Animal Shelter
The Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center is the City of Denton's animal shelter run by the Animal Services department. The shelter opened in February 2015, thanks to the efforts of the Denton Animal Support Foundation (DASF), who raised $2 million to help fund construction of the facility.
The shelter includes a vet clinic, care areas, and an adoption center. As a municipal shelter, we must accept all animals surrendered by Denton citizens, regardless of breed or condition. The shelter must also accept animals rescued as stray or abandoned, and those seized for abuse or neglect.
- Adopting a Pet
- Reclaiming Your Lost Pet
- Surrendering a Pet
- What to Do if Your Pet is Lost
- What to Do if You Find a Pet in Your Neighborhood (Denton residents only)
Adopting a Pet
Adoptions are open to anyone searching for a new furry family member. To see pets available for adoption, visit Denton PetFinder.
The Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center is open for walk-in visits for animal adoptions with a limited capacity of 10 people at a time.
- If you find your forever pet, follow this simple process:
- Bring a valid form of identification.
- Complete the applicable adoption paperwork, pay the adoption fee, and leave with your new best friend!
Adoption Fees
The adoption fee for a dog or cat, includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip, appropriate testing (Heartworm and Cat Combo), rabies vaccinations, and a City license for Denton residents.
| Animal | Fee |
|---|---|
| Dog | $60 |
| Cat | $60 |
| Small and Furry | $10 |
If more than one adopter is present for the same pet when the shelter opens at 10 am, it is our current practice to hold a drawing. Please arrive a few minutes early to receive your ticket, with only one ticket given per household. You must be present when the shelter opens at 10 am to participate in the drawing.
Reclaiming Your Lost Pet
To reclaim your pet, you must:
- If you have lost your pet, prior to visiting our shelter, please call Denton Animal Services at (940) 349-7594 to arrange an appointment with a Customer Service Representative for your reclaim.
- Provide proof of ownership through pictures and/or medical records before completion of stray hold (96 hours).
- Show a certificate of current rabies vaccination signed by a licensed veterinarian or show a receipt of pre-payment for a rabies vaccination issued by a veterinary hospital or clinic.
- Show a valid photo ID.
- Fill out and sign an affidavit of ownership.
- Pay applicable fees, plus $8 daily boarding fee.
If your animal has not been reclaimed before the 96 hour stray hold then it will become property of the City of Denton Animal Shelter and will become available for adoption.
Impound / Boarding Fees
Requires spay or neuter, per section 6-17(d) of Denton Animal Control Ordinance.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1st Impound | $20 |
| 2nd Impound | $30 |
| 3rd Impound | $45 |
| 4th Impound | $70 |
| Daily Boarding | $8 |
Surrendering a Pet
Surrendering a pet can be an incredibly difficult decision. City of Denton Animal Services may be able to help you keep your pet at home or there may be alternative re-homing options to consider. Please review the following resource before surrendering your pet.
Rehome your pet by using Adopt-A-Pet.
We are now partnered with Adopt-a-pet.com to assist owners in safely re-homing pets. This service allows owners to list pets on the adopt-a-pet.com website and privately rehome them. This valuable service gives owners the option to list information about the pets and meet and screen potential owners. Begin the process of rehoming with Adopt-A-Pet.
Please observe the following prior to coming to the shelter to surrender your pet:
- Prior to visiting our shelter, please call Denton Animal Services at (940) 349-7594 to book an appointment with a Customer Service Representative.
- Bring a completed Owner Surrender Form (PDF).
- Bring a valid license or ID (Denton Residents Only).
- Canines must be on a leash.
- Felines must be in a carrier or secured, ventilated container.
What to Do if Your Pet is Lost
If your pet is missing, we recommend:
- Checking the Finding Rover app to see if your pet has been taken to an animal shelter. Finding Rover is a tool to help you reunite with your lost pet. The app provides instant identification of missing dogs and cats using photo facial recognition. The app matches faces of lost dogs and cats with those found or brought to the shelter and surrounding areas, allowing owners to look for their animals via smartphone or computer.
- Checking Denton PetFinder to determine if your pet is at the animal shelter.
- Reaching out to the Lost Dogs Denton TX Facebook group to see if anyone found your pet.
- Posting flyers in your neighborhood.
If you believe your pet is at the animal shelter, email the Animal Shelter immediately with the animal ID number (assigned during pet registration) noted in the subject line. You can also speak to a customer service representative in the front lobby during regular business hours and begin the reclaim process (fees may apply).
What to Do if You Find a Pet in Your Neighborhood (Denton residents only)
The City of Denton Animal Services is an open admission shelter and annually cares for thousands of animals. Because the City of Denton Animal Services can reach capacity at any time, kennel capacity can be limited.
Please consider the following to help with reuniting the pet with their owner:
- Take the pet to the nearest veterinary clinic, animal shelter, or spay/neuter clinic to scan the pet for a microchip. Contact the pet's microchip manufacturer and report the pet as found.
- Using the Finding Rover app, report the pet as "found". The Finding Rover app utilizes its pet facial recognition software to search all of the citizens who have reported a "lost" pet.
- Reach out to the Lost Dogs Denton TX Facebook group to create a free flyer for the "found" pet and post on social media.
- Post flyers in your neighborhood.
If all other avenues have been exhausted, lost pets may be brought to the Animal Shelter Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.