Fairfax County Animal Shelter
Our Mission
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is Fairfax County’s only open-access, municipal shelter. With 4,000 to 5,000 animals coming through our doors each year, the shelter provides a safe place for dogs, cats, and small animals to stay while they wait for their forever families. At any given time, visitors to the shelter can meet cats and kittens, dogs and puppies, and dozens of small animals. We have a live release rate of over 90%, and are very proud of our excellent volunteer and foster programs, compassionate staff, progressive sheltering policies and practices, and the wonderful animal-loving community we're a part of!
Adoption Policy
HERE'S HOW THE ADOPTION PROCESS WORKS: View our available pets in person at the Shelter during open hours, and meet them with the help of a shelter staff person or volunteer. You may also view available pets online in advance, on our 24PetConnect page. If you meet a shelter pet you'd like to adopt, complete an adoption questionnaire (available at the Shelter), and one of our Adoption Counselors will go over that pet's medical and behavior history and information. Make it official! We do same-day adoptions which means pets go home the same day they're adopted!
