Collin County shortens stray animal hold to three days

Losing 48 hours can decide whether a family gets its dog, cat or ferret back, or whether a rescue group has time to pull the animal before the county makes placement decisions. Collin County shortened the mandatory hold for stray and unknown-owner animals 5 months and older from 120 hours to 72 hours, a change that directly affects owners racing to reclaim missing pets and shelter staff trying to keep space open at the McKinney facility.

The Collin County Commissioners Court approved the revised Animal Impoundment Holding Policy on Monday, May 11, in Court Order 2026-524-05-11. The change applies to animals over 5 months old and excludes livestock. Under the prior policy, those animals became county property after 120 hours in impoundment, while some animals under 5 months old could become county property immediately in certain circumstances.

County officials said the shorter hold is meant to improve animal welfare by reducing time in the shelter, limiting the spread of disease and allowing animals to move more quickly into appropriate outcomes. Misty Brown, who manages the county’s animal services division, requested the policy change, and commissioners approved it on the consent agenda without discussion. The new timeline also compresses the window for people trying to locate pets that have slipped out of yards, barns or transport vehicles across Collin County.

That matters because Collin County Animal Services serves unincorporated Collin County and the cities of Anna, Celina, Fairview, Farmersville, Lavon, Lucas, Melissa, Nevada, Princeton, Prosper and Weston. The shelter is at 4750 Community Ave. in McKinney. Allen, Plano and Wylie handle their own animal control and sheltering services, while Frisco and McKinney maintain their own animal control departments, even though county staff still shelter lost animals from those cities.

The county has been under pressure to move animals faster. On April 6, commissioners approved shelter upgrades after deciding the 2023 bond package would not fully cover a new facility. County officials said the original bond amount was $5.7 million, but updated estimates put the project closer to $11.1 million. The existing shelter, built in 2006, is about 10,000 square feet. Yoon Kim, the county administrator, said unwanted dogs have risen 43% since 2020 and cats 116%, and the shelter operated at or above capacity every day in 2025.

For owners, reclaiming a lost domestic dog, cat or ferret still requires written proof of current rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian, and a rabies tag alone is not enough. Angela Lowrance, a Princeton pet advocate, said communication with the shelter is already difficult, underscoring the tension between moving animals out faster and giving families enough time to find them. Frisco plans to withdraw from the county shelter agreement in November 2028, and McKinney has also indicated it intends to leave, adding more uncertainty to a system already trying to absorb more animals with less room.