Both our Lorton Campus and our Michael R Frey Campus are open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-5 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 12-7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and closed Mondays.

We do not define ourselves as "kill" or "no-kill." The term "no-kill" means different things to everyone and it's confusing. We are Fairfax County’s only publicly funded open-access municipal shelter. We accept all companion animals from Fairfax County who are in need of care regardless of health, age, temperament or history. We take in stray animals in need, owner-surrendered companion animals when the guardian is no longer willing or able to care for them and animals who have been seized or taken into custody by our Field Services team.

FCAS maintains a live release rate of 90%. While we do not euthanize an animal for space or length of time in care, there are times when we must humanely euthanize an animal for medical concerns, public safety concerns and/or concerns of suffering and quality of life. We have a highly skilled compassionate staff, vibrant and active volunteer and foster programs, we work with many area rescues and we support an active TNR program to address community cats. Every animal who enters our shelter will be provided individualized compassionate care.

Yes! You may also purchase dog licenses from the Department of Tax Administration: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes/dog-license-information.

All dogs over the age of four months residing in Fairfax County are required to be licensed. The cost of each license is $10, and they must be renewed at the beginning of each new calendar year. In order to purchase a dog license, a valid rabies certificate must be provided. A dog is required to wear this license tag whenever he or she is off the owner’s property. Cats do not require licenses in Fairfax County but need to be kept up-to-date on rabies vaccinations.

Unfortunately we do not offer veterinary services (spay/neuter, vaccinations, other surgeries, etc.) for owned pets. We do offer low-cost rabies vaccination clinics! For the schedule of clinics and locations, along with other pet resources, visit our Pet Resource Center page.

We do offer end-of-life pet euthanasia services for pets owned by Fairfax County residents. There is no fee for this service. Unfortunately, pet owners cannot be with their pet, and we are not permitted to return remains. We are required to take the pet in as an owner surrender and may pursue veterinary care if the pet has a treatable or manageable condition. Pet owners are encouraged to pursue alternative arrangements with their primary veterinary practice, though we certainly understand that sometimes this will just not be possible, and we do provide this service in those cases. If you are looking for veterinary options, please visit our Pet Resource Center page.

There are options! You may bring the dog to one of our shelter locations during open hours. You can also call our Field Services team at 703-691-2131 to come pick up the dog, especially if it's before or after shelter open hours. Or you may hold on to the dog yourself, but you MUST file a found report, visit our Lost and Found Pets page.

We accept owner-surrendered pets from Fairfax County residents. If you reside in another county, please check with your county's animal shelter. Surrenders are available by appointment only. For more information on how to make an appointment to surrender your pet, visit the Surrendering Your Pet page.

Pets are surrendered for all kinds of reasons. Most often what it boils down to is that folks just can't care for their pet any longer. Sometimes it's allergies, or the arrival of a new baby, or combining households, or moving, or some behavior that the person is finding difficult to manage, or increased expenses due to a medical or age-related thing with the pet. We are glad that folks trust us enough to surrender their pet into our care, and we make sure to try and get a lot of information about their pet's behavior and medical history, so we can find the pet a great new home!

There is no time limit on how long available pets stay with us, and we know that it can take time to find the right home for a pet.

You can view them online anytime on our Adoption Page. That webpage is updated in real time. You can also visit either of our locations during our open hours and see available pets in person!

Yes! Our adoption process, requirements, and fees are the same for everyone. Learn more on our Adoption page.

We regularly have dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs available for adoption. Depending on the season, we may also have a variety of other pets, such as small mammals, birds, reptiles, and even farm animals like ducks, chickens, pigs, and goats.

We are not able to put holds on pets, and adoptions are done on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the adoption process, including requirements and fees, visit our Adoption page.

While we don't currently offer a foster-to-adopt program, we're excited to share Adoption Auditions with you! It's a five-day, no-strings-attached trial adoption program for select shelter pets. This program is only open to Virginia residents, learn more on our Adoption Auditions page.

We can never guarantee that any of our pets are hypoallergenic or non-allergenic, so we will never advertise or claim any pet to be either of those things.

Unfortunately no, we don't keep lists like this. Just keep an eye on our available pets online, on our Adoption page. As soon as you see a pet you'd like to adopt, follow the adoption steps!

We do not list breeds on our dog kennels because visual breed identification is often inaccurate, and breed does not predict behavior. DNA testing frequently shows dogs are mixed with several breeds, making labels unreliable. Focusing on each dog as an individual helps us provide clearer, more accurate information to adopters.

We do not require kittens to be adopted in pairs. We do believe kittens benefit from having a feline companion, whether you already have a cat at home or choose to adopt two. Occasionally, we have bonded pairs that must be adopted together, and those kennels will be clearly marked.

You must be 18 years old to volunteer at the shelter. For tons of information on our volunteer program, including how to apply, visit our Volunteer page. 

If you are looking for short-term, court ordered, or youth volunteering opportunities, you can find those types of opportunities through Volunteer Fairfax or with the Fairfax County Government. Please note that we're unable to accommodate these types of volunteer opportunities.

For a full list of all the items we love getting as donations, and those items that we are unable to accept, check out our Donations page.

For more info about hoarding, please visit the Fairfax County Code Compliance page.