Animal rescue · Butchertown, Louisville
There's more than one way to get an animal home
Most people find us because they want to adopt. Adoption is only one of the four doors, and the other three are what keep the first one open. Pick the one that fits your life right now.
Door one
Meet who's here
Filter by species, size, age and who they get along with. Tap any animal to read their whole story. Sample animals
No one here matches all of those at once. Try clearing a filter, or call us at (502) 555-0140 and we'll tell you who's coming out of foster this week.
What happens next
A clear adoption path
Four steps. Most adoptions are done in a week.
Apply online
Fifteen minutes, no fee. Tell us about your household, your other animals, and your landlord if you rent.
We call you
An adoption counselor calls within two business days. This is a conversation, not an interview, and you can ask us anything.
Meet in person
Come to the campus where your animal is staying. Bring the whole household, including any resident dog, so we can do a proper meet.
Go home
Sign, pay the fee, and take home the medical file plus the food they're already eating. We check in at day three and day thirty.
| Animal | Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Puppies and kittens under 6 months | $175 | Spay or neuter, full vaccine series, microchip, deworming |
| Dogs 6 months to 7 years | $145 | Spay or neuter, vaccines, microchip, heartworm test, 30 days of prevention |
| Cats 6 months to 7 years | $95 | Spay or neuter, vaccines, microchip, FeLV and FIV test |
| Any animal 8 years or older | $50 | Everything above, plus a written summary of any ongoing condition |
| Rabbits and other small pets | $40 | Spay or neuter, wellness exam, starter hay and pellets |
| Second cat adopted the same day | $25 | Spay or neuter, vaccines, microchip, FeLV and FIV test |
| Bonded pair, adopted together | $95 | Everything above, for both cats. We never split a bonded pair. |
Door two
Foster is the reason we can say yes
Every foster home frees a kennel for the next animal. We cover everything below.
What we cover
- All food, litter, bedding, bowls, and a crate or pen
- Every bit of vet care and every prescription, at our clinic
- An on-call foster line that a real person answers until 10pm
- Transport help if you can't get to Story Avenue
- A no-questions return within 48 hours if it isn't working
Foster application
Takes about five minutes. The foster coordinator calls you within two business days.
Demo form. Nothing is sent.
Door three
Open shifts
Pick a shift and claim a spot. First time? Start with an orientation.
| Role | Campus | When | Open | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning dog walker | Butchertown | Mon to Fri, 7:00 to 9:00am | 3 spots | |
| Cat room socializer | Butchertown | Daily, 9:00 to 11:00am | 2 spots | |
| Satellite adoption host | East End | Saturdays, 11:00am to 3:00pm | 1 spot | |
| Laundry and dishes | Butchertown | Sundays, 4:00 to 6:00pm | 4 spots | |
| Transport driver | Varies | 2nd Sunday, 8:00am to 1:00pm | 2 spots | |
| Clinic check-in desk | Poplar Level | Tue and Thu, 7:15 to 11:00am | 2 spots |
Volunteers are 16 and up. Ages 12 to 15 can volunteer with a parent.
Orientation
Every new volunteer starts here. Pick a session and save a seat. Sample dates
Saturday session
· 10 am · Butchertown
Evening session
· 6 pm · Butchertown
Satellite session
· 11 am · East End
Door four
Give
Give once or monthly. Monthly gifts let us plan the clinic calendar.
Demo: no payment is taken.
What your gift covers Sample figures
$50 A one-time gift, put to work the week it arrives.
Clinic and services
Community clinic
Low-cost care for any pet in Jefferson County. You don't have to adopt from us to use it. Sample prices
Low-cost spay and neuter
Booked out about three weeks. Drop off at 7:30am, pick up the same afternoon.
- Cat, male$55
- Cat, female$75
- Dog under 40 lbs$110
- Dog 40 to 80 lbs$135
- Dog over 80 lbs$165
Walk-in vaccine clinic
Every second and fourth Saturday, 9:00am to noon. No appointment, first come first served.
- Rabies, one year$15
- DHPP, dogs$20
- FVRCP, cats$20
- Bordetella$18
- Nail trim while you wait$12
Microchip and registration
Takes two minutes and doesn't need sedation. We register the chip in the room so it's live before you leave.
- Chip plus lifetime registration$25
- Update an existing chipFree
- Scan a found animalFree
Pet food pantry
Free, no paperwork, no questions. Second and fourth Saturday at the Butchertown campus, 10:00am to 1:00pm.
- Dog or cat food, up to 30 daysFree
- Litter, one bag per householdFree
- Flea prevention, while supplies lastFree
Book spay and neuter by phone. For an emergency, call your vet or an emergency animal hospital.
If you're the one who needs help
Surrender, intake, and found animals
This rescue is made up. If you found an animal in Louisville, call Louisville Metro Animal Services.
I need to rehome my own animal
Start with the surrender line at (502) 555-0140, option 3. We're a managed-intake rescue, which means we take animals by appointment as space opens rather than turning them away at a door.
Before you surrender, ask us about the alternatives. A lot of the calls we get end with the animal staying home.
- Behavior help: two free sessions with our trainer, on the phone or in person
- Cost help: the pantry, and payment plans on clinic work
- Housing help: a list of Louisville landlords who take large dogs
- Short-term boarding if you're in a crisis, up to 30 days
If surrender is still the right call, there's a $40 fee that we waive on request. Bring vet records and whatever food they're on.
I found a stray
Please scan for a microchip first. We scan for free at any campus during open hours, and no, you don't have to hand the animal over to do it.
- Get the animal somewhere safe and contained
- Bring them in for a free chip scan, or ask any vet to scan
- File a found report with Louisville Metro Animal Services, because that's where owners look first
- Post to the neighborhood groups with a photo and cross streets
Found dogs get home fastest when the finder does those four things. We'll walk you through it on the phone if you'd rather.
I want to bring you an animal from another shelter or a transport
We take transfers from rural Kentucky and southern Indiana shelters most weeks, and we prioritize animals whose time is up. Partner shelters should email transfers with a list and photos.
We can usually confirm a transport within 48 hours. Our limit is the number of open foster homes that week, not the building.
If you're an individual who trapped a litter or pulled an animal from a bad situation, call the surrender line instead. That's the same process, and we don't judge how the animal got to you.
I'm reporting cruelty or neglect
We can't investigate, and telling us delays the people who can. Cruelty and neglect reports in Jefferson County go to Louisville Metro Animal Services, and to the police if an animal is in immediate danger.
Once a case is resolved, we're often the ones who take the animals. That's the point at which we can help.
Visit
Locations and hours
Butchertown Adoption Center
Main campus
Story Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 555-0140
- Monday and TuesdayClosed to the public
- Wednesday to Friday12:00pm to 7:00pm
- Saturday10:00am to 6:00pm
- Sunday12:00pm to 5:00pm
East End Satellite
Inside Ridgeway Pet Supply
Taylorsville Road
Louisville, KY 40220
(502) 555-0162
- Monday to WednesdayClosed
- Thursday and Friday4:00pm to 8:00pm
- Saturday11:00am to 5:00pm
- Sunday12:00pm to 4:00pm
Beargrass Community Clinic
Low-cost clinic, by appointment
Poplar Level Road
Louisville, KY 40213
(502) 555-0175
- Monday to Thursday7:30am to 4:00pm
- Friday7:30am to 12:00pm
- Surgery daysTuesday and Thursday
- Saturday and SundayClosed, except vaccine clinic
Calendar Sample dates
Coming up
Yappy Hour on Story Avenue
Third Friday of every month, 5:00 to 8:00pm. Adoptable dogs on the patio, no cover, leashed dogs welcome. Butchertown campus.
Kitten shower supply drive
Second Saturday in April, 10:00am to 2:00pm. Bring formula, heating pads, or towels. Foster coordinator will be there to sign people up.
Fee-waived weekend for seniors
First weekend in November, Saturday and Sunday. Adoption fees waived on every animal eight and older, at both adoption campuses. The application still applies.
Bark and Brunch, our one fundraiser
First Sunday in October, 11:00am. Tickets $65, tables of eight $480. This one morning covers about a fifth of the clinic's yearly budget.
Transparency
Where the money goes
Our numbers for last year. Ask at the front desk for the full annual report and our tax filing. Sample figures, not real results
How we spent it
Adopted Sample stories
Where are they now
Still counter-surfs. Now sleeps through the night.
Hank, six months homeSample story, not a real adoption
Claimed the sunniest windowsill. Puts up with the kids.
Lulu, three months homeSample story, not a real adoption
Slow walks, a first-floor bedroom and his own end of the couch.
Moose, one year homeSample story, not a real adoption
Get in touch
Talk to a person
Call, email or send a note. We answer within two business days.
- Main line(502) 555-0140
- Clinic front desk(502) 555-0175
- Emailhello@example.org
- Mail and drop-offsStory Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206
Send us a note
Demo form. Nothing is sent.