top of page

My pet was picked up by Animal Control

and was taken to ACARF. 

What happens now?

ACARF has contracts with Animal Control in Iola and Gas City, Kansas

 

If your pet was brought to us by Animal Control in either city, you first need to go to your city's administrative office and pay an impoundment fee.  After that has been done, please bring your receipt to ACARF and we can release your pet to you. 

 

We cannot return your pet to you until this has been done; we are contractually bound to these terms.  Unfortunately, this also means that you cannot claim your pet on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday, when the city offices are closed.  We do sympathize with the occasional wait that occurs, as all of us here are animal lovers.  Please know that your pet is being well cared for while here.

Following are the more detailed owner rights and responsibilities if your pet is picked up by the City of Iola and brought to ACARF:

 

Before picking up your dog/cat you must first pay the fee at the Iola City office on the square.  They will give you a receipt for payment, which we must have before we can release your pet to you.  If your pet is not microchipped, we are required by contract to microchip your pet before your dog/cat leaves ACARF. 

 

If you do not claim your pet within the state-mandated 3 business day waiting period, your pet may be made available for adoption to the public.  However, we cannot adopt a pet to an owner for a period of 10 days after the pet is picked up.  This means a pet who is not claimed by an owner could be adopted by someone else before the 10 day waiting period expires.

 

At ACARF, our hope always is to reunite loving pet owners with their dogs/cats.  Each pet brought to ACARF is checked for a microchip. We advertise every impounded pet (as well as every stray brought in by citizens) as “found” on our Facebook page.

 

However, as the only no-kill animal shelter for many, many miles in any direction, we must keep the best interests of each dog and cat in mind.  Long periods of time in a shelter are not good for any animal so, if a pet is not claimed, we move forward and work to find a loving, lasting home for the dog/cat as soon as possible.

 

If you have any questions about this process, you are welcome to ask.  Our phone number is 620-496-3647, 11:30am to 5:00pm, Tuesday through Saturday.  To reach us by email:  adoptions@acarf.org

 

Below you can read the section of our contract with the City of Iola that pertains to owners and impounded animals:

​

“Prior to an owner retrieving an animal in the care and shelter of ACARF, owner will pay all mandatory impoundment/release fees to the City.  Upon receipt of payment of required fees, the City will provide owner with a written release.  In addition, any animal not currently microchipped shall be chipped before leaving the shelter.  ACARF will perform the microchipping process.

For a period of 10 days from date of impoundment, ACARF will not release an animal to an OWNER without a written release from the City, unless all required fees are waived. Impoundment/release fees may be waived by following the protocol in the Waiving Fees/ACO Holds Addendum.  The animal CAN be made available for adoption to the public after the state-imposed waiting period of 3 days.”

​

The same rules hold true for pet owners in Gas City.  Your fee must be paid to the Gas City Office and the receipt must be brought to ACARF before we can release your pet to you.

bottom of page