Animals at the SPCA can only be adopted within a 40 mile radius. All animals adopted from our SPCA must be spayed or neutered before crossing the Virginia state line. Therefore, it must already be spayed or neutered, or be at least 4 months of age to be adopted out of state. If a dog or cat is not neutered, but is old enough, the SPCA may take the animal to a local vet for neutering and the adopter can pick up the animal at the vet, pay the bill, and take the pet home.
The SPCA charges $75.00 for cat adoptions and $75.00 for dog adoptions. If the animals have not already been spayed or neutered, you will receive a $45 coupon to take to your vet that will apply to the cost of the animal's spay/neuter. All animals adopted from our shelter must be spayed or neutered by the time they are 6 months old - if they are older than that, the adopter will have 30 days after the date of the adoption to have the animal spayed or neutered.
Some of the animals at the SPCA have already been spayed or neutered through our SNAP program. Animals fixed through SNAP are $95.00 to adopt. The extra charge helps us cover the cost of having the animals spayed or neutered, plus these animals have also received all of their vaccinations.
The SPCA also adopts out small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, and birds. Rabbits are $15.00 to adopt and any other small animal is $1.00, with an extra charge of $10.00 if you are taking a cage as well as the animal.
Once you have selected (or been selected by!) that perfect companion, stop by the front desk to pick up an application for adoption. The application should be filled out completely and returned to the front desk staff. Each application will be reviewed thoroughly to ensure the best homes for our little friends. Upon approval, the office staff will explain the terms of adoption and have you sign the contract for adoption.
The SPCA offers cremation for deceased animals. It takes about a week to receive your pet's ashes back, depending on weather & how many people we have in line, and we have a variety of urns that are available.
Our prices are as follows:
The SPCA also offers cremation without ashes returned (disposal) for a fee of $50.00.
We can always use people to volunteer at the shelter. If you have some free time and would like to walk some dogs or spend time socializing some cats, come in and sign up to volunteer. Volunteers with the SPCA need to be at least 14 years old to stay at our shelter without parental supervision. The process is simple after that; you fill in a form, attend a volunteer orientation meeting, and then you can sign up for whatever time you're available!
If you are under the age of 14 and would like to come in and walk dogs or visit with cats, as long as you have a parent or guardian with you, you're more than welcome to come in any time and help us out. We also have a junior volunteer program - the junior volunteers usually help us out at our fundraising events.
We are in need of foster homes for orphaned puppies and kittens. Some of the babies may need to be bottle fed. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent for the SPCA, please inquire at our office.
The first shelter in Winchester/Frederick County was acknowledged in 1952, but we've been saving pets in the community since the early 1900's! We are a private, tax-exempt, non-profit corporation. We are NOT a chapter or branch of the HSUS, ASPCA, or AHA - we are an independent agency. In addition, we do NOT receive funding from national animal welfare organizations, federal, or state governments. Therefore we rely on private and corporate donations to run our shelter.