Education
Education is the first step in helping our community learn more about our animal shelter and about critical pet concerns such as pet care, overpopulation, identification, cruelty and neglect, and so much more.
Cold Weather Dangerous for Animals
Despite a furry coat, domesticated animals are no longer suited to withstand prolonged exposure to cold weather. As a general guideline, please remember that if the air temperature is below freezing, pets should be brought indoors. If a heated home area is not available, at the very least access to a warm garage or shed with dry bedding and out of the wind is a must. Learn more
Local Pet Ordinances
City of Lawrence animal control officers are tasked with enforcing city ordinances.
- Pet owners cannot leave animals in vehicles for more than five minutes if the temperature outside is above 80 degrees or below 30 degrees.
- Animals cannot be left outside on a leash for more than one hour, and there must be at least three hours before the animal can be placed outside on a leash or tether again.
- Owners cannot have more than five dogs of more than 10 weeks old on the same property.
- Dogs, cats and ferrets, older than four months, must be vaccinated.
- No domesticated animals are allowed to roam "at-large" in the city, except at designated dog parks.
- Fines for pet ordinance offenses range from $10 to $500, depending on the violation and number of offenses. Impounding fees are also imposed if an animal is taken to the Lawrence Humane Society animal shelter.
Below are a number of Educational Materials for younger ages available to download for use in your home or classroom.
Educational materials for your child or classroom
The following documents are in PDF format and require the free program Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
Being a Pet Parent: 8 Activites 
If they get lost, ID tags: coloring page
May I pet the dog?
ASPCA Dog Bite Prevention Activity Worksheet English | Spanish
The shelter also encourages children and their parents to join in recognizing special occasions during the year that focus needed attention on the care and safety of animals. April is Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month, and each year the month of May starts off with Be Kind to Animals Week followed by National Dog Bite Prevention Week.