Animal Control

You must have a valid Federal or State issued identification. You must be a resident of Clayton County and you must have some proof of residency. (Your address on your current drivers license will be good proof of residency.)

There is $50.00 surrender fee on dogs and a $25.00 surrender fee on cats. Litters of kittens or puppies under 3 months will constitute as one (1) adult animal fee.

We do not pick up owner released animals. The animal is your responsibility, so if you want to release the animal you have to make arrangements to get the animal to our shelter.

The Animal Control Unit handles between 50 and 75 calls a day for service. The Unit generally runs two trucks on the road for the entire county. The Unit handles calls based on the priority of the call. An injured animal will take priority over a loose dog.

We can not come and talk to your neighbor about his dog unless you want to prosecute them for violation of the nuisance animal code. Unfortunately, we do not have the manpower to give warnings, however, if you want to take your neighbor to court, we will issue a citation based on your testimony, and will require your court appearance. There is a proper procedure you must follow to file a nuisance complaint against your neighbor. Contact Animal Control for additional information on this procedure. A better way to handle the situation is to talk to your neighbor before involving Animal Control. Most people will be considerate of your problem with their animal.

Cats that climb trees will come down when they are ready to do so and think they are safe. Any attempt to get the cat down only results in the cat becoming more frightened. Remove any dogs or other animals that might be causing the cat stress. Leave the cat alone and the cat will come down.

Yes, you are required to make a report when a dog or cat bites a human.

You can call the Animal Control Unit at 770-477-3509, or if it is after normal business hours and you are witnessing the abuse happening, call 911. Other abuse such as neglect can be reported to our voice mail at 770-477-3509. Please leave a valid Clayton County address in reference to the location of the animals you are calling about. Remember that 911 is for emergencies only!

You can view animals added to the system on the Pet Harbor website.

Make sure to click the link on “I LOST MY PET” so it will show all animals in the facility not just the currently adoptable animals.

Also, the Clayton County Police Department Animal Control unit maintains a Facebook page. It can be viewed at  https://www.facebook.com/ClaytonCountyAnimalControl1/ This page is regularly updated but we recommend you come to the animal shelter. No one knows their pet better than the owner.

Our policy is that the owners of missing animals must come to the shelter and personally see if their animal is in custody. There are far too many animals in the shelter for staff to verify if your animal is in our custody. Only you or someone who knows the animal can tell if it is here.

We are located at 1396 Government Circle, Jonesboro, Georgia 30236. We are at the corner of Ga. Hwy 138 @ Government Circle. We are behind the Clayton County Police Department Headquarters Building. Our Adoption Center is located at 3161 Anvil Block Road, Ellenwood, Georgia 30294.

No, we are not a humane society. Our duties are the enforcement of laws pertaining to animals. There are resources offered by private agencies, however, we provide no such care at our facility. We will be offering a low-cost spay/neuter clinic and low cost vaccine clinic monthly but you must call for details.

If the dog runs from the officer, they may not be able to catch it. We do offer live traps to capture dogs and cats. Persons can request a trap, however, the supply is limited. If you know the owners of the animal, we can have an officer respond to issue the owner a citation based on your statement. This action will require your appearance in court to testify about the violation. If you can catch the dog and place it in a fenced yard or other enclosure, that would help assist us in catching the dog. Do not attempt to catch the dog if you are not familiar with the dog or if the dog is known to be aggressive.

We can not catch cats. We offer cat traps for persons to use. The cats are brought to the shelter by the person trapping the cat. We loan the traps for a week at a time. We have limited traps available, so call in advance to see if a trap is available.

All fees are charged in accordance with Clayton County ordinance 14-253 and the fees vary based on several factors. These include, whether or not the pet has a current Rabies vaccination, whether or not the pet has been Spayed / Neutered and how many times the pet has been impounded by the Animal Control unit. Some of these fees are listed below, but please call for exact amounts.

Vaccinated Cats and Dogs (These fees do not apply to unvaccinated pets)

First offense $25.00
Second offense $50.00
Third offense $100.00
Subsequent offenses $150.00

In addition to the above fee, the owner of a dog that has not been spayed or neutered shall pay an additional fee of $100.00 to reclaim the dog.

Other Animals

These fees are for each offense
Rabbits, poultry/ birds $25.00
Other animals $50.00

In addition to the aforementioned fees, the owner of an impounded animal shall pay a kennel fee for each day the animal is boarded. This fee is $10.00 per day for cats and dogs. Owners of cows, horses or similar animals shall pay a daily boarding fee of $50.00 per animal. The fee for aggressive and/or Bite animals is $15 per day boarding.

Unfortunately not. All fees must be paid in cash at the time of the transaction.

All pets are required by Clayton County ordinance 14-246 to be held for a period or three (3) days. At the end of these three days the pet shall become the absolute property of the Animal Control Unit. The pets are then available to be adopted.

Once you come and pick out your new pet, there is a small application that you will complete. Once the paperwork is complete, there is an adoption fee.

Below are the fees for adoption:

Dogs: $95, which includes- Spay/Neuter, Rabies Vaccination,  and Microchip (A Heartworm test can be added for an additional $25 with a six month written prescription for heartworm preventative – to be filled by the citizen)

Cats: $65, which includes- Spay/Neuter, Rabies vaccination, and Microchip.