Town of Apple Valley
Home MenuShelter Services
MUNICIPAL ANIMAL SHELTER
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Tuesday - Saturday (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Kennels open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday, Monday and Designated Holidays
22131 Powhatan Road
Apple Valley, CA 92308
(760) 240-7555
After-Hours Emergency (760)961-6001
We are located two blocks south of Highway 18 at the corner of Quinnault Rd. We offer sheltering services to all residents of the Town of Apple Valley and unincorporated High Desert Region of San Bernardino County.
Residency is not Required to Adopt from our Facility
Some of the services we offer include, but are not limited to, dog licensing, microchip IDs and adoptions. To contact the Apple Valley Municipal Animal Shelter, call 760-240-7555 or click on animalservices@applevalley.org to send an e-mail.
Pet Adoptions (Click on the picture below to view pets at our facility)
Friendly, stray animals with no license or identification tags will be kept at the Animal Shelter as long as resources permit, then they may be offered for adoption to new homes in accordance with Animal Shelter policies. Impounded strays will be held for three days to give owners a chance to identify and claim them. On the fourth day following impound, appropriate animals will be offered for adoption.
Reservations will NOT be accepted to adopt animals nor will animals be held upon request. Adoption applications (Adoption Application) may be printed, filled out and turned in to the Animal Shelter for a specific animal prior to the day it is available for adoption. Applications will be reviewed and approved by shelter personnel. Animals will only be adopted to homes deemed suitable based on type of animal, breed, size, temperament and compatibility with adoptive home. If you are considering adopting a dog for your family, you will want to review these brochures:
To adopt a pet shown on the website, you must complete and submit an application for adoption to AVAS for Approval. All interested adopters must complete the AVAS adoption application in full and submit by 4:00 pm the day prior to the pet’s available date and submit via e-mail. If there are multiple applicants, the adopter will be chosen by random drawing then contacted if they have won the drawing to schedule a meet and greet with your family and any dogs in the household. Meet and greets will be completed by appointment only, with an approved adoption application.
All animals placed for adoption will be spayed or neutered before being released to their new families. The adoption fee is $75 for dogs and $40 for cats. The adoption fee includes spaying or neutering, microchip, checkup by a veterinarian. The fee for dogs also includes placement of a microchip for permanent identification. Dogs that will remain in Apple Valley must also be licensed for a fee of $23.20 which includes a rabies vaccination and a one-year license.
Animal descriptions provided on the website, including breed, age and disposition, are based on observation by staff and cannot be guaranteed.
Frequently, a litter of kittens or puppies may be brought to the shelter. Foster homes are needed on a temporary basis to care for the litter until the young are old enough to be adopted out. This is a very valuable and much-needed service. It keeps the litter intact for the animals' emotional security, as well as keeping the young animals away from potential contagion that might result from an older animal being brought into the shelter. Occasionally, the shelter may need foster care for a sick or injured animal that needs special care to recover.
If you are interested in this type of community service, please complete an application to provide foster care. Applications may be downloaded and are also available from the Animal Shelter. In order to provide foster care, even on a temporary basis, Shelter personnel must determine that the prospective care-giver has sufficient space, time, knowledge and the ability to care for helpless baby animals.
Individuals and community groups that cannot adopt pets for various reasons may choose to sponsor an animal. The sponsorship pays for spay or neutering costs associated with animal adoptions; $75 for dogs and $40 for cats. This enables the Shelter to offer more animals for adoption for a longer period of time. Those interested in sponsoring can either select a specific pet to sponsor from the Shelter’s website, specify a breed, or ask Shelter personnel to select an animal that might be hard to adopt.
Sponsorships are wonderful expressions of concern from animal lovers and civic groups.
Volunteers are absolutely essential to Animal Services. Volunteers help spread the word about our organization, the animal's needs and improve our operations by providing services that would otherwise be fiscally and physically impossible.
Volunteers support Animal Services by performing a variety of duties aimed at meeting goals and fulfilling our mission Each and every time you volunteer you will be greeted with smiles and tail wags. By donating your time and talents you'll make a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of animals while meeting staff and other citizens who share your enthusiasm for animal welfare.
Becoming an "Official" Apple Valley Animal Services Volunteer
If you would like information regarding the requirements and process for becoming an AVAS Volunteer, please call (760) 240-7000 extension 7516, or email your name, address and telephone number to avanimalservices@applevalley.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my newly adopted pet becomes ill?
Any pet adopted through the Animal Shelter is provided a free veterinarian wellness check within 10 days. Make sure to take advantage of this offer. Any adopted animal may be returned to the Shelter free of charge within 14 days of adoption. After this time, an “owner turn-in” fee will be charged. No refunds are given on Shelter payments. For general information on pet health, please review the following brochures:
Pet Behavior Tips
If you have any specific questions concerning how to correct problem behaviors, the Humane Society publishes some very helpful flyers in the “Pets for Life - Behavior Series,” including tips on dealing with aggressive pets, socializing new pets, introducing new pets to those already in the household, handling cat and dog pregnancies, recommended pet toys, reducing pet noise, canine escape artists, and many more.
For informative brochures on these and many other pet topics, visit www.petsforlife.org.
Links to area shelters that are not operated by the Town of Apple Valley:
Hesperia Animal Control Department
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