The Dog The Pound Picked Up
G.S. 19A-32.1 — a minimum hold of 72 hours, and the right to see every animal in the shelter
Seventy-two hours. Every animal received by a shelter is held for a minimum of 72 hours, or any longer period the county commissioners set, before it is euthanized or otherwise disposed of. Before that, it is made available for adoption, unless it is unadoptable, seriously ill or injured, or held as evidence.
Looking for a lost pet. A person who comes to a shelter looking for a lost pet is entitled to view every animal held there, under rules allowing viewing at least four hours a day, three days a week.
Dangerous dog proceedings, bite quarantines, and local fee schedules are set out elsewhere and are not on this page. What a particular shelter's hours or fees are is a question for that shelter or a licensed North Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.S. 19A-32.1 — Minimum holding period for animals in animal shelters
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Carolina attorney.