Shelter hours of operation
Our hours of operation change from time to time, depending on circumstances. For our current hours of operation, please click the link below.
Hours of operation
Citizens of Osceola County cannot just show up at the Animal Services facility and surrender a pet or pets. A procedure has been implemented that allows the both the citizen and the shelter staff be sure that surrendering the animal is the appropriate course of action.
A great deal of work has gone in to implementing programs to help our citizens keep their pets, from lower cost veterinary options to providing deals on food and other resources. Our goal is to keep pets with their families.
When someone wants to begin the process of possibly surrendering an animal, the citizen should click the link below and complete the form. Please do not just bring the pet to the shelter for surrender, an appointment is required for all pet surrenders.
Pet retention contact form
No. We do not charge you for dropping off an animal.
We will only take in animals from residents of Osceola County or those animals that are in Osceola County.
Lost animals should always be taken to the county in which they were found so the owner will be better able to find their animal.
We do not provide veterinary services to the public at this time. We only provide medical services to the animals in our facility.
If you are interested in adopting the featured pet you may call to see if it is still available, however, we can not "hold" an animal.
If you wish to adopt you must come to the facility, fill out the application and pay for the adoption. No appointment is necessary.
In most situations you will not be able to take your animal home the same day, it must first be spay/neutered.
All roadside animal corpses are picked up by the individual government entity.
- Osceola County - Dead animals in rights of way are picked up for disposal by the Road and Bridge Department. You can reach them by calling 407-742-7500.
- City of Kissimmee - Roadside animal corpses on the City of Kissimmee right of way are picked up by the city road department. You can reach them by calling 407-518-2506
- City of St Cloud - Roadside animal corpses on the City of St Cloud right of way are picked up by the city road and stormwater department. You can reach them by calling 407-957-7357.
We appreciate the generosity of our community and have provided a number of different ways for local citizens to help our cause. Please click here for details on what we need and how you can help.
If the alligator is located in its natural habitat, for example, in or near a pond, we cannot remove it.
Additionally, if the alligator is larger than 4 feet long please call Florida Wildlife Commission at 866-392-4286.
Service dog training must be specific to the needs of the person with the disability. Service dogs can be trained through a professional canine trainer or by the dog owner themselves.
Osceola County Animal Services does not train service dogs. If a trainer is training the service dog, Florida law allows them the full rights provided to a service dog owner during training sessions.
Although we adopt out small pocket animals such as gerbils from time to time, wild animals are generally sent to rescue organizations in the area. We do not adopt out squirrels, raccoons or other wildlife.
► Call Osceola County Animal Services at 407-742-8000 ext 4.
► Call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS and your information will remain anonymous.
► Filing a complaint online by going to Crimeline.org.
What we can do:
Our first step is usually to educate animal owners. Our Animal Control Officers can help citizens keep their pets by informing them of best practices in the care and feeding of their animals.
Enforcement
Sometimes, enforcement of county policies and rules becomes necessary through the legal system. This may include:
► fines, issued through Animal Services, or
► arrest and incarceration by the local police or Sheriff’s department
Reports of abuse and/or neglect, including animal hoarding, are investigated by our ACO (Animal Control Officer) staff as well as the shelter administration.
A rabies vaccination for your pet keeps you, your family, your friends, and the community safe. Please keep pets rabies vaccinated! This is not just a County rule, but state law.
Other tips on rabies prevention include:
- Do not leave pet food or garbage out over night.
- Teach children to enjoy wildlife from a safe distance.
- Do not keep wildlife as pets.
- Do not handle wildlife, dead or alive.
- Report bites or scratches to your local Health Department or Animal Service organization, Osceola County Animal Services, 407-742-8000, 3910 Old Canoe Creek Rd., St. Cloud, FL. Seek medical attention without delay!
- Keep pets inside to minimize or prevent interaction with wildlife.
- Talk with your veterinarian about vaccines for horses and other livestock.
If you see sick or strange acting animals, domestic or wild, please call the number above and request an Animal Services Officer. Be sure to advise there is a sick animal.
No experience is necessary to volunteer at Osceola County Animal Services. We provide all the training that is needed for tasks and volunteer positions.
Yes! A minimum 50 hour/6 month commitment is required for our adult (18+) volunteers.
Our address is:
3910 Old Canoe Creek Road
St. Cloud FL, 34769.
If you want to re-home a pet yourself, you may use the Adopt a Pet rehome site, as well as any others.
Our current county tag fees and licensing requirements can be found by clicking here.
We accept cash, local check and Visa, Mastercard and Discover credit or debit cards.
► We hold stray pets for the legal hold period of three working days (not including the day that the animal is picked up) after which time they are evaluated for potential adoption. Working days at Osceola County Animal Services are Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays.
► If a stray animal is put up for adoption, the owner still has three full working days to claim it. If an animal was adopted out then claimed by the original owner, the potential adopter is contacted and given the option of choosing another animal or obtaining a refund.
► Pets that are wearing valid ID are held five working days. Valid ID (license and/or chip) must track to a current telephone number where the owner can be easily reached.
► Community cats, feral or free roaming felines, are not considered owned and therefore do not have to be held any required time frame.
All adoption fees include spray/neuter and the first set of shots for your pet.
Cats: $75
Dogs: $90
Horses & cattle: $200
Other livestock (excluding cows): $30
Fowl: $15
Small mammals: $15
We accept cash, local check and Visa, Mastercard and Discover credit or debit cards.
We are a shelter that engages in the unfortunate task of animal euthanasia. While we are working to build programs that will help save lives, euthanasia is still a reality for aggressive and sick or debilitated animals. We try very hard not to euthanize animals for space, but that too is still a reality, especially at times of heavier animal intake during the summer months.
We do not have a specified length of time that we give animals to be adopted. As long as the animal stays healthy, behaviorally sound, and we have the space, we will continue to try to get the animal adopted or rescued- within reason. We also feel that perpetual confinement and long term housing in an animal shelter environment is not humane so at some point animals that are not adopted or rescued may be euthanized.
No, we do not provide animal traps to the public at this time.
We do not remove either pigs wild hogs; you will need to contact a nuisance trapper. Click the link below to contact the nearest trapper; Dr Critter.
Other trappers and removal services are available by searchin the database below.
Our animal training is for the pets under our care. However, our safety office has suggestions if you want training for your pet.
No, we do not register, train or certify emotional support animals.
Examples of felony animal cruelty under this section of the state statute could include many intentional acts such as but not limited to:
► beating
► fighting
► burning
► drowning
It is important to note this section also includes:
► “failure to act” that results in the cruel death or excessive and repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering.
You must be at least 16 years of age in order to volunteer at Osceola County Animal Services.
We welcome volunteers with experience and appreciate your time and skills.
We do require specific training for all volunteers regardless of experience level. You may find that with experience you may move quickly through the training process.
Yes! There is a Teen Volunteer program at Animal Services for ages 16 and up. Registration for this introductory online program is available several times each year. Information can be found under the Volunteer tab on this website's main menu.
We do not have a program for people under the age of 16.