Our Mission

Our mission is to balance the welfare and safety needs of the citizens and dogs in Franklin County.

We are dedicated to providing responsible enforcement of dog laws in our community, compassionate treatment of the dogs in our shelter, and on-going education for our citizens.

Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center is committed to saving lives. Our shelter is the largest county shelter in Ohio. Last year we took in 9,819 dogs and puppies, including all stray dogs in the county as well as owner surrenders and unwanted litters of puppies.

What We Do

We shelter dogs

We shelter dogs who have been lost, discarded, abandoned, injured or neglected. We provide compassionate care and veterinary services for all dogs at the shelter. And we cooperate with the Columbus Humane on cruelty, abuse and neglect cases.

We reunite lost dogs with their owners

Each year we reunite thousands of lost dogs with their owners. For those who are not claimed, we cooperate with all reputable rescue groups and service organizations to place shelter dogs.

We sell dog licenses

We sell dog licenses, which are required by law if you own a dog. Making sure your dog's license is on his collar at all times can help us get him safely home to you sooner.

We provide dogs for adoption

We find responsible, loving new homes for more than 4,000 dogs each year. On average the shelter has 60-100 dogs and puppies available for adoption daily either here at the shelter or in one of our foster homes. We do everything we can to see that healthy, adoptable dogs have an opportunity to be adopted. All dogs adopted from the shelter are spayed or neutered prior to adoption as part of the shelter's effort to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and puppies in Franklin County.

The Franklin County Dog Shelter is committed to encouraging adoption as an alternative to purchasing a dog or puppy from a pet store. Since 2002, the shelter has hosted "Mingle With Our Mutts" at the shelter. Now held on both the first and third Sundays of each month, this fun, family-friendly event has grown to become the most popular adoption event in Central Ohio, and is attended by many people each month. In addition to dogs and puppies from the Franklin County shelter, numerous area rescue groups for both cats and dogs participate in the event as part of our cooperative adoption/rescue effort.

We educate the community

Franklin County Dog Shelter has many educational programs designed to assist dog owners. Our behavior helpline and library assists owners in addressing common behavior problems with the goal of helping them solve the problem and keep their dogs.

We visit schools and civic groups to educate adults and children about safety around dogs and responsible dog ownership, as well as volunteer opportunities at the shelter.

We collaborate with other community-minded organizations like the Columbus Humane, Citizens for Humane Action and Cat Welfare to promote adoption, spaying/neutering, proper pet health care, training and well-being.

WE OFFER A FREE SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME DOG OWNERS

SNYP-IT, C-BUS is funded entirely by donations and grants. We provide spay or neuter surgery, immunizations and a free microchip!