Whether surrendering your own animal or bringing in a stray found in Washtenaw County or Plymouth, please call before coming in: 734-661-3528
Bringing in animals
Please, no strays from outside our service area
Even with the best of intentions, bringing a stray from another area causes many problems. Most significantly, a lost animal may lose their chance at getting home. If you live outside of Washtenaw County, Plymouth, or Northville City, please contact the shelter in your county or your police's non-emergency line, as we cannot take a stray outside our service area.
(We get it. Not all shelters are the same. Some have different policies; many aren't adequately funded. Please consider expressing your concerns to the officials responsible for their funding and management so that you can help make a difference for all homeless animals in your community.)
Before you decide
Please know HSHV has services to help you keep your pet, including a pet food pantry, behavior help, emergency boarding, veterinary assistance and additional support.
If you have reached the decision to humanely euthanize your pet, we offer end-of-life services. Please call our clinic at (734) 662-4365.
Rehoming your pet
Surrendering your pet to a shelter (even a great one) can be a scary thought. If you may want to rehome your pet on your own, we offer FREE listing service and more support through Home-to-Home.
Bringing in a stray
- HSHV accepts stray companion animals from Washtenaw County and Plymouth. There is no fee, but we greatly appreciate donations to help cover the cost of care.
- Save a trip! Maybe make a happy reunion! Call us first (734) 661-3528 so that we can check to see if someone in the area has reported the animal missing. Complete a found animal report, and, if you can, go to a local clinic to scan for a microchip.
- Please bring the stray animal to our Intake department between 9 am-5 pm, 7 days a week. Do not tie an animal outside the building or leave them in boxes outside the building.
Have a stray picked up
- HSHV does not pick up stray animals. Please contact your local Law Enforcement Agency for assistance with stray animal pick-up (They will not pick-up animals for surrender)
- Washtenaw County residents: Call Sheriff dispatch at (734) 994-2911
- Plymouth City or Township residents: Call Police dispatch at (734) 453-8600
- Northville residents: Call Police dispatch at (248) 349-5100
Surrendering your own pet
We primarily service Washtenaw County, though occasionally can assist those outside our service area. Space is limited, and prioritize animals within our service area. To give every animal the best chance at a new home, we may place you on a waiting list or refer to your local shelter. Regretfully, we cannot help every animal.
Please call our Intake department at (734) 661-3528 before bringing in your pet so we can schedule an appointment. We’re available seven days a week, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
After calling, and if you are told we can assist, please complete a surrender form and bring it along with all available veterinary records and proof of residency. You will be asked to pay a $40 surrender fee to subsidize your animal's care (the average animal costs HSHV $325 to rehome). If your pet has serious health or aggressive behavior that will make rehoming not possible, we will talk with you about humane euthanasia.
