Strays & Surrenders

DOGS:

• ALL stray dogs must go through the Fulton County Dog Warden by law (O.R.C. 955). Please contact your local law enforcement or the Warden directly at 419-337-9219.
• We are CLOSED to large breed owner surrenders. We are beyond our capacity, not just in space, but also in the funding and volunteers to care for them.
• Dogs can ALWAYS be surrendered to the Fulton County Dog Warden. The warden will determine if the dog is adoptable. If so, the dog will be transferred to us when we have available space or to another rescue for adoption. Contact the dog warden at 419-337-9219.  Be sure to leave a message if they do not answer. The Warden's office will return your call.

Owned and STRAY CATS:

• We are currently closed to all cats as we are beyond our capacity, not just in space, but also in the funding and volunteers to care for them.  Due to the incredible volume of calls about stray cats, we cannot take in every homeless cat in the county. We save our space for those in dire need, whose lives are in jeopardy if we don’t intervene. Here are some tips on what to do:
• If the cat is friendly, contact your neighbors and post on social media to locate its owner. If you cannot find the owner, try to rehome the cat to a family member or friend. Post the cat online. Facebook has two groups for rehoming stray and lost cats: N.W. Ohio Pets and Fulton County, Ohio Lost Pets. If all else fails, ask around and see if you can find a local farm with a barn that would be willing to take the cat. *Be careful when rehoming a cat for free. Some people may use them as bait for dogfighting or as food for other animals.
• If the cat is feral, the kindest approach is to live-trap it and get it fixed via our spay/neuter program. Then provide the cat with a small shelter, food, and water. Your neighborhood is that cat’s home, and trying to move it elsewhere will only terrify it and make it harder for the cat to survive.  Moving feral cats to a barn or other location will most likely end with the cat running off in fear. It will no longer know where to go for food and shelter. 

I found an abandoned kitten. Can you help?

 “Removing kittens from their current environment may not always be the right answer as the mom cat could be nearby getting food (or hiding from you)—and no one can care for a kitten like their mom can!" -ASPCA*

The first step is determining whether the kitten or kittens are truly abandoned. You can use this helpful flyer or answer the questions below. Feral and stray moms will often never be seen. They are very good at hiding until you leave the area. They will return to the kittens.

To help choose the right path for kittens, please answer the following questions…

• How old are the kittens that you found?  Use this guide to determine the kitten's age: www.kittenlady.org/age.

Guidelines for Found Kittens

Kittens 8+ Weeks Old (Weaned)

• These kittens are weaned and typically do not need their mother.
• If they are social and friendly, try to find them new homes.
• If not social (feral): Consider TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return). Getting them spayed/neutered will provide them with long, healthy lives as community cats.

Kittens 5–8 Weeks Old (Close to Weaned)

• Introduce canned wet food and dry kibble. While the mother may still be present, they do not need to nurse if they are weaned or close to it.

Kittens Under 5 Weeks Old (Non-Weaned)

• Check for signs of abandonment: Are the kittens wet, dirty, cold, crying, or stained yellow from urine? Are they trying to move out of the nest?
• If you answer yes to any of these, they are likely abandoned and require bottle or syringe feeding.