Located just 20 minutes southwest of the Villages of Citrus, Citrus County Animal Services handles an astounding number of animal-related issues throughout the community.

They might be best known for being the primary location for pet adoption in our community, but they also utilize volunteers and donations to serve the community in ways that many people never even think to consider.

To help shed some light on everything that this fascinating operation does for both two- and four-legged residents of Citrus County, let’s take a quick look at the wide range of responsibility they are tasked with.

Local Pet Adoptions

In January of 2020, Citrus County Animal Services facilitated the adoptions of 70 dogs and 46 cats, as well as four other animals.

Adopting a pet there is actually a very simple process that just requires a valid photo ID from a local resident that is at least 18 years old, along with cash, check, or credit card to pay for the adoption fee.

The standard adoption fee is $60 for dogs and puppies and $35 for cats and kittens.

Other Animal Services Programs

In addition to facilitating more than 100 adoptions each month, Citrus County Animal Services also offers other programs like Barn Cat Adoptions and TNVR.

The Barn Cat Adoption Program offers free adoption of outdoor cats. While these cats are not suitable for adoption as indoor pets, they can be one of the best pest control options for anyone who has a large barn.

The TNVR program stands for “Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return.” This program targets what are known as community cats (friendly local strays) and allows them to provide positives like pest control while still controlling their population and monitoring for diseases.

Donation Requests

With everything that goes on at Citrus County Animal Services, it is no surprise that they are pretty much always looking for donations of all kinds of supplies.

In addition to using donated supplies for their own operation, they also manage the pet sections at eight food pantries located around the county as part of the Community Food Bank of Citrus County.

Items like towels, blankets, Dawn dish soap, canned food, dry food, and various treats and toys are always needed, and Citrus County Animal Services makes sure that all of these supplies are provided to the local residents that need them the most.

Volunteer Opportunities

Donating supplies is a fantastic way to help out Citrus County Animal Services, but donating your time can have an even more powerful impact on the community.

One way for local animal lovers to volunteer is to sign up to become a foster caregiver for shelter animals. This typically involves letting sheltered dogs and/or cats into your home for months at a time, and there is some basic training required.

Another way to volunteer at Citrus County Animal Services is to show up in person and help out with basic tasks like answering the phones, helping out with the animals, walking dogs, and cuddling kittens.

Citrus County Animal Services handles a wide range of animal-related operations that all seek to make Citrus County a better community. And with the addition of your help, they can continue to improve our community for years to come.

Even if you don’t have the time or the means to help out in a significant way, don’t hesitate to stop by their facility in Inverness and check out everything that they have going on there.