The Ingham County Animal Control Shelter has a variety of animals available for adoption that arrive at the shelter as either owner surrender animals or strays. Many breeds of stray and owner surrendered animals are for sale to the general public. The sale of any county owned animal is at the option of the Animal Control Department.

Ingham County Animal Shelter strives diligently to find homes for all adoptable animals. However, we are sometimes forced to euthanize animals due to a lack of space. During peak seasons (May through August) the number of animals brought to the shelter daily is overwhelming.

Lack of space results in the need to euthanize otherwise adoptable animals simply to make room available for additional animals that are arriving daily.

Before a pet is placed into a new home all stray animals shall be held pursuant to law in order to give the original owner a chance to claim their pet.

Owner surrender animals are available for disposition immediately upon successful completion of an examination, medical assessment and temperament testing. Some animals may not be offered for sale after the legal holding period, if in the opinion of the Department, a determination is made that an animal is either too sick, injured, or has vicious tendencies or a condition which may be detrimental to the pet or the human and animal population. These animals may be held and treated or humanely euthanized at the discretion of the Department.

Persons purchasing animals from any animal shelter/facility which have been kenneled in that facility should be aware that these animals may have been exposed to certain diseases either prior to or at the time of confinement. Some animals may appear healthy at the time of sale however subsequently show signs of illness and need medical attention. Thus an animal purchased should be checked by your veterinarian within 24 hours to assure timely provision of it's health needs.

It is impossible to guarantee the health of any animal.

Ingham County Animal Shelter has adopted thousands of animals into new homes where those animals enjoy normal, healthy, happy lives. The staff at the shelter provide vaccinations, de-worming, medical testing and local veterinarians spay/neuter over 78% of the animals prior to adoption. The shelter staff members strive to provide the best care possible to the over 5700 animals received annually. We look forward to assisting you in choosing a pet to fit your needs.

Normal Purchase Fees:

When adopting a cat or kitten you may select a second spayed or neuterd cat or kitten for only $1.00 more. The lower priced pet is the one you get for $1.00. If either cat is returned the $1.00 is refunded first.

Senior Citizen (65 or over) Purchase Fees:

These fees include:

* Most pets have already been neutered however if a pet is not yet neutered an additional $50.00 refundable deposit will be taken at the time of adoption, in addition to an additional $28.00 for the non sterilizied dog license. This entire extra $78.00 can be refunded once the conditions are met.

 *Prior to accepting the purchase fee an Adoption Contract and Application and Agreement must be completed.

An implanted microchip that provides identification for the pet's lifetime may be purchased for an additional fee at the time of adoption.

If you have any questions regarding our sale policy please call us during business hours, send an e-mail or stop by the office.

Saving the life of a homeless Ingham County Pet has it's rewards!

There are numerous benefits with providing a good home to a pet who needs it. An obvious benefit is the rewarding experience associated with saving an animal's life . This good act is returned several times over by the loving and devoted nature of the canine or feline family member who improves the lives of his/her guardians by providing companionship, loyalty and love - to name but three things. Other benefits of adopting a dog or cat in need of a good home include:

• The cost of adopting a pet at an animal shelter is usually inexpensive compared to buying one from a breeder or pet store. Often animals adopted from shelters have already been neutered. Most of these animals have also been wormed and vaccinated.
•  Adopting a companion animal from a shelter means you are helping, and not contributing to, the pet overpopulation problem.
•  Adopting a mature dog or cat means that you do not have to go through the demanding stage of raising a puppy or kitten.
•  With a mature pet you have a good idea of the animal's temperament and you know the animal's adult size, hair coat etc.
•  Mature pets are often house-trained (although some mistakes will likely occur until the animal is used to his/her new family, home and routine) and may even have some basic training.
•  Providing the animals get along, an adopted pet can be good company for other pets.
•  Shelter animals have beautiful temperaments and want to please their new guardians.

Dispelling the Myths
Shelter Animals Have Behavioral Problems
Many people believe that pets in shelters are there because they have behavioral problems. The sad truth is that most of these animals are where they are due to their previous guardians' ignorance and indifference. Often, people who have acquired pets from shelters and pounds are pleasantly surprised at the fine companions they have adopted. Animals with serious and obvious behavioral problems are not put up for adoption. Remember, many excellent animals waiting to be adopted will exhibit minor behavioral problems. Some are scared while others are excited. This should not be held against them as they are in a stressful environment.

Shelter Animals Are Older & Not Trainable
While most of the pets in shelters and pounds are mature animals, there are also puppies and kittens available for adoption. The saying "You cannot teach an old dog new tricks" is false. Shelter animals respond well to good, effective and humane training techniques. When training your pet it is important to be consistent, patient and understanding. There are many excellent behaviorists in the Ingham County area that are committed to helping pet owners enhance their relationship.

Shelter Animals Are Inferior To Purebred Pets
Some people mistakenly believe that purebred pets are superior to animals of mixed breeding. Purebred dogs and cats are not smarter, healthier or more even tempered than canines and felines of mixed breeding. If you want a purebred pet you should visit your local animal shelter or pound or check on petfinder.com. There was a time when purebred dogs were seldom found in these facilities. Unfortunately, due to mass breeding, purebred dogs are common and more are being surrendered to animal shelters and pounds.

There are few experiences in life more satisfying and rewarding as saving a companion animal's life and making him/her a valued member of the family. Pets being the wonderful creatures that they are enhance our lives tremendously and give us much more than we provide for them. Please consider taking the time to educate others as to the importance of giving homeless pets in our community a good home.

Pet Viewing:

If you would like to see some of the pets ready to go into new homes this week please visit the Pets in the Shelter page. Remember these are only some of the many pets available for placement. There are more arriving everyday.

We also have cats for viewing and adoption 7 days a week at:


510 Frandor Avenue
Lansing, MI 48912
517-333-8544

You can also find us on PetFinder http://icac.petfinder.com and 1-800-Save-a-Pet

The Lansing City Pulse also has shelter pets listed the second Wednesday of each month.

Other web sites with pets for sale in the Tri-County area and beyond:

Capital Area Humane Society

Michigan Humane Society

PETS911

Calhoun Area Humane Society

Jackson County Animal Control

Ingham County Animal Shelter  600 Curtis, Mason, MI 48854 Questions or comments? Email Us: acshelter@ingham.org Fax: 517-676-8380

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