The Adoption Process
Thank you for considering adopting a pet!

We want your new family member to bring you many years of joy. We do everything possible to make sure that your home is the finally landing place for an otherwise homeless animal. In order to do that we have an adoption process to balance the interests of both you, the adopter, and the animals in our care. 

The first step to a successful adoption is for you to decide what type of pet and personality you are looking for. Are you a cat person that travels frequently? Or are you an avid hiker looking for a larger companion. Be realistic about your goals, time, and ability to care for the animal you are applying for.

Once you have found "the one" you will proceed to the application. Please make sure your current pets are spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccines. We will be contacting your vet to verify this information. Please make sure you contact them and let them know we will be calling and give permission to release records. 

Once your application has been approved and team member will contact you to further discuss what it is you are looking for in a pet. If the pet you are interested in is not a good match we will help you find one that will work better within your lifestyle and goals.

We will then arrange for a meet and greet. If there are other animals in your home this may need to happen more than once. Slow introductions are always best. If you are outside of our service area a partner rescue will contact you to arrange for a home visit. 

Final approval. The day your new companion is home to stay we will execute an adoption contract and pay an adoption fee. You will receive all of the animals records and a volunteer will answer any further questions you may have. 

What Types of Questions Will You Ask?
In addition to basic contact information and personal references we ask things like:

  • Your housing situation (renting vs. owning)..if renting please include landlord contact
  • The number and ages of any children in your household
  • The number and type of other pets you may own
  • The name and contact information of your veterinarian
  • Your previous experience with pets
  • Your activity level, lifestyle, and expectations for a new animal
  • ​The most important things to remember about the application is to be honest. We do check each and every application. We can work with you through minor issues but dishonesty is immediate disqualification from adoption. 

I'm adopting a pet not a child, why so many questions?
From humanesociety.org

Consider why pets are surrendered in the first place. Among the top five reasons that people give up their pets, three are common to both dogs and cats: landlord issues, moving, and the cost of pet care. For dogs, the other most common reasons include lack of time and inadequate facilities. For cats, it's allergies and having too many cats to care for.

Many animals lose their homes because their owners weren't prepared to invest the necessary money and time to care for a pet. In other cases, families and pets are mismatched. Consider these all-too-common scenarios:

  • A high-energy dog is adopted by a family that doesn't have time for extensive daily exercise
  • A skittish kitten is chosen by rambunctious children whose parents aren't inclined to actively supervise their kids.
  • A bunny with a predictable fondness for chewing catches the eye of someone who has no interest in rabbit-proofing her home.

To prevent such painful situations for both the pets and people involved, shelters and rescue groups carefully evaluate adopters in the hope of avoiding these mismatched relationships.