Call the Staunton Police Department at 540.332.3842 and speak with a dispatcher. For complaints and requests for service that are not an emergency, you will be transferred to the animal control officer’s voicemail to leave a message. The next available officer will call you back as soon as possible. You may also send a detailed message via email.

Animal control officers pick up stray, roaming, sick, or injured animals and take them to the Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center (SVASC). You can search the animal shelter’s stray search directory for the newest arrivals. If you identify your pet in the directory, it will be released in accordance with City policy.

Animals are held for five days, not including the date of pick up. Those with collars or other identification will be held for 10 days. After the holding period, any animal not claimed by the owner may be offered for adoption or euthanized (put to sleep), although euthanasia is a last resort. The SVASC has a 95 percent save rate and tries to find a forever home for all of its animals. A critically ill or injured animal may be euthanized at any time to prevent its suffering. All animals will be scanned for microchips, so be sure to have current registration information. Please contact an officer if you need assistance in registering your animal.

• Only the rightful owner can reclaim a lost or impounded animal.

• Come to the Staunton Police Department and bring identification and proof of ownership, such as a photograph or rabies or license receipt. Any animal that does not have proof of current rabies and a City license will pay an additional penalty.

• The shelter operates on the City of Waynesboro’s schedule. Animals will not be released by patrol after hours unless the shelter will be closed for more than one day, i.e. Sundays and holidays. Typically, when dispatch collects fees after hours, they will advise the owner to go to the shelter on the next business next day. If an owner refuses to pay fees or provide documentation, they will be referred to an animal control officer.

Impounding fees are set by City ordinance and are as follows:

• $25 for any dog that is found running at large, not on the owner’s property
• $15 for any dog or cat over the age of 4 months without a current rabies vaccination
• $15 for any dog over the age of 4 months which does not have a current city dog license
• $25 for any dog or cat over the age of 4 months whose vaccination tag is not fastened to a substantial collar and worn by the animal
• $15 per day for the boarding of each animal, including partial days that the animal is impounded

Yes. Officers trace the information on the tags to notify the owner that their pet has been impounded. Owners should always make sure tag information is current and up to date. Dogs are required by law to be licensed and to wear identification when outside of the presence of their owners. All cats are required to wear a rabies tag on their collar.

Animal control does not pick up dead animals.  Owners must dispose of them or call the Public Works Department at 540.332.3892 to report dead animals found along City roads.

Listed below are a few of the laws most commonly asked by citizens:

• Animals must stay in their own yards unless under the direct control of an owner or caretaker.
  (City Code 6.10.190)

• Dogs and cats, four months and older, must be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and dogs must be license by the City Treasurer.
  (City Code 6.10.010) and (City Code 6.10.190)

• No more than four dogs over the age of four months can be kept on at any dwelling unless authorized by permit.
  (City Code 6.20.241)

• Owners must clean up after pets which defecate on private or public property.
  (City Code 6.10.060)

• It is unlawful to harbor stray animals longer than 48 hours without having reported the animal to the Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center.
  (City Code 6.10.191)

Owners are subject to summonses and possible fines for the above violations up to $250 each.

• Dogs which attack animals or humans may be impounded until a court hearing. If found to be vicious or dangerous, the dog may be destroyed, removed, or otherwise confined.
  (State Code 3.2-6540)

• No dogs are permitted on any property of any cemetery in the city.
  (City Code 6.10.040)

• Dogs are required to be on a leash at any school property, public park or playground, or any place where ten or more people may be present.
  (City Code 6.10.200)

• Animals under the age of four months are prohibited from being tethered, and no animal can be tethered between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. All tethers must be a minimum of ten feet and allow the animal to reach shelter and water without becoming entangled on surrounding objects.
  (City Code 6.05.090, 6.05.010)

• Owners must provide their pets with the following: Adequate food, fresh water, shelter and exercise space, veterinary care and treatment and humane care and treatment. Failure to adequately provide for a pet constitutes cruelty and can result in confiscation of the animal by Animal Control Officers, as well as criminal prosecution.Convictions are punishable by any or all of the following: Fine, jail sentence, and loss of the animal.
  (State Code 3.2-6570. City code 6.05.080)

Call 540.332.3842. Barking dogs and cats running at large are handled within our nuisance animal code. No owner shall allow an animal to be a nuisance. A court may order these animals removed, destroyed or otherwise confined. (City Code 6.10.240)

A nuisance animal is defined as:

• repeatedly found at large;
• damages the property of anyone other than its owner;
• molests or intimidates pedestrians or passersby;
• chases vehicles;
• excessively makes disturbing noises, including, but not limited to, continued and repeated howling, barking, whining, or other utterances causing unreasonable annoyance, disturbance, or discomfort to neighbors or others in close proximity to the premises where the animal is kept or harbored;
• causes fouling of the air by body odor and thereby creates unreasonable annoyance or discomfort to neighbors or others in close proximity to the premises where the animal is kept or harbored;
• causes unsanitary conditions in enclosures or surroundings where the animal is kept or harbored;
• attacks other domestic animals; or
• has been found, after notice to its owner and a hearing by a court of competent jurisdiction, to be a public nuisance animal by virtue of being a menace to the public health, welfare, or safety.

Animal control officers are only mandated to deal with wildlife in the event the animal poses a direct or immediate threat to public safety. However, officers can provide information about who to contact as well as a list of certified trappers in Virginia.  Wildlife information can be found at the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. You may also call the Wildlife Center of Virginia at 540.942.9453 or Wildlife Services at 1.855.571.9003.

For information about hunting in the City, please contact Animal Control directly at 540.332.3842.

Backyard hens are only permitted in the City of Staunton with a permit from the Planning & Zoning Division of Community Development. Hens must be provided with adequate care and must be contained within an approved structure. Please contact Planning & Zoning for more information at 540.332.3862.