Westmoreland County Animal Shelter

As a public pound, the adoption process is quite simple: you pay a $20 fee, and sign a legal contract commiting to having the dog sterilized within 30 days (or face a $250 fine plus confiscation of the animal). Please call the shelter directly (804-493-0869) and leave a message on the machine if you are interested in learning more about or definitely want to adopt a dog or puppy on the Website.

All stray dogs taken to the shelter have a 7-day period of grace, after which Virginia State law dictates they can be euthanized (those with collars get 10 days). Surrendered dogs (those with names in our list) can go any day. The shelter works very hard to find adopers or rescues as quickly as possible. A sudden influx of dogs can fill the shelter overnight and leave the staff with no choice but to remove dogs who have been held beyond the required period. We'll put a special note on the bios for those dogs whose stay at the shelter has become one on death row. Please do not call to complain about dogs being euthanized. This is the HARDEST task the shelter staff have. They feed and pet and play with these dogs daily, but there are too many dogs, not enough homes, and not enough money (especially in a rural county like Westmoreland). They do their absolute best to get these dogs into loving homes or responsible rescues, and they want to take as few as possible to the vet for humane injection. Please make this easier by referring your friends to the Westmoreland shelter to adopt!

Because most of the dogs are picked up as strays or removed from their homes due to neglect, we have very little background on most of them ... we only know the names of a few and the medical history of even fewer. If you have a dog already, you are welcome to bring him or her with you to see if any newly adopted dog(s) would be compatible. The shelter has a small room available, or you can walk them outside together to see how they do. You should assume, unless otherwise noted, that all dogs must be sterilized & receive all vaccinations. You should also plan to bring a leash and often a collar unless the staff indicates that the dog has a collar. Driving directions to the shelter are provided below.

If you are driving a long distance and know when you are coming to the shelter, call first to make sure the dog or puppy is still available and ask the shelter staff to hold the dog until you arrive (& give them an estimated time of arrival). However, please be very clear as to the actual date so there is no confusion. Please also call the shelter if your plans change for any reason (change of heart, family emergency, inclement weather, etc.). When the staff hold a dog or puppy until a specific day due to a prior phone conversation, the dog or puppy in question may be in danger of euthanasia if the adopter does not arrive or call the shelter to discuss the change in plans.

Virginia law requires that all animals adopted be sterilized. You can pay a local vet with a credit card to perform the procedure (volunteers will transport the dog to and from the veterinary hospital) and drive to Westmoreland County to formally adopt the dog from the shelter after the surgery. No more than 2 dogs or puppies can be adopted by a family at a time.

Note: PO Boxes will not show correctly on the map below.