qualifying scratch to be promptly reported to Animal Services and the County Director of Public Health. The animal is then subject to a 10-day quarantine under the applicable public-health and Animal Services direction.
9. Does Vance County charge a dog license tax?
Yes. The currently posted County animal code lists the dog-license tax at $2 per dog. Confirm the current payment and collection procedure with the County before making a special trip.
10. Does Vance County Animal Shelter operate a public veterinary clinic?
The shelter may arrange veterinary care for animals in its custody, and County code lists a $5 rabies vaccination fee. However, a regular public veterinary appointment clinic, named shelter veterinarian, owned-pet examination schedule and general consultation fee were not verified for 2026.
Animal Shelter Action Planner: Lost Pet, Found Pet, Adoption, Reclaim & Surrender Helper
Use this free tool to create a practical next-step plan before visiting or contacting an animal shelter, humane society, rescue, or animal control agency. It does not search a live shelter database, but it helps you prepare the right documents, questions, safety steps, and official-source searches.
Build a USA-wide shelter action plan
Select your situation and location. The tool will create a general action plan, search links, call questions, and a copyable checklist.
Lost pet recovery checklist
Check the steps you have completed. This helps you stay organized during the first urgent hours and days.
Found pet safety decision helper
Use this when you find a stray or loose pet and need a safe next step.
Adoption readiness checker
This helps adopters prepare before visiting a shelter or rescue. It is not a guarantee of approval.
Pet reclaim document checklist
If your pet may be at a shelter, prepare proof before visiting. Exact requirements and fees vary by agency.
Owner surrender preparation helper
Surrender rules vary. Many shelters require appointments, proof of residence, behavior/medical information, and may offer alternatives.
Animal control contact decision helper
Choose the situation and get a general USA-wide contact path. Local rules may differ.
Adoption and first-month budget planner
This is a planning guide, not a shelter fee database. Always confirm adoption fees and included services with the shelter.
Your generated shelter plan
Your action plan, search links, call script, checklist, or budget guide will appear here.
Start with the Planner tab
Select your state, city/county/ZIP, pet type, and goal. The tool will create a practical USA-wide shelter action plan.
Privacy note: this tool runs in your browser. It does not send your entries to animal-shelter.org.