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Animal Services

Welcome to Isle of Wight County Animal Services! 

The Isle of Wight County Animal Services and related Animal Control functions are managed and staffed as a division of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.

The Animal Services Division is staffed by a Chief Animal Control Officer, four Deputy Animal Control Officers, Kennel Manager and two full time kennel attendants.  In addition, the shelter is privileged to have the additional assistance of many wonderful volunteers to help keep our animals happy and comfortable while waiting to be reunited with their owners or to find their new home.

Our Animal Control Officers (ACOs) are charged with the enforcement of Virginia State Codes, Isle of Wight County, Town of Smithfield, and Town of Windsor Ordinances pertaining to the welfare, care, and control of all domestic animals.  ACOs investigate all animal complaints including neglect and cruelty to animals. They also investigate animal bite complaints, implement, and release domestic animal quarantines.  While the ACOs are legally authorized to issue citations and take cases to court, their primary focus is on working with community residents to assist them in providing better care for their pets and observing the laws.  In addition, they respond to calls for service to perform welfare checks of animals, catch, and hopefully reunited stray/lost animals with their owners, and provide emergency assistance to abandoned animals without a known caretaker.  They also assist with daily shelter duties, attend community relations events, and adoption events.

Visiting/Adoptions Hours:

Sunday to Tuesday & Thursday to Saturday from 11:30 pm to 3:30pm
*The facility is closed to the general public every Wednesday and on Holidays*
Volunteers are accepted 7 days a week from 8 am to 3:30 pm.

Appointments are not required but strongly suggested. This ensure staffs abilities to assist you properly.

Our facility houses both stray and adoptable companion animals, located at
13044 Poor House Road Windsor, Va 23397.

Animal Control Officers:
ACOs are on duty from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, 7 days a week, answering complaints such as cruelty, animal bites, picking up strays, nuisance, vicious, injured or sick animals. If you are contacting the shelter in regards to any of the above references, please call our Non-Emergency Dispatch Department at 757-357-2151 so they can connect you with an on-duty officer. All after hour emergencies must go through dispatch which will be routed to our on-call officer.

ACOs do not pick up owner surrenders. If you are a resident of Isle of Wight County and you are trying to re-home your companion animal, please call staff at 757-365-6318 for more details.

Deceased Animals:
IOWCAS does not pick up deceased wildlife or livestock animals. Please contact VDOT at 800-367-7623 to arrange pick up.
IOWCAS will pick up deceased companion animals such as cats or dogs that are found in the roadway. 

Humane Animal Traps:
IOWCAS offers the citizens of Isle of Wight use of our humane animal traps for hard to catch strays, nuisance dogs or cats, as well sick or injured dogs and cats. These traps are issued at a first come, first serve basis and may require to sign up on a waiting list as we are limited to the number of traps available for use.

IOWCAS does NOT trap or relocate wildlife. If you are having issues with wildlife, please seek the help of a Licensed Wildlife Trapper in your area or call Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources at 1-855-571-9003.