Owners have that much time to look for their animals at the shelter.
If there is no owner at the end of that time, a determination is made whether to put the animal up for adoption or not. This is determined by the animal's health, personality, and how much room there is in the shelter. We are also required to verify that the animal has a current rabies shot. If there are any tags on an animal impounded, we do everything we can to track down the owner of the animal. However, old tags or tags belonging to a previous owner are not helpful.