LCHS: Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between the Licking County Animal Shelter and Licking County Humane Society?
I’ve found a stray cat or dog. What should I do?
I’ve lost my dog or cat. What should I do?
How do I surrender, adopt or foster a dog or cat?
What’s the difference between the Licking County Animal Shelter and Licking County Humane Society?
The Licking County Animal Shelter (aka “the pound”) is the county animal control facility that accepts all domestic animals and investigates cruelty reports or other crimes and complaints regarding domestic animals.
The Humane Society is a no-kill 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We only accept adoptable dogs and cats of sound health and temperament, and all animals must pass an intake screening (by appointment only). We are unable to accept walk-in drop offs, and we have no legal jurisdiction to investigate cruelty reports or other complaints.
The County Shelter and Humane Society are located next door to each other on Dog Leg Road in Heath, Ohio.
Neither the County Shelter or Humane Society are able to manage or house wildlife. For problems with wildlife, please contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, District 1 at (614) 644-3929 or Ohio Wildlife Center at 614-793-9453 or http://www.ohiowildlifecenter.org
I’ve found a stray cat or dog. What should I do?
Contact the Licking County Animal Shelter (animal control) at (740) 349-6562. LCHS cannot accept strays, and by law, all stray animals must go to the county shelter for at least three days to allow time for their owner to find them.
I’ve lost my dog or cat. What should I do?
Check next door with the Licking County Animal Shelter. It’s not enough to call – you must visit in person to see if your missing pet is there. Start looking as soon as you know your pet is gone, then continue to check over the next couple months, as sometimes it takes a lost pet that long to make it to the shelter. (Lost pets may continue roaming, evade capture or a good Samaritan may have taken your pet in temporarily.) As we do not accept strays, it is unlikely we will have your pet, but as we occasionally receive animals from the county shelter once their waiting period is up, it certainly doesn’t hurt to check.
How do I surrender, adopt or foster a dog or cat?
All of these questions are answered in the Surrender Brochure, the Adoption Brochure, or the Foster Brochure, which are available for download at this site or at the shelter.
The most important thing to remember is that none of these services are available on a walk-in basis. Surrender requires an intake screening appointment, which in some cases can take up to several weeks to obtain. Foster and adoption require reference and veterinary checks, and for fostering, a home visit is required.