Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association: Adoption and How to Help

✍️ LargestCharities Editorial Team | 📅 Last updated: June 2026

The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association is Charleston, West Virginia's leading animal shelter, caring for around 5,000 pets a year. Its website is adoptcharleston.com. It runs adoption, the Fix Charleston spay and neuter clinic, and animal control for parts of Kanawha County. Here is how adoption, the clinic, and its services work.

TypeNo-kill; partial county animal control
Founded2013 (current era)
HeadquartersCharleston, West Virginia
Service areaKanawha County
Websiteadoptcharleston.com
Charity NavigatorThree stars (88%)
The official name is the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association and the website is adoptcharleston.com. It provides animal control only in unincorporated Kanawha County plus Glasgow and East Bank; city residents call local police. Closed Mondays.
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What the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association is

The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, often searched for as the Humane Society of the Kanawha Valley, is Charleston's main animal shelter, caring for about 5,000 pets a year. Its website is adoptcharleston.com. It describes itself as a no-kill, progressive open-intake organization and reported a 91 percent live release rate in 2021.

It provides contracted animal control, but only for unincorporated Kanawha County plus the towns of Glasgow and East Bank. Residents of Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, Nitro, and St. Albans go through their local police for animal control rather than the shelter.

Adopting a pet from the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association

Adoption fees vary by age, breed, and size rather than being a fixed schedule, so the fee is set for each animal; the organization says each adoption includes more than $350 of services. Adoption is walk-in.

The shelter is closed Monday, open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and weekends from noon to 5 p.m., with admissions ending 30 minutes before closing.

Fix Charleston, animal control, and how to help

Fix Charleston is the association's spay and neuter clinic, which has performed more than 16,000 surgeries and supported 20,000 wellness visits, with a focus on feral and free-roaming cats. The organization also runs a trap-neuter-return program for community cats, and it handles stray intake and cruelty response for the areas it covers; the cruelty line is 304-342-1576, extension 118.

Foster homes apply and complete a short orientation, providing housing, food, and toys while the association covers all medical care. The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association holds a three-star rating from Charity Navigator with an 88 percent score and is about 80 percent donor funded. Its EIN is 55-0435381.

Programs

Pet adoption

Walk-in adoption of dogs and cats in Charleston.

Fix Charleston

A spay and neuter clinic with more than 16,000 surgeries to date.

Animal control

Stray intake and cruelty response for parts of Kanawha County.

Community cats and TNR

Trap, neuter, and return for feral and free-roaming cats.

Foster care

Homes supported with all medical care covered.

Cruelty response

Investigates reports in the areas it serves; line 304-342-1576 x118.

By the numbers

Frequently asked questions

What is the official name and website?
The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, often searched for as the Humane Society of the Kanawha Valley. Its website is adoptcharleston.com.
Does it handle animal control?
Only in unincorporated Kanawha County plus Glasgow and East Bank. Residents of Charleston and other cities call their local police.
How much does it cost to adopt?
Fees vary by age, breed, and size rather than a fixed schedule, and each adoption includes more than $350 of services.
Is it no-kill?
It describes itself as no-kill and progressive open-intake, and reported a 91 percent live release rate in 2021.
Does it offer low-cost spay and neuter?
Yes. Its Fix Charleston clinic has performed more than 16,000 surgeries, with a focus on feral and free-roaming cats.
What are the hours?
Closed Monday, open Tuesday through Friday noon to 6 p.m. and weekends noon to 5 p.m., with admissions ending 30 minutes before closing.

Sources: Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association (adoptcharleston.com) about, animal services, and support pages; Charity Navigator (EIN 55-0435381). The current organization dates its era to 2013; some figures are undated. Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]

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