FAQ's

Q. What are your hours?
A. 12pm - 6pm everyday and open till 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays

Q. What are your adoption fees?
A.$ 55.00 for a cat, $75.00 for an adult dog, $150 for a puppy or small breed. Dogs that are in higher demand, purebreds with papers, or dogs that have had expensive medical treatment while in our care may have a higher adoption fee.

Q. Are you a no kill shelter?
A. We are a low kill shelter, meaning we only euthanize due to extreme medical or behavioral problems which make the animal unadoptable.There is no time limit on an animal's stay, and no animal is euthanized just to make space for another.

Q. Can I bring an animal from out of Chico?
A. Because we are a low kill shelter, we are limited on space. Out of town surrenders will be taken if we have space, and are subject to surrender fees. An out of town strays need to go to that city or towns' shelter or, if in an unincorporated area of Butte County, to the county shelter in Oroville.

Q. Is there a fee to drop off my pet?
A. There is a $25.00 surrender fee for animals in Chico, or spayed/neutered animals from outside the city. There is a $75.00 surrender fee for out of area animals that are not altered.

Q. Where can I get my animal spayed or neutered?
A. We unfortunately do not have a vet, so therefore we cannot spay or neuter your pets. However, Paws of Chico can help low income individuals with the cost of spay / neuter in needed. There is also a spay / neuter clinic in Oroville who will do low cost spay / neuter for anyone. Paws of Chico's number is 895-2109 and the Oroville Clinic is 534-0900.

Q. What do I need to bring to do an adoption?
A. You will need:

• A driver's license or State issued ID
• Cash or a card (we do not accept checks for adoption)
• Documentation that proves you are allowed to have pets where you live (such as a copy of your lease, a copy of tax stubs or deed proving ownership of your residence, or letter from landlord or apartment manager on letterhead with a phone number to reach them.) If you bring in your lease copy if it says you need to pay a deposit, you must also bring proof you've paid it.

Q. Why do you need a copy of my ID when I drop off a stray?
A. We need to be able to have documentation as to who brought the in the animal. People do bring in neighbors' or relatives' pets and we need to be able to show Animal Control who brought in an animal incase there is a legal matter.

Q. Why is there a Spay / Neuter fine for my registered breeding dog?
A. It is not illegal to have an unaltered animal. However, if your unaltered animal is running loose and unsupervised, it could impregnate another animal or become pregnant itself. 

Section 30804.7 of the Food and Agricultural Code of the State of California states:

(a) The owner of a nonspayed or unneutered dog that is impounded once by a city or county animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or humane society, shall be fined thirty-five dollars ($35) on the first occurrence, fifty dollars ($50) on the second occurrence, and one hundred dollars ($100) for the third or subsequent occurrence. These fines are for unaltered impounded animals only, and are not in lieu of any fines or impound fees imposed by any individual city, county, public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, or humane society shelter.

In order to have this fine revoked and refunded to you in full, written proof of spay/neuter from a veterinarian should be provided within 21 days.

Please be advised that falsifying proof of spay/neuter, providing inaccurate information on ownership, or issuing a check for insufficient funds is subject to civil penalties up to one hundred dollars ($100).

Q. Can you do vaccines?
A. We do not do vaccinations for the public; However, there is a low-cost vaccination clinic that comes to our shelter every other Saturday. Please see events calendar for dates and times.

Q. Why would you deny someone for an adoption?
A. Applications are done for all animals to make sure your home and family is the best fit for the animal's needs. If the staff feels the animal will not be a good match for your home, we may suggest an animal who would be a better match. This process helps us cut down on returned animals and helps to make the transition for the animal a happy and healthy one.

Q. When will you be getting in a certain kind of animal?
A. We are not sure when we will be getting a certain breed in. Our animals are either strays or surrendered by an owner. Check our website frequently for the type of animal you are looking for.We post all of our new incoming animals as we get them in. At this time we are unable to take breed requests.

Q. Why are puppies and small breed dogs more expensive?
A. Puppies and small breed dogs are more expensive for mainly two reasons. They are more desired than large or adult dogs and they cost significantly more to get them ready for adoption. Puppies or small breed dogs most times need more medical attention and we need to try and recoup those costs.