Shelter Policy

Shelter Policy on reclaiming an animal from Open Arms Animal Shelter.

According to Kentucky  State Law:

All animals are to he held five days as a stray unless aggressive or have a medical condition that a veterinarian deems untreatable and the animal is suffering.

The following is the Lawrence County Humane Society policy on reclaiming an animal that has been brought in as a stray by the warden.

All animals when brought in get immediately vaccinated and wormed at a charge of $25.00

There is a $10.00 a day reclaim fee up to five days. After the 5 days the animal is the legal property of the animal shelter.

After five days the owner will be responsible for the reclaim fee for as long as the animal was at the shelter, the animal will need to be spayed or neutered,

 and will have to be fully vetted  before released to the owner.  All charges will be at the owners expense.

All this can be avoided if a collar with a rabies tag  is on the animal. And if the owner has written his phone number on the collar.

258.215 Seizure, impounding, and destruction of dog lacking rabies tag or other identification; holding period before destruction; notice to owner; reclamation of dog, cat, or ferret; fees; quarantine; exemption of hunting dog

(1) Peace officers or animal control officers shall seize and impound any dog which does not bear a valid rabies tag or other legible identification which is found running at large. Any dog which an officer or animal control officer seizes shall be impounded in the designated animal shelter of the county and confined in a humane manner. If, after a reasonable effort, the seizure of an unrestrained dog cannot be made, or the dog presents a hazard to public safety or property or has an injury or physical condition which causes the dog to suffer, the animal control officer or peace officer may immediately destroy the dog by the most reasonable and humane means then available.

(2) (a) Impounded dogs shall be kept for not less than five (5) days, unless reclaimed by their owners. Dogs not reclaimed and those not placed in suitable new homes may be humanely euthanized after the five (5) day holding period, unless the dog has an injury or physical condition which causes it to suffer. In those cases the animal shelter may immediately euthanize the dog, and if a human being has been bitten by the dog, the dog shall be tested for rabies.

(b) If an owner is identified, the impounding agency shall immediately notify the owner of the impoundment by the most expedient means available.

(c) Any animal shelter, public or private, which takes in stray animals and does not have regular hours for public access, shall post semimonthly either in a local newspaper or the newspaper with the highest circulation in the county, the shelter location, hours of operation, the period that impounded animals shall be held, and a contact number.

(3) Upon reclaiming an impounded dog, cat, or ferret, the owner shall show proof of a valid rabies vaccination. If proof of the vaccination cannot be provided, the owner shall purchase a vaccination voucher from the animal shelter. The voucher shall be valid for ten (10) days from the date of issuance and shall be used in the prescribed time period. The animal shelter shall reimburse the veterinarian for the amount of the voucher upon presentation to the shelter by the administering veterinarian.

(4) The owner of an impounded animal is responsible for all fees associated with the impoundment of the animal. If the owner can be identified, the fees are due even if the owner does not reclaim the animal.