Citizens for Animal Protection realizes how difficult it can be to give up a pet. That is why we try every resource at our disposal to place the animals that are brought to us. CAP's adoption rate continues to be over 92%. However, due to the pet overpopulation crisis, the sad reality is that not all animals find homes and some are euthanized. CAP is a "Managed Intake" Shelter which means that we do not euthanize animals to make room for more animals, because of breed, or how long they stay at the shelter. If we have space for an animal we will take it and as long as the animal is healthy and has a good temperament, the animal will stay at CAP until adopted. Unfortunately, it does become necessary to euthanize some animals that are suffering from injuries, contagious diseases, and severe aggression.
CAP offers two options to assist in rehoming your pet - Shelter Surrender or Weekend Sponsor. Please see below for information on both options.
Intake areas are open seven days a week from 10am - 2pm. Map and Hours
Option 1 - Shelter Surrender
CAP accepts animals on a first come - first served basis if we have available room. We do not make appointments or make reservations for intake. You are welcome to call to see what current availability we have in general, however, space changes constantly. CAP is a "Managed Intake Shelter" and there may be days when we cannot accept animals as we do not have the space to humanely house and care for them. If we do not currently have room to accept your pet or if you have time to assist in finding them a new home, we highly recommend enrolling the pet in our Weekend Sponsor Program. Information about this program can be found below.
Upon arrival at CAP, your animal will be evaluated and it will be determined if he/she is a candidate for our adoption program. If the staff determines at intake that your pet is not a candidate for adoption you may take the animal back home with you or try other humane alternatives and agencies. If you choose to surrender the animal, a complete assessment will be given to determine adoptability.
If you have reached the decision to surrender your pet to CAP, please print out the appropriate personality form and bring with you. This form gives us valuable information which can help us find your pet a new home.
| Minimum Required Surrender Fees
The fees shown below are the minimum that we require for each animal dropped off. Donations to help cover additional common costs related to sheltering animals are greatly appreciated.
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Please Note
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CAP is a non-profit organization and we rely on your surrender fees and donations to provide medical services and care to the animals we receive.
Option 2 - Weekend Sponsor Program (Alternative to Shelter Surrender)
Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP) provides a unique program to assist pet owners who need to find a new home for their animal(s) but do not want to turn their animal in to a shelter. The program is designed for people who can keep their dog or cat in their home during the week (until adopted) and place it up for adoption on the weekend, a time when most potential adopters visit the CAP shelter.
Weekend Sponsor Program Procedures
Step 1 - Evaluations
All animals must be evaluated and approved by CAP staff to enter the Weekend Sponsor Program. Evaluations are done Monday-Thursday 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. No appointment is needed for evaluations. Owners must bring all necessary paperwork pertaining to their animal(s) at the time of the evaluation (see requirements below).
Step 2 - Reservations
Once approved to be in the program, the owner can make a reservation to bring the animal for the weekend. You cannot make a reservation until your animal has been evaluated and approved for the program. CAP begins taking reservations for cage space each Monday at 10:00 am for the upcoming weekend, remember to call every Monday for each weekend that you want to participate. Reservations will not be accepted before that time and space is limited. You must call for a reservation each week that you want to bring an animal.
Step 3 - Drop off & Pick Up or ADOPTED
Pets should arrive at 10:30 am on Saturday and must be picked up by 5:00 pm on Sunday if not adopted. In an effort to make the best use of our adoption counselors’ time, we will not call you if your animal gets adopted. Please call us before you come pick up on Sunday to see if your animal was adopted over the weekend. You are also welcome to call on Saturday around closing time to see if they have been adopted. Please remember that pick up time is by 5:00 pm on Sunday, a boarding fee will be charged for animals left over the allotted time.
| Dog Boarding - less than 30 lbs - per night | $30 |
| Dog Boarding - over 30 lbs - per night | $40 |
| Cat Boarding - per night | $25 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I stay with my pet to meet potential adopters? We find that pets adjust better to the shelter if their owners are not around. Potential adopters may get a more accurate view of the pet if it is not distracted by you. It is very important to fully complete the Personality Profile so that potential adopters will have as much information as possible about your pet. The staff will utilize the Personality Profile to ensure that an interested adopter is a good fit for the pet.
- Do I need to bring food? Crate? Litter box? It is not necessary to bring food for your animal unless they are on a special diet. While here, we will feed “shelter food” which is typically a mix of several brands of dry food. Likewise, please do not bring toys or blankets unless you are ok with them not being returned. Dirty or soiled toys are often picked up at the end of each day for washing and it is not possible to keep sponsor toys separate. You can however, leave a goodie bag or care package of items to go with the animal to their new home.
- What if the adoption doesn’t work out and my pet is returned? CAP will contact you should your pet be returned. At that point, you can choose to continue the program.
- Can my pet’s picture be included on the CAP website? Yes! Once your pet is approved for the program, you can email pictures and a bio. This gives added exposure for your animal even during the week! See Photo Information & Bios below for details.
- Can my pet be turned down for the program? CAP reserves the right to refuse any animal acceptance to the program. This decision can be based on lack of medical requirements, existing health issues or temperament.
Weekend Sponsor Medical Requirements
All animals must be evaluated by CAP staff and have medical records verified before entering the program.
Due to the animal being in a shelter environment, CAP does require strict enforcement of its vaccination and testing protocol.
- Vaccinations must be current (vet records required). Puppies and kittens must be at least 8 weeks of age, weigh 2 lbs, have their first set of vaccinations and any required boosters in 3 week intervals. Adult dogs and cats will require a series of 2 vaccinations (FVRCP for cats & DA2PPV for dogs), the second being a 1-year vaccination if the animal is 18 weeks or older. Any dog or cat that is under 18 weeks of age will require a booster every 21 days until 18 weeks of age. The Bordetella vaccination is required for all dogs and lasts for 6 months.
- Rabies vaccination is required by Texas state law for all dogs and cats 4 months of age and older. A certificate is required to verify that the rabies vaccination is current. Only a veterinarian can administer the rabies vaccination.
- Spay/Neuter: All dogs and cats that are 4 months of age or older must be spayed/neutered prior to participation in the program.
- Testing Dogs: All dogs over 5 months of age must be tested and show they are free of heartworms within the last 30 days. Heartworm testing is required every 6 months. All dogs over 5 months of age must be on heartworm prevention. Owners are responsible for updating the shelter on the type of prevention and the date administered every month.
- Testing Cats: Feline Leukemia (FeLV) & FIV testing is required for all cats over 6 months of age. Kittens between 8 weeks - 6 months of age must be tested for at least FeLV. FeLV/FIV testing is done every 90 days or if there has been one test performed, followed by 2 FeLV vaccinations, the test, and the vaccines are effective for 1 year.
CAP's Cornelius Clinic can provide these services at a minimum expense. Please contact the Cornelius clinic at 281-600-8500 for appointments and visit Cornelius Clinic for more information on services.
Any questionable medical conditions that require further evaluation must be taken to your veterinarian. Veterinary clearance on any notated health issues (hair loss, ear mites, heartworms, etc) made during the initial evaluation must be provided to CAP before the animal can be approved for the program. Animals that do not have medical clearance will not be approved until the animal is deemed healthy by a veterinarian and has been reevaluated by CAP staff.
CAP has the right to refuse approval of any animal into the program for medical or temperament reasons. Animals with temperament issues may not be able to participate in the program. An animal’s temperament may be assessed at any given time while the animal is on CAP property. Should an animal have a severe temperament issue while in our care, the sponsor will be notified and required to pick the animal up immediately.
Photo Information & Bios
As a part of CAP’s Weekend Sponsor Program you have the option of having the animal(s) placed on CAP’s website adoption listings. Email us a picture and brief bio, listings are removed after four weeks. If you would like us to continue displaying the photos please email us at the address below. We can post three pictures, one should be a head-shot/close-up of their face, one full body shot and an optional third photo of your choosing. Each animal needs their own photos and bios.
The bio should include information about the animal such as: Good with children? If so, what ages? Good with other animals? If so, what type? Playful? Active? Calm? If you cannot provide a picture and bio, CAP will take a photo when the animal is here on the weekend.
Email your photos and bios, and requests to continue displaying the pets to:
CATS & RABBITS: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DOGS: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Online Only, Self-Supported Rehoming Options (not affiliated with CAP)
Options for rehoming pets online are available to those who wish to take full responsibility of the rehoming process. Below is information on three online rehoming sites that are not affiliated with CAP, but may be of assistance to you - GetYourPet.com, Home to Home and Adoptapet.com.
Click HERE for the full pdf version of the graphics below.
Euthanasia Policy
Citizens for Animal Protection completely supports that no healthy, adoptable animal should be euthanized. To this end, CAP's priority is to not euthanize any healthy, adoptable animal to make room for more animals. Adoptable animals do not have a preset time limit, however they must remain healthy, both physically and emotionally. CAP will not allow any animal surrendered to us to suffer, nor will CAP risk the health or safety of our shelter animals by exposing them to contagious diseases or unsafe conditions. Euthanasia is a decision that may be made to prevent suffering, to prevent the spread of disease to healthy animals or when an animal poses a threat to humans or other animals. Euthanasia is performed by compassionate, experienced personnel and is a decision that is not taken lightly.
If space is not available for us to accept your animal(s) and humanely care for them, you will be provided with information about our Weekend Sponsor Program, in addition to other shelters and rescue services.
CAP will, at all times, act in the best interest of each and every animal in our care.
Please be advised that CAP will not accept trapped feral (wild) cats for euthanasia. If you wish to trap a cat and are willing to have it neutered and return it to its original location, please contact our Feral Cats Assistance Program Coordinator. Learn more about Trap-Neuter-Return, a humane solution for feral cat colonies that prevents overpopulation and is free. If you have trapped a cat and do not want to neuter and return, you can surrender the cat to your local animal control facility but first you may want to read about preventing unwanted feral behavior with our Feral Cat Deterrence Techniques.
Euthanasia Fees
CAP does, at our discretion, euthanize owned animals that are old, severely injured or ill, at the request of the owner. Documentation from a licensed veterinarian may be required to verify health issues prior to the animal being accepted for euthanasia. If we deem the animal to be adoptable or rehabilitable, the animal may not be accepted for euthanasia. Unfortunately, owners may not be with their pets during this time and we do not release the pet back. Any private cremation requests must be arranged prior to euthanasia. The fees are as listed below.
| 1-20 lbs | $40 |
| 21-50 lbs | $50 |
| 51-75 lbs | $65 |
| 76-100 lbs | $85 |
| Over 100 lbs | $100 |
Please call the shelter at 281-497-0591 prior to bringing a pet for euthanasia to verify availability and appropriateness of service.
