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We want your pets to be cherished family members for their entire lifetimes. Please be aware that adoption is a lifetime commitment and should be taken very seriously. The Royal Oak Animal Shelter reserves the right to deny an adoption if the applicant is deemed not to be able to provide an appropriate home for the animal under consideration. The adoption process at the Royal Oak Animal Shelter is as follows:
- Come into the Shelter to meet our many wonderful animals
- Fill-out an adoption application
- Dogs must be temperament tested together to ensure compatibility
- Application will be reviewed and approved by Shelter manager
- The adoption is completed when fees are paid and appropriate paperwork signed and processed
To help expedite the adoption process, we now have a Preliminary Adoption Questionnaire. You will see a link for the Questionnaire on every petfinder pet profile. The purpose of the form is to speed-up the process by allowing us to review some basic information; you will still have to come in to the shelter and fill-out an Adoption Application (this application is NOT available online).
The adoption fees reflect the included costs of standard vaccinations and medical exams, spay/neuter, grooming, feeding, daily care, etc., where appropriate.
| Adoption Fees | |
| Cats | $75 |
| Kitten (not fixed) | $85 |
| Kitten (fixed) | $100 |
| Dog (standard) | $150-$200 |
| Dog (small breed) | $200 |
| Dog (toy or pure breed) | $200-300 |
| Puppy | $200 |
| Sterilization deposit | $50* |
*By law we are required to charge a sterilization deposit on all unsterilized animals leaving the shelter; this deposit is refundable once the owner provides proof of sterilization within the appropriated timeframe.
"Kitten Season" generally begins in early Summer/late Spring (May-June). Depending on the winter weather, females begin getting pregnant around March-May and give birth approx two months later. Any kittens we have will be kept in our care until they are:
- 10 weeks old
- Weigh at least 2lbs
- Able to feed and clean themselves
- Received first kitten shot from the vet
We know from time-to-time a pet may escape your watch; if you have lost your pet please call your local police and any other police/shelters that border your city. You may also call the Shelter and leave a message, but please be aware our Animal Control Officer only picks-up strays in the City of Royal Oak. Be sure to leave a detailed message and include the following information:
- Breed
- Sex of animal and if sterilized
- Colour and distinguishing marks
- Any ID on the animal, including tags, collar, microchip
- City and major cross-roads the animal was lost from
- Your name and contact phone number(s)
If your animal has been brought to the ROAS, a pick-up fee(s) will be assessed based on how many times per calendar year your animal was picked-up and how many days the animal has been with us. For example, if your dog was picked-up for the first time and spent 3 days with us, the fee would be:
$35 + $60 ($20/day for 3 days) = $95
Be sure your animal is wearing his/her tags at all times and call as soon as the animal is lost to help prevent large pick-up fees. In addition to tags, you may want to consider writing your phone number with a permanent marker on the inside the collar and micro-chipping your animal to ensure a speedy reunion and avoid fees.
| Pick-up Fees | |
| 1st Pick-up | $35 |
| 2nd Pick-up | $50 |
| 3rd Pick-up | $75 |
| Stray Boarding | $20/day |
Requests for Animal Control can be made by contacting the RO Police at 248-246-3500.
Wild Animals
The ACO does NOT handle wildlife, such as birds, squirrels and skunks. If you are having issues with these critters you must contact a critter control company from the phone book. The City of Royal Oak (or ACO) does NOT loan-out or trap feral cats or wild animals (such as skunks, squirrels, raccoons or opossums).
Feral Cats
Feral cats have a home = Outdoors! Feral cats are "wild cats" that have had little or no socialization. They cannot be placed into homes and most shelters destroy them because of that fact. Feral cats can safely live outdoors for many years; they cause no more impact on their environment than raccoons. If you have feral cats in your area, please locate a feral cat TNR group by either contacting the shelter or visiting Alley Cat Allies; the City, Shelter and ACO do not have or loan traps to catch feral cats.
We know times are tough, but please don't dump/abandon your animal on someones' doorstep. Do the right thing and take them to a rescue or shelter.
Before you make the final decision please take a few minutes to read the following information (linked to PBRC; info provided is in regards to pit bulls, but is applicable to all animals). Even if you can't keep a pet any longer, your pet still depends on you to do what's best for him or her. Your pet is your responsibility. Your pet has no one else but you to look out for his or her best interest.
The ROAS is a City-run shelter meaning we only accept pets from persons living within the City. When space allows we can make exceptions, but we are a very small shelter and being No-kill are usually full. If you need to give-up a pet:
- Check with family and friends to see if they can help
- Try rescue groups for pure or nearly pure-bred animals
- Notify shelters and/or rescue groups ASAP - don't wait until 2 days before you have to leave
We can also offer to list the animal on our petfinder page. Petfinder can list 3 photos, so be sure to send clear, uncluttered photos with a nice description/info about your animal(s). Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words - what is your photo saying? You can send your photos and description to: roanimalshelterstaff@yahoo.com once you have discussed the situation with Shelter staff.
When giving-up your pet the Shelter charges a fee of $25-75 depending on the state of the animal and what needs to be done (shots, sterilization, grooming, etc.). Be sure the animal you are surrendering is secured either on a leash (dogs) or in a carrier (cats). Please bring the following:
- Food the animal is used to eating
- Any medicines or ointments
- Shot records/vet info
- Toys, treats, bedding, leash, collar, etc.