Adoption Procedure

Visiting any shelter for the first time can seem overwhelming. So many potential pets to choose from -- where do you begin? By reading this information before you come to visit us, and by filling out our "Let's Get Acquainted" Form ahead of time, you'll be ready to make the best choice.

• Step 1: Walk Through the Animal Areas
• Step 2: Complete the "Let's Get Acquainted" Form
• Step 3: Meet With the Adoption Counselor
• Step 4: Meeting and Adopting Animals
• Step 5: Paperwork and Fees

Step 1: Walk Through the Animal Areas
You may walk through our animal areas and look at the animals. When you find a pet that interests you, you'll be asked to complete a "Let's Get Acquainted" Form. Please keep your children with you at all times and remind them not to put their fingers into an animal's cage. Not only is it dangerous for you, it can also spread diseases similar to common colds among the animals.

You may read the information for each animal, which includes the animals' age, breed, reason for surrender, owner questionnaire and for dogs, the results and recommendations from our temperament/behavior evaluation.

Step 2: Complete the "Let's Get Acquainted" Form
The second thing you'll be asked to do is to fill out our "Let's Get Acquainted" Form. You can download it now and have it ready when you walk through our doors. This form will save you some time when you visit our shelter and assist us in helping you find a pet that meets your expectations and lifestyle.

• Cat Matchmaker Questionnaire (PDF, 67KB, Last Mod: 08/08)
• Dog Matchmaker Questionnaire (PDF, 103KB, Last Mod: 08/08)
• Small and Exotic Animal Questionnaire (PDF, 56KB, Last Mod: 08/08)

These forms are in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To read them, you'll need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader.

Step 3: Meet With the Adoption Counselor
When you find a pet that you'd like to meet, you'll talk with an adoption counselor who will review your form and help you decide which types of pets are right for you including breed, age, temperament, etc.

Because it often takes several visits to the shelter to find the pet who is right for you, keep your questionnaire for future visits.

Step 4: Meeting and Adopting Animals
Your adoption counselor can help you meet pets that match your interests and lifestyle. You can take animals to acquaintance areas and get to know them in person. All our animals must be spayed or neutered before they leave the shelter. If they are not already altered, you can complete the adoption that day and will be able to pick up your new pet in a few days.

If you are adopting a dog and already have one at home, you must put your desired dog on hold and bring your dog to the shelter within 4 hours to meet him or her. We do not recommend that you leave your dog in your car while you look at other dogs - the interior car temperature even in the spring or fall can reach lethally hot levels in minutes.

Step 5: Paperwork and Fees
When you have selected your new pet, there will be some paperwork to fill out and payment of adoption fees at the Front Desk. On weekends especially, there can be many adoptions going on so we ask for your patience if you have to wait during this step. The adoption fee for dogs is $100.00. The adoption fee for cats is $85.00. The adoption fees for small animals (rabbits, hamsters, iguanas, guinea pigs, rats, etc.) vary depending on species. See what you get for your adoption fees