Open Door Policy

The Humane Society of Parkersburg has an open admission policy for animals from Wood County. Certain animals however, will be accepted at the shelter manager's discretion. In Wood County this applies to both stray and owned animals. We certainly do accept any donation to help with our animal care costs.

 

Surrendering an animal is done by first scheduling an appointment by calling the shelter during normal business hours. Dropping animals off at the Shelter after hours is not acceptable and is considered abandonment and unlawful.

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The staff would be happy to assist you with guidance and resources to help keep your pet from entering the shelter. 

 

OUTSIDE Wood County:

• Owned animals from outside of Wood County will be accepted on a limited basis at the shelter manager's discretion. A fee is charged to defray the costs for care.

 

Owned Cat Fees:

• The fee is $25 per cat.  Unless it is a litter of kittens and in that case it is $25 for the first animal and $5 for each kitten in the litter. 

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Owned Dog Fees:

• The fee is $50 per dog. Unless it is a litter of puppies and in that case it is $50 for the first animal and $5 for each puppy in the litter.

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• Strays from outside Wood County are not accepted and will be referred to your local humane society or animal shelter.  With the exception of Wirt County who has no shelter and we will accept strays from that county.

 

Owned/Stray Surrender Form

The first step in surrendering an animal is meeting with our Intake Staff to collect as much information about the animal as possible.  Even if you just picked the dog or cat up off the street, you know them better than we do and any information is better than none.

 

If you are surrendering your own pet, it is critical that we receive specific, accurate information about what types of issues you may be having.  Even animals with behavioral or medical issues can find homes but it is important that we are aware of such information so the animal can best be matched to a new owner.

 

Also it is very important that you be honest about the animal you are surrendering.  Some people are embarrassed to admit that they are surrendering their own animal, so they tell us it is a stray instead of risking this embarrassment.  However, this lie delays our ability to put the animal up for adoption.  We are required by law to hold stray animals for 5 days.  If the animal you are surrendering is actually your own, we can put them up for adoption as soon as we have a chance to evaluate them.  As kennel space is frequently a problem, being able to put the animal up for adoption as quickly as possible can often save a life.  Please be honest!

 

Behavior Evaluations

In order to be placed on our adoption floor, every animal must pass a series of behavioral evaluations. These evaluations include assessments of the animal’s responses in the kennel, their reactions when being handled by a staff member (handling involves actions that would typically be performed by an owner or groomer), and response to other animals.

 

Physical Assessment

We are concerned with the health of every animal brought to us, both for the continued well-being of the animals already up for adoption and to ensure the healthiest animals possible at the time of adoption. We make every attempt to treat any illness or injury possible so the sooner we know about them, the better for the animal.

 

Animal Abandonment

Occasionally people will chose to abandon an animal on HSOP property by leaving the animal outside in a carrier, in one of the fenced yards, or simply running loose. First, this practice is unlawful and anyone caught doing such will be reported to the local authorities.   But additionally, doing this does not allow us the opportunity to get useful information about the animal, such as background, temperament, etc. that could help in finding the animal’s rightful home or a new home.   While it may save you some embarrassment, you will do more to help the pet if you will wait until business hours when we can ask you important questions.