Available Pets

-Visiting- 

The Orange County Animal Shelter has many wonderful, available pets! Animals are available on a first-come, first-served basis.* No appointment needed! Please stop by to view available pets and, while visiting, you may request to meet with an available pet. Meetings with pets last for 15 minutes. Meetings with available pets end 1 hour before closing. However, you are welcome to walk through adoption areas and view available pets until closing time. 

Dog-to-dog meetings are temporarily suspended at our shelter due to the spread of canine influenza in our area. Please check out these great recommendations for introducing pets in your home.

 If you have questions about available pets or about visiting our facility, please call 919-942-7387, option 3, to speak with a staff member at our adoption desk. If the staff is unable to answer right away, please leave a clear message with your full name and contact number. Our staff responds to messages in the order they are received. Every effort will be made to respond to messages the same day, but it is possible that you may not receive a callback until the next business day due to the high volume of calls we often receive. See our hours on this page.

*If multiple people arrive at the shelter to meet a highly-adoptable pet (such as a special, popular breed), OCAS employees may draw names to determine who is first eligible to meet with and adopt the pet. This is a random drawing to promote fairness and only one member from any household may enter the drawing.

-Adopting-

Some animals can be taken home the same day they are adopted, but those adoptions must occur before a certain time of day and are dependent upon several factors. If you are interested in taking a pet home on the same day you adopt, please consult with the adoption desk to find out if that pet is able to go home right away. See more information on adoption and adoption fees on this page.

-Caring For Adopted Pets-

Visit this page for tips and information on caring for adopted pets.

-Foster A Dog-

Are you interested in fostering a dog at OCAS? Visit this page for more information and an application.

-Foster Kittens-

If you are interested in fostering kittens too small for the adoption floor or moms and nursing kittens, go to our Kitten Foster Program page and fill out our inquiry form.

-Can’t adopt? Donate or sponsor!-

• Visit this page to learn about different ways to donate and help shelter pets.
• Want to sponsor an adoption fee? It’s easy, just call 919-942-7387 and press option 3 for the adoption desk!