Animal Care & Protective Services

08/28/2026

I prepared a special poem for you all.

*ahem*

Roses are red,
Kittens meow,
Come down to 2020 Forest St on Saturday,
& meet your new pal.

*drops mic*

Jacksonville,
Join us tomorrow as we .
10:00 am - 5:00 pm, SEE YOU THERE.

08/28/2026

Just a few of many Happy Tails from this past week! 🐾

One of our favorite moments will always be watching a pet leave the shelter for the very last time — because they’re going HOME. ❤️

These are the moments we work for and we’re ready to see even MORE of them this weekend!

Clear the Shelters continues this Saturday, and adoption fees are WAIVED! 🎉
(Duval County residents will pay a $20 license fee)

Maybe next week, the Happy Tail we’re sharing could be yours. 🥹

Come meet your new best friend and help us !

08/27/2026

The people want IN. The animals want OUT.

Honestly?
We can work with that 😅 😅 😅

Meet us in the middle THIS SATURDAY 👇️
It's time to and send them home!

🗓️ Saturday, August 29 ⏰️ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
📍 2020 Forest St, Jacksonville FL 32204

08/27/2026

To our volunteers,

There's no version of this shelter without you.
Every moment you give comes back tenfold, in ways you may never fully see.

Because of you, animals who once had nowhere to turn now know comfort, safety, and hope.

Thank you for creating a lasting impact — not just today, but every day.

Interested in volunteering?
Every animal in our care is waiting for someone just like you.

Browse volunteer opportunities here: https://buff.ly/wDWm6W2
Schedule a volunteer information session here: https://buff.ly/1kHzN2V

Looking forward to meeting you!

08/26/2026

JACKSONVILLE, WE’RE ALMOST THERE! 🐾

Just TWO DAYS AND A WAKE-UP until 🎉

If you’ve been thinking about adding a new best friend to your family, this is your sign.
ALL adoption fees are waived, there’s never been a better time to adopt. ❤️
(Duval County residents will pay a $20 license fee)

📅 Saturday, August 29th
⏰ 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 2020 Forest St. | Jacksonville, FL 32204

Our shelter is full of incredible dogs and cats waiting for their chance to go home.
Let’s make August 29th the day they’ve been waiting for.

08/26/2026

A little summer storm can't stop our socialization efforts with our pups! ⛈️ When playgroup got rained out yesterday, some of our team took the opportunity to browse our brand-new library and give our dogs some calm in-kennel socialization. They loved it, enjoying the attention and the distraction from the thunder and lightening... and if we're being honest, our staff loved the mental enrichment too 😜

Rain or shine, ACPS is launching our very own reading program, in partnership with the Mayor's River City Readers initiative—stay tuned for details!!

12pm - 7pm | 2020 Forest St, 32204

08/25/2026

Mango came into our care on May 5, 2025.

That was 477 days ago.

Think about that.

Seasons have changed. Holidays have passed. Countless dogs have come and gone.

But Mango is still here.

We've shared her story before, and we truly hope this is the last time we ever have to share it from a shelter kennel.

Somehow, through all this waiting, Mango still has so much love to give. She's an incredibly sweet girl who simply needs the chance to share that love with someone of her own.

After nearly 16 months in a kennel, going home will be a big transition. Mango will need someone who understands the importance of decompression and is willing to let her adjust at her own pace.

For so long, the shelter has been all she's known. A quiet house. A new routine. A completely different world. It may take her time to understand that it's real — and that she isn't coming back here.

That's not a reflection of who Mango is.
It's a reflection of how long she's been waiting for this moment.

Please don't define her by her first few days.

Let her exhale.
Let her adjust.
Let her discover what life feels like beyond a kennel.

Because there's an entire version of Mango we haven't met yet — the Mango who knows what it feels like to be comfortable, loved, safe, and finally home.

If you're interested in opening your home to Mango as a foster, please email our foster team at [email protected]

If you're ready to commit to giving this precious girl a safe place to call home, we're open every day of the week from 12–7 p.m. at 2020 Forest St., Jacksonville, FL 32204.

Please share Mango. Somewhere out there is the person who can finally end her wait — and give her the chance to begin the rest of her life. 🥭❤️

📸: Pablo Anzueto

08/25/2026

This Saturday, August 29th, Clear the Shelters is taking over ACPS! 🐾🎉

Hundreds of dogs and cats are ready to meet you, and we’re hoping for a BIG day filled with matches, happy tails, and lots of trips HOME. 🏡🥹

Maybe you’ve been thinking about adopting for a while. Maybe you’ve been waiting for the right time. Or maybe you’re just curious to see who’s here.

Whatever brings you through our doors, Saturday is the day to come meet them.

And to make the day even sweeter, adoption fees are WAIVED! 🎉

(Duval County residents are responsible for a $20 license fee.)

📅 Saturday, August 29th
⏰ 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 2020 Forest St., Jacksonville, FL 32204

You don’t have to know who you’re looking for when you walk through the doors.

Just come meet them. We have a feeling they’ll take it from there. ✨️

A special thank you to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Clear the Shelters, and Josh Hutcherson for helping put shelter pets front and center and reminding people just how much of an impact choosing adoption can make.

SEE YA THERE! 🐾

08/24/2026

🐾 ANNOUNCING A NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP 🐾

We're proud to welcome Forever Friends Jax to the family — a nonprofit stepping up to support Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) by covering the needs that fall outside the city budget. Think emergency medical care and enrichment items that make shelter life a little brighter.

Their inaugural campaign, "Because Waiting Is Hard," is raising funds for puzzle feeders, scratching posts, and scent enrichment — small comforts that make a big difference in reducing stress for animals during their shelter stay.

💬 "Forever Friends Jax is hitting the ground running, and they're excited about this opportunity to help the pets at ACPS," said Chief Michael Bricker. "Their goal is to raise $2,500 in their first campaign, which will make an enormous difference in our animals' lives while they wait for a loving family to find them."

💬 "Every animal deserves to feel safe, cared for, and loved — especially while waiting for their forever home," said Michael Munz, chairman of Forever Friends Jax. "The 'Because Waiting Is Hard' campaign gives our community a meaningful way to ease that wait by providing enrichment that reduces stress and supports each animal's well-being. Together, we can make their time at ACPS healthier, happier, and more hopeful."

You may already know FOJA (Friends of Jacksonville Animals), who focuses on funding medical procedures and heartworm treatment for our shelter animals. Forever Friends Jax complements that work by focusing on enrichment and everything else in-between — together, these two partners are helping us give every animal the full care they deserve.

We are grateful for partners like Forever Friends Jax and FOJA who show up for animals in need. Tthank you for making our shelter a better place, one act of kindness at a time. 🐾

To learn more about Forever Friends Jax and ways you can contribute, check the link in the comments!

08/24/2026

📢 JACKSONVILLE ‼️ Let’s ! 🐾

This Saturday, we’re teaming up with NBCUniversal for Clear the Shelters — and hundreds of adoptable pets are hoping this is the weekend they finally head HOME.

Looking for a walking buddy?
A professional couch warmer?
A cat who will graciously allow you to live in their house? 😸

Chances are, your perfect match is waiting at ACPS ❤️

And this Saturday is a pretty great day to make it official:

✨ALL ADOPTION FEES ARE WAIVED!✨️
*Duval County residents pay a $20 pet license fee.

📅 Saturday, August 29th
⏰ 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 2020 Forest St, 32204

Come meet the dogs and cats who have been waiting for their chance at a family and help us send as many of them home as possible.🏡🐶🐱

Our mission is to take the lead in cultivating a community rooted in compassion and service that safeguards the wellbeing of humans & animals alike. We're dedicated to exemplifying and fostering compassion, reliability, and responsibility in Jacksonville.