Residents within Smithville City limits reporting strays: Please call the shelter at 615-597-3647 or, if after hours, call Dispatch at 615-215-3000

Residents outside City limits, but within DeKalb County reporting strays: Please call Dispatch at 615-215-3000. Per the contract between DeKalb County and the DeKalb Animal Coalition, Animal Control can only respond to strays in the county when dispatched by the County Mayor or the Sheriff's office.

If you have an animal complaint or need to report animal neglect, please use the Contact Us feature to provide a detailed description.

Please do not pick up stray animals and bring them to the shelter. We are currently at full capacity and cannot accept stray animals without prior coordination. Unannounced drop-offs will be turned away—please call us first to discuss available options. Follow the above guidelines to make a report. 

At this time, our shelter is operating beyond capacity, and we are facing serious limitations in space and resources. Because of this, we unfortunately cannot guarantee that we will be able to take in stray animals that members of the public feed or pick up, even if brought to our attention. While we truly appreciate the compassion behind wanting to help stray animals, we ask that you please do not feed or handle them unless you are prepared to provide ongoing care yourself. Feeding or relocating animals without the ability to follow through often leads to unintended harm—it can cause animals to stay in unsafe areas, reduce their chances of being located by animal services, or result in them being brought to an already overwhelmed shelter.

If you encounter an animal in distress or have questions about what to do, please contact us first at 615-597-3647. This allows us to provide guidance and assess the best course of action based on current capacity and resources.

We are grateful for your care and understanding as we work through these difficult circumstances and continue doing our best to serve the animals and community. While we are deeply committed to the welfare of every animal, our shelter operates within the limits of available space, funding, and resources. Unfortunately, this means we are not always able to take in every stray animal. We continuously strive to help as many as we can and work with local partners and the community to expand our impact. We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate these difficult realities.