Dubois County Humane Society: Understanding how stray animals are handled in Dubois County

We receive many calls and messages about stray dogs, and we completely understand why. When you see a lost dog, your first instinct is to help—and we love that our community cares so much.

One thing that can sometimes be confusing is that the Dubois County Humane Society is not the animal control agency. We are a not-for-profit private entity that operates as a limited-intake facility; we do not have the resources to immediately pick up stray animals in the community.

Here’s how the process works:

If you encounter a stray dog and it is safe to do so, the first step is to safely secure the dog if possible. Once the dog has been contained, you should contact local law enforcement for the area where the dog was found.

Law enforcement places the dog in a stray hold. This allows time for an owner to locate and reclaim their pet. The length of that hold depends on where the dog was found:

• Inside city limits: typically around 3-5 days

• Outside city limits: can be up to 5-7 days

**each city is different so check our local ordinance.

Once the stray hold period has been completed and the dog has not been reclaimed, the DCHS works closely with local partners to make every effort to intake the animal, provided that:

• We have available space, and

• The dog can be safely handled for both the animal’s wellbeing and the safety of our staff and volunteers

Our goal is always the same as yours: helping animals find their way home whenever possible and providing care when they need it most.

We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we work within our capacity to help as many animals as possible.