What You Should Expect

The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) accepts the surrender of stray and owned dogs and cats by appointment. Please call (502) 366-3355 to schedule an admissions appointment. Phones are answered seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. If we are unable to take your call, please leave a message and it will be returned within 24 hours. Appointments are scheduled seven days a week, excluding holidays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

We suggest that you complete the following prior to your admissions appointment:
•    Complete a dog owner questionnaire or a cat owner questionnaire and email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
     (you may also print and bring with you);
•    Make sure your animal is clean and well groomed, with nails trimmed;
•    Your animal should be free of parasites, such as fleas, ticks, and ear mites;
•    Your animal should be up to date on vaccines.

Please expect your appointment to take approximately 30 minutes. You should bring the dog/cat owner questionnaire, all medical records for your animal, and a photo ID of yourself. Your animal will receive a health and temperament evaluation and one of our admissions counselors will go over your owner questionnaire with you. This will help us in placing your animal in the best possible new home for them.

The fees for surrendering animals are listed below. It costs KHS at least $250 to provide care for each animal that comes to us, so we welcome any contribution you are able to make over the required fee.

The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) understands how difficult it can be to surrender a pet. That’s why we offer the Guaranteed Attempt to Place (GAP) program. Through this optional program, we can assure that your cat or dog will be placed for adoption, giving you peace of mind that your pet will have a second chance at a permanent, loving home. Plus, all GAP fees help support KHS mission programs. Learn more about the GAP Program.

There are some circumstances where animals cannot be placed up for adoption. These include:

• When animals show signs of aggressive or unsociable behavior during administration of a nationally recognized temperament test. Please be aware that an animal that is friendly in your home may react differently towards strangers in the stressful shelter environment.
• When a veterinarian, after examination, determines the animal is physically unsuitable for adoption.