Kent County Animal Shelter

06/23/2026

This big beautiful girl is a volunteer favorite. Volunteers (and staff) would LOVE to see her find her forever family!

We don’t see this look from Phoebe right away.

It comes after time outside, a little reassurance, and the moment she decides she can trust you.

When volunteers get her out for a walk, she’s ready to go. The kennel is loud, and she seems eager to put some space between herself and all that noise.

But outside? That’s where we get to see Phoebe.

She leans into her volunteer for pets and reassurance. She walks at the perfect “hand nearby” height, as if she’s happiest knowing someone is right there with her. She’s soft, sweet, and tenderhearted.

Now, if a squirrel appears, Phoebe absolutely remembers she has places to be. But most of the time, she’s a peaceful-walks-and-loving-snuggles kind of girl.

Phoebe is as sweet as she is beautiful, and she’s ready for someone to see her.

Come meet Phoebe at Kent County Animal Shelter. And if you have questions about how she may do with dogs, cats, kids, or your home, please ask KCAS staff when you visit.

06/17/2026

When the Shelter Is Full, Our Staff Keep Showing Up

High intake days are some of the most challenging days in animal sheltering.

When kennels are nearly full and the phones keep ringing, our team continues to show up with compassion, professionalism, and a commitment to the animals in our care. Every day, they work tirelessly to ensure that each animal receives food, clean housing, medical attention, enrichment, and kindness, regardless of how busy the shelter becomes.

Behind the scenes, staff are cleaning kennels, administering medications, assisting the public, caring for sick and injured animals, helping lost pets find their way home, and supporting adopters. It is demanding work that often goes unseen, but it makes a life-changing difference for the animals who depend on us.

To every member of our shelter team: thank you.

Thank you for your compassion on the hard days.

Thank you for your patience when resources are stretched thin.

Thank you for your commitment to providing exceptional care, even when the workload feels extra heavy.

Most importantly, thank you for never losing sight of why this work matters.

Animals like Hulk pictured below are fortunate to have a team that works so hard on their behalf every single day. ❤️

Did we mention HULK is ready for adoption? He is a giant cuddle bug and a staff favorite. He is just waiting to meet you at KCAS!

06/16/2026

🚨 KCAS Needs Your Help 🚨

Our shelter is nearing capacity. As of today, we have only 9 dog kennels available, and many of the dogs currently in our care are on mandatory stray hold and cannot leave the shelter for several days.


When the shelter becomes full, it becomes increasingly difficult to provide space for lost, abandoned, and emergency animals that need our help, and we must continue to accept stray dogs even if we are running out of space. The good news is that our community can make a difference.

🐾 How You Can Help Reduce Shelter Intake:

✅ Adopt – Opening your home to a shelter pet creates lifesaving space for another animal in need. We currently have wonderful dogs waiting for families, and our dog adoption fees are just $70, including vaccinations, microchip, and spay/neuter surgery. Meet them all here: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/198/Adoptable-Animals

✅ Reclaim Lost Pets Quickly – If you're missing a pet, check our lost pet page here: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/188/Lost-Found Bringing pets home quickly helps free up valuable kennel space.

✅ Help Reunite Lost Pets in the Community – Before bringing a found pet to the shelter, consider posting on local lost-and-found pet pages, checking for identification tags, or having the pet scanned for a microchip at a veterinary clinic or one of our 24-hour scanning sites. Petco Love Lost uses pet facial recognition to match lost and found pets. PLUS every stary animal at the shelter is automatically added to the site! https://petcolove.org/lost/

✅ Share This Post – Every share helps more people see the animals waiting for homes and increases the chances of successful reunifications.

Together, we can ensure KCAS remains able to help animals in need while providing quality care for every pet in our shelter.

Thank you for supporting the animals of our community. ❤️🐶🐱

Browse through lists of adoptable animals in Kent County.

06/12/2026

One of our amazing volunteers took this happy boy for a day out of the shelter. Here is what she had to say!!

Hondo’s Morning Out!

Hondo was very good on the car ride, settling down in the backseat and only occasionally came to have his face right by me. He thought about going in the very back a couple of times but I just had to say “Hondo down” and he sat back down.

First stop: spa treatment! He jumped right up into the wash area and stood still while I washed him. It did help that I told him what a good boy he is. He charmed the Chowhound staff because when they gave him a treat, I told Hondo to sit—which he did—and then quickly raised his paw for shake.

We then went to Reed’s Lake. He was great walking past all the people there. When he saw one dog, he started to lean that way and started to grumble and I quickly said “Hondo” —he then turned and sat in front of me, ready for his treat.

We had a lot of fun out and he is very easy to be with and extremely easy to walk.

And now after his bath, he’s not only handsome, he’s extra clean.

Stop by and meet him at KCAS, no appointment necessary!
Don't forget, the shelter opens at 10:00 AM on Saturdays.

06/12/2026

🐾 53 Animals Found Their Way Home This Week! 🐾

So far this week, 53 animals left our shelter through adoptions and reclaims, and we couldn't be more grateful to our community for helping pets find their families. ❤️

But our work isn't done yet.

We still have 92 animals in our care. Some are available for adoption right now, while others are on stray hold, recovering in foster homes from illness or injury, or simply waiting to grow big enough for adoption.

Every animal in our shelter is receiving the care they need while they wait for their next chapter, but we'd love to see more of them leave the shelter and head home.

🐶 Now through June 20, all dog adoption fees are just $70!

Your adoption fee includes:
✅ Spay/neuter surgery
✅ Age-appropriate vaccinations
✅ Microchip
✅ Health screening and care

For less than the cost of many routine veterinary visits, you can give a deserving dog a second chance and gain a loyal companion for life.

Come meet your new best friend and help us create even more happy endings this week. 🐕❤️

Check out our goofy boy Dante below. He is one of our many pets ready for adoption!

See all their happy faces here: https://www.kentcountymi.gov/198/Adoptable-Animals

06/10/2026

Today we will have TWENTY TWO kittens available for adoption!! 😻

Twenty-two adorable kitten faces looking for new homes at our Chow Hound on Knapps Corner and Northland Drive.

To visit with them and potentially adopt them, go straight to the store and pickout your new fluffy best friend! You can check our website to see who is where and head right over there!

06/08/2026

🐾 Come meet this handsome fella today! 🐾

He's ready to find a family of his own and would love to meet you! All dog meet-and-greets at KCAS are conducted on a walk-in basis, no appointment necessary.

This is what a shelter break did for Shadow. 💙

Shadow got a field trip to Provin Trails this morning. This handsome husky is one of our Volunteer Picks, and today showed us exactly why.

Shadow is becoming more stressed at the shelter, so getting him away from the kennel mattered. At the trail, he was excited and ready to go. After a few minutes, he started to settle. Just a little bit longer and he was walking at an easy pace, enjoying the trail, taking in the woods, and showing us the dog we know is there underneath the shelter stress.

Shadow did well in the car — although he didn’t always understand why he had to stay in the back seat. We’re pretty sure he would rather be right next to his people so he can give kisses more easily. On the ride back, he was relaxed, tired, and laid down for much of the way.

He was curious when he saw other people and dogs, but there were no worries. Mostly, Shadow just wanted to explore, hike, and be near his people. And by the end of the outing, he was ready for pets and love.

Shadow is fun, affectionate, athletic, and ready for someone who sees the adventure buddy in him. We think his future could include a lot of great hikes.

Please come meet Shadow soon. He is a volunteer favorite, and we really want his person to find him before the shelter stress is too much.

06/08/2026

Billy 😍

🎾Meet Billy! 🎾

At 3 years old and around 60 lbs, Billy is the definition of a good boy looking for a second chance.

This sweet, gentle guy has great leash manners and loves getting out for walks. He may pull a little at first, but that’s only because he’s so excited to stretch his legs and spend time with his people!

Billy has done well with some other dogs, but there’s one thing you should know: he is very passionate about his balls and toys. Sharing isn’t exactly his favorite thing. And honestly, can you blame him? You probably wouldn’t want to share your candy bar either! 🍫😂 Because of that, he’d likely do best with dogs who aren’t as toy-obsessed as he is.

Billy is an easygoing, lovable boy who just wants a home, a few toys, and someone to love. Right now, he’s waiting for someone to notice him and give him the chance he deserves.

❤️ Please share Billy and help this wonderful boy find his way out of the shelter and into a home. He’s more than ready. 🏡

Kent Count Animal Shelter
740 Fuller Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-632-7300
[email protected]

https://www.kentcountymi.gov/1564/Dogs &page=shelterluv_wrap_1733858364%2Fembed%2Fanimal%2FKCAS-A-72445