The Dewitt Animal Hospital is the shelter for the City of Syracuse Dog Control. We receive stray dogs and injured cats that the dedicated officers of Syracuse Dog Control bring in throughout the year. Animals are evaluated by the doctor and staff for health and behavioral concerns. Each dog is held at the shelter to be reclaimed by an owner for a city minimum of five days. If the animal is not reclaimed, then the animal is allowed to be adopted out to an appropriate home or transferred to another rescue. Many of the dogs housed at DeWitt Animal Hospital will stay a number of weeks before the right match is found for them. During this time the staff gets to know more about their temperament and any health concerns can be addressed. If you are interested in giving a shelter dog a second chance, please contact us!

The adoption procedure begins with a visit to the shelter and a one page application. During your visit you will get a chance to walk through the kennel. If you find a dog you are interested in, a staff member can bring the dog into an area for you to have time to interact together. The adoption applications are usually processed within 72 hours.

The fee for dog adoptions includes the following: Health Examination, 1st Distemper (DHLPP) vaccination, 1st Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination, 1-year Rabies vaccination (if the dog is over 12 weeks of age), Home-Again Microchip implantation and 1st year registration, and Heartworm testing. The total adoption will cost ~$197. For pets that are not already altered, $40 of that fee will be refunded once the pet is spayed or neutered. We ask that all adopters have their new pet spayed/neutered to help reduce pet overpopulation! The adopter is also responsible for licensing the dog prior to adoption. Paperwork needed for the dog license will be provided by Dewitt Animal Hospital once the Adoption Application has been approved. The approximate cost for licensing is ~$20.

The fee for cat adoptions includes the following: Health Examination, 1st Distemper (FVRCP) vaccination, 1-year Rabies vaccination, Feline Leukemia/FIV Testing, ears are checked for ear mites and treated if necessary and flea prevention is applied. The adoption fee for cats is $145. If the cat is not already altered, there is a refundable $40 cash deposit collected at the time of adoption. This would be refunded to the owner once proof of spay/neuter is received.

As with all animals that are held at our shelter, we will spay/neuter them prior to adoption as time allows. 

If you have lost or found a pet in the City of Syracuse, please call Syracuse Dog Control at 473-6608.

We advertise our pets for adoption on Facebook. Please visit our facebook page to view dogs currently available for adoption!