Yes! We are operating normally. For more information about intake or lost-and-found pets, click here.

If the pet is friendly, approachable and manageable, consider holding onto it temporarily to give the owner more time to find the dog before taking it to a shelter. That reserves space in the shelter for animals who have nowhere else to go. We are launching a Friendly Finders program to formalize a network of helpers who will give a lost pet a comfortable place to stay during the stray hold period, in order to increase the chances of reuniting the pet with the owner. We will provide the food and supplies – you provide your loving home!

Click here for details on our Friendly Finders program.

For stray dogs:

When considering to take a lost or stray dog to a shelter or to hold onto it to help find the owner, ask the below questions to help ensure that the stray or lost dog is properly cared for and has the best chance of being reunited with its owner or finding a new loving home through the shelter system.

Have I made efforts to locate the owner myself?

Have you checked for tags, a collar, or a microchip? Have you asked around the neighborhood or posted flyers? If not, holding onto the dog temporarily while you try these methods might be beneficial.

Is the dog well-behaved and manageable?

If the dog is friendly, approachable and manageable, you might consider holding onto it temporarily to give the owner more time to find it before taking it to a shelter and reserving the space in the shelter for those animals who have nowhere else to go. Check the information on Young-Williams’ website for details on our Friendly Finder program and resources on how to find a pet’s owner.

Does the dog appear to be in immediate danger or distress?

If the dog seems injured, sick or in danger (e.g., near a busy road), it's often best to bring it to Young-Williams where it can receive medical care and protection.

Do I have the resources to care for the dog temporarily?

Consider if you have the time and space to care for the dog safely for a few days or until the owner is found. Young-Williams can provide food, a crate and other resources if needed during the holding period.

These questions can help you weigh the factors involved in deciding whether to take a lost or stray dog to a shelter or to hold onto it temporarily while trying to find its owner.

If you are unable to temporarily care for a stray dog: 

If you are able to bring the dog to the shelter, take it to our main location at 3201 Division Street and Young-Williams Animal Shelter will follow its normal intake process. If you are not able to bring in the dog, call Young-Williams Animal Services dispatch at 865-407-2229.

Tennessee State Law mandates a holding period of three days if there is no ID – tag or microchip – and five days if the animal does have identification in hopes of finding the lawful owner. Barring any medically untreatable or behaviorally untreatable conditions, once the stray-hold period is up, the animal will be scheduled for a medical exam, spay/neuter surgery if needed and made available for adoption.

These questions can help you weigh the factors involved in deciding whether to take a lost or stray pet to a shelter or to hold onto it temporarily while trying to find its owner. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the pet's safety and well-being while maximizing the chances of reuniting it with its owner.

If you’re interested in adopting the dog, you can express your interest to the Intake Department. Even if you hope to keep the pet, you are required by law to wait for the 3-5 day stray hold. If the animal is not claimed during that period, you may re-home them. The staff can guide you through the adoption process and inform you about any possible fees or requirements.

Our job is to prioritize the health and safety of animals and people in Knoxville and Knox County and create a long-lasting impact to help solve the problem of stray pets. We are proactively working to do both through programming to help pet owners and responsible sheltering practices, which include managed intake. This includes widely accepted animal welfare best practices such as requiring appointments for owner surrender, or managing community cats in their outdoor environment.

We are and will continue to assist and take animals, kittens and puppies, injured or sick pets and those in need of help, both from community members and from Young-Williams Animal Services (our field services department).

For more information on our intake practices or lost-and-found pets, click here.

Dogs only have a 10% chance of being reclaimed once they go to a shelter, and cats around 4%. The public can help keep animals out of the shelter by looking for the owner, who typically is within a one-mile radius and usually within a couple of streets.

When you find a pet, remember two things: search to see if the owner is looking for the pet and tell everyone about the found animal to see if anyone recognizes it. By temporarily holding a healthy and friendly pet and searching for its home, you are giving the pet a much better chance of getting back to its family. Also post the pet on Petco Love Lost, which is linked to other neighborhood apps like Nextdoor and Ring.

Our intake department can help you with these steps and posting lost pets on shelter pages; call them at 865-433-9922.  The shelter will ask for details about where and when the dog was found, its physical description – such as breed, size, color, and any identifying marks – and its behavior.

We are!

We continue to take cats who are sick or injured, cats who clearly appear to be pets and kittens who are too young to survive. We have cats and kittens available for adoption right now.

We do not take in community cats who live outdoors and are healthy. Community cats overwhelm shelters and cause overcrowding, illness and stress.

Owned cats who roam actually are upwards of 65% more likely to go home on their own than be reunited in a shelter. On average, less than 3% of stray cats are reunited with owners at Young-Williams Animal Center. The owners assume the cat will come home. The national average of cats reunited with their owners through a shelter is approximately 4%.

We strongly advocate for pet cat owners to keep their cats inside both for their safety and the safety of neighborhood wildlife. Pet cats can live fulfilled lives inside with enrichment like cat trees, toys, interactive play and even other cats for companionship.

Additional information about community cats is available at https://www.young-williams.org/community-cats/ with FAQs answered at https://www.young-williams.org/community-cat-diversion-faq/.

By enrolling in our Friendly Finder Program, you can help a lost pet by providing a comfortable place for them to serve their 5-day stray hold, increasing their chance of reuniting with their family and keeping a kennel open at the shelter for incoming animals. Friendly Finders are true lifesavers!

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

What we are doing to find the owner:

After you bring the lost pet to the shelter initially, we’ll work with you to get the animal’s profile created and their photo posted on our website, in addition to making sure it is vaccinated and receive flea and tick preventatives. With your help, a Petco Love Lost report will be submitted. In addition to filing this lost report, we are:

• Posting the pet on our website
• Posting the pet to Young-Williams’ Lost & Found Facebook page
• Monitoring Lost & Found Facebook groups, NextDoor and other community websites for potential matches

What to expect if the shelter locates the owner:

If the owner of the pet comes forward, we will ask you to return the pet to the shelter within 24 hours. We will then set up a time for the owner to come in and pick up their pet.

What to do if you locate the owner:

If someone reaches out to you claiming that they are the owner of the pet, first gather their name and phone number in case you need it later. The following questions will help you confirm ownership of the pet:

• Ask the owner when and where the pet was lost. Does this match up with when and where you found the pet? (This may not always match exactly but is a good start.)
• If the pet was found wearing a collar, ask the owner to describe the color and pattern of the collar
• Ask for the owner to send vet records or rabies licensing via text or email.
• If pet is microchipped, does the information on the microchip match the owner’s information
• Ask the owner to provide pictures of the pet with them or family members

Once ownership is confirmed, contact our Intake Department at 865-433-9922 to notify them the owner is found.

Next, schedule a time to meet the owner at the shelter to complete paperwork. Do not hand over the pet to the potential owner. They must reclaim their pet at the shelter. This will help us ensure the pet is going back to the lawful owner, keep accurate ownership records and register their microchip correctly.

If you are uncomfortable with confirming proof of ownership, please obtain the potential owner’s information and send it to the Intake Department – we are more than happy to lead reunification efforts!

What to expect if an owner is not located:

One of our Intake Specialists will schedule an appointment for the at the end of the stray hold to bring the animal into the shelter or see if you’d like to adopt the pet or sign-up to foster the pet, providing you with the next steps. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email [email protected].