Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are so many animals turned into the Canyon County Animal Shelter?
A: The simple answer is lack of identification. Every dog in the cities of Nampa, Caldwell, Parma, Middleton, Wilder, Greenleaf, Notus, and Melba, as well as rural Canyon County, must obtain and display a Canyon County canine license once they are over the age of 3 months. Failure to provide a license for your canine, and keep it current, may result in a misdemeanor fine up to $350.00. The BEST way to get your lost dog home is to have an ID tag with your current phone number and address on his/her collar at all times.
Q: What is the foster program?
A: The foster program allows us to care for underage puppies and kittens out of the shelter until they are big enough to spay/neuter and make available for adoption. Foster families help care for the animals and help find them the best possible adoptive homes. Applications to become a foster family can be obtained online or at the shelter. The foster program is a great way for parents to see if their family is ready for a pet. It is a short-term commitment that makes a world for difference to the homeless animals in our community.
Q: Do you euthanize after a certain timeframe?
A: No. We hold all stray dogs for five business days and all domesticated, non-aggressive, healthy cats for two business days. Cats that arrive at the shelter that display aggressive, semi-fractious or feral behavior will be euthanized for staff safety. Cats that are ill or injured will also be euthanized due to safety and health of other cats at the shelter. Due to the large volume of cats that are turned in daily, the shelter does not have a quarantine area where other felines would not be infected. Then the animals go through temperament testing and a medical evaluation. If the animal passes, they are made available for adoption. Once an animal is available for adoption, there is not a timeframe in place before they are euthanized. We strive to find placement for all of the animals. We work closely with many rescue organizations to lower the percentage of animals euthanized. However, there is not placement for them all. It is very important to spay/neuter all animals to eliminate unwanted litters. There are many more animals born each year than homes in which to place them.
Q: Why do you euthanize?
A: We attempt to rehabilitate animals with severe medical or behavioral problems, but we are not a sanctuary. While we make every effort to adopt out all animals, some may be deemed unadoptable due to terminal illness, dangerously aggressive behavior, or severe behavioral or emotional problems that do not respond to training or socialization. In some cases, it is far more humane to provide an animal with a peaceful death than to attempt to prolong an unhappy life. An animal deemed unadoptable will be "put to sleep" painlessly.
Q: Do you microchip or provide other veterinary services to the public?
A: Yes. We provide limited veterinary services at the shelter. The shelter is able to microchip for the public for the low fee of $25 and provide rabies vaccination for $15. Otherwise, we can only provide veterinary services to animals that belong to Canyon County or animals that are impounded. All surgical procedures and emergency veterinary work need to be done through your family veterinarian. For help with low cost spay/neuter programs, please contact the Friends of the Canyon County Animal Shelter at 455-5927.
Q: What is a pre-adoption screening?
A: A pre-adoption screening is required prior to adoption for some of the dogs available. A pre-adoption screening does not mean that it is a "bad" dog. Screenings are done to ensure the animal is going to its forever home. We try to inform the potential adopter with as much information as we can prior to placing the animal, as well as ensure that the home is suitable for the animal. Interviews include information such as breed info, medical conditions, temperament and/or behavior issues, etc. PRE-ADOPTION DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED OUT OF KENNEL UNTIL AN INTERVIEW HAS BEEN COMPLETED!