Columbia Animal Services making headway in “helping people help pets”

Columbia Animal Services’ mission of “helping people help pets” is being met through modern animal welfare practices that focus on providing valuable resources and education to the community. Through cost-efficient pet care services as well as managed intake programs, Columbia Animal Services is redefining its role, shifting beyond the concept of using the shelter as a first resort for pet relinquishment.

Starting tomorrow, April 1, 2025, residents in the City of Columbia and Richland County can get their pet microchipped for just $10 at Columbia Animal Services located at 127 Humane Lane, Columbia, SC 29209. This service enhances pet identification and return-to-owner rates, which keeps pets out of the shelter long-term and saves the shelter valuable resources to assist with animals at the shelter. Citizens interested in microchipping their pet just need to bring proof of residency within the City or Columbia or Richland County. This service is available Monday through Friday from Noon to 5:00 p.m.; no appointment is required.

Additionally, Animal services’ managed intake program, “Home to Home,” is designed to enhance shelter support to pet owners by assisting owners through the rehoming process with a goal of rehoming the pet within the community, rather than traditional shelter impoundment as a first resort. This program is in line with current best practices across the country and has already brought great success to Columbia’s animal shelter, successfully placing nearly 300 pets in new homes since July of 2023.

National data gives promise to the ongoing success of this effort as studies show 87% of dogs and 85% of cats are successfully diverted from shelters through supportive rehoming programs, sparking a national trend in sheltering. For more information on supportive self-rehoming, please email rehoming@columbiasc.gov and a case worker will follow-up with you.

In a recent roundtable project with Human Animal Support Services (HASS), shelter leadership met with various agencies related to social services in an effort to discover where they can refocus their efforts to better assist their community’s citizens and pets. Columbia Animal Services sees this as one-step closer toward building a network of resources for those in need in the Columbia area, and is aiming to expand this network locally and nationally to better serve the community.

Columbia Animal Services will continue to be a vital resource for individuals who genuinely need shelter intervention for their pets. However, the shelter is committed to exploring every available option to avoid unnecessary intake where possible, offering pet food, basic vetting, and needed supplies. Through proactive intake diversion programs, and community partnerships, the agency will work to provide alternative solutions that help keep animals in their homes or rehome them directly within the community. This approach ensures that the shelter remains a safety net for those in urgent need, while minimizing the reliance on traditional sheltering, and focusing on keeping animals out of the system when they don’t need to be there.