CVHS accepts stray animals only from towns with which we contract.
Vermont requires that each town maintain a holding area for stray companion animals. Many towns contract with Veterinarians, Animal Control Officers, private rescues, or other shelters. CVHS offers the option of stray contracts for a nominal fee to each town in Washington and Orange Counties. CVHS serves as a holding facility for about 25 towns in our area. Officials from those towns have access to our facilities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to bring stray animals in need of care.
If you know of a stray animal that needs shelter, please contact your local town clerk or law enforcement agency to determine the location of your town’s holding facility. We are proud to serve our community by offering stray holding and re-homing opportunities in addition to accepting animals from owners.
Vermont shelters like ours were created by small groups of thoughtful, concerned citizens who recognized the special needs in their communities. Though stray animals equal almost half of our annual animal intake and are frequently the animals with the greatest needs, stray contract fees only amount to less than 5% of our annual income. With no national affiliations such as the ASPCA, or state or federal funding, we rely on the community to support our programs for the animals.
Please call 476-3811 x101 to report a stray animal and check your town’s contract status. Many towns contract with other animal holding facilities.
If the animal is from a town that contracts with CVHS, we will schedule an appointment during our open hours for you to bring the animal in. All towns with current contracts have 24/7 access to a CVHS holding facility. If you find a stray animal during our closed hours and cannot wait, please contact your town officials and they will arrange to have the animal brought in.
Visit our Lost and Found Animal postings by clicking here.
Some other resources to use:
Town Clerk
Police Department
Craigslist.org
Local Newspapers
Animal Control Officer
Local Veterinarians
Petfinder
Local Radio Stations
And don’t forget to check with your neighbors!
Click here to view a list of towns that contract with CVHS
Information you may need if your missing animal ends up in the care of CVHS
Rabies Vaccination and Town Licensing: Rabies vaccinations are required for cats and dogs by Vermont State Law and must be up to date prior to licensing with your town. CVHS is required to ensure that every stray animal picked up from our facility has an up to date vaccination and town license. If you are unable to provide the appropriate paperwork, we can accept a $50 cash deposit (separate from the Boarding Fines) and give you two weeks to have your animal vaccinated and licensed. After 2 weeks the deposit is non-refundable.
Boarding Fines*: CVHS charges boarding fines at a rate of $60 for the first day for previously unaltered animals or $40 for the first day for spayed or neutered animals, as well as $25 for each additional day the animal is in our care. For each additional visit to us, boarding fines will increase. Boarding fines must be paid in cash or credit or debit. No checks are accepted.
Collars and Tags: Having your pet wear a collar with tags is the best possible way to make sure you’ll get him/her back. CVHS can provide you with a free tag for your pet, or you can have one specially made at a local pet store.
Microchipping: CVHS provides microchipping at a cost of $25 per animal, including registration for one year. Microchips are a permanent form of identification that can be read by veterinarians, animal control, and animal shelters. Please ask a staff member for more information.
