Adopting a new pet can be an exciting process, and we're here to help guide you along the way!
Homeward Animal Shelter has cats and dogs available for adoption, and occasionally other small animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Many of our animals come from the local pounds, where they have gone unclaimed by their previous owners, and have now come to our shelter to find new, loving homes.
We try to make the adoption process as easy as we can, while still ensuring we are matching people up with an animal that will match well with their lifestyle. To learn more about how to adopt from our organization, read on below.
How can I meet an animal I'm interested in?
Due to the small size of our shelter, not all animals are housed within our shelter. In general, 70-80% of our animals are housed within foster care homes while they await their adoptive homes.
On our website, if you look at the available animals for adoption, you will see animals currently in foster care have "--In Foster" listed after their names. Those without that notation behind their name are available for viewing at our shelter.
To meet an animal in foster care:
To streamline the adoption process for animals in foster care, you will be asked to fill out the adoption application PRIOR to meeting the animal. This ensures the best use of the foster's time, and also ensures that you are not meeting an animal that may not actually be a good fit for your household.
Submitting an adoption application does not force you to adopt the animal; rather, it is a way to place the animal on "hold" for you until a meet can be set up, and you can decide at that time whether or not it's the right fit. Once approved, you will be provided with the foster family's information to set up a time to meet the pet either at the shelter or in the foster's home, depending on your comfort level.
To meet an animal in the shelter:
If you are interested in an animal that is currently in the shelter, you do not need to fill out an application beforehand. However, it's important to note that if you see an animal you are interested in at any time, filling out an application will place that animal on "hold" for you; for popular animals, sometimes we will receive 10+ applications at a time, and because we operate on a "first come, first serve" basis, filling out an application right away could mean the difference between getting a chance to adopt the animal or missing out completely.
However, it is not necessary to fill out an application in order to view animals at the shelter; we just ask that those who have not filled out an application come during our open house hours, which are Tuesday-Friday from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 2-6pm.
If you find an animal at one of our open houses that you would like to adopt, you will then be asked to complete the adoption application in order to place them on hold, if you have not already done so.
At any time, you are welcome to fill out an adoption application to become "pre-approved". Pre-approvals are good for a minimum of 6 months, and will allow you to adopt the pet of your choosing, as long as they are not already pending adoption, right away without a waiting period.
How does the adoption process work?
Anyone that is interested in adopting will be asked to fill out an adoption application. Each species has it's own application, which can be found here or on each individual animal's profile:
We ask several questions on our adoption application that help us to better understand the dynamics of your household and what you're searching for in a pet, to ensure that the pet we match you up with will fit into your home well. These questions are never meant to be intrusive, but rather, give us an overall picture so that we can best match you up with an animal that will succeed in your household.
Once you've submitted an application to adopt, our adoption counselors will review it to learn more about you, your family, and any other pets currently in the home. This process may take anywhere from 24-72 hours, depending on the number of applications we have received, and we will contact you to discuss the animal and any information that should be known about them. Once you've been approved, we will set up a time for you to meet the animal (if you haven't already done so), answer any questions you may have, and if all is well, we can then proceed with finalizing the adoption. This will include signing an adoption contract, as well as any other disclosures for medical or behavior notes that may be in your pet's file, registering the microchip, and paying the adoption fee.
Once everything is finalized, you can take your new pet home! We require that all cats, rabbits and small animals leave in a carrier that is suitable for their needs, and all dogs must leave on a leash.
What veterinary care is provided to the animals prior to adoption?
Animals that enter our care receive any necessary veterinary care prior to adoption. This includes:
- Vaccinations
- Spaying/neutering (or refundable deposit if too young/unable to be done prior to adoption)
- Testing for diseases (Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus in cats, and heartworm disease in dogs)
- Deworming
- Microchips
- Any medical issues they may arrive with or develop while in our care
How much does it cost to adopt?
| Type of Animal | Adoption Fee (plus tax) |
|---|---|
| Adult Dog Adoption Fee | $225 |
| Puppy Adoption Fee | $225 + $100 Refundable Spay/Neuter Deposit |
| Adult Cat Adoption Fee | $120 |
| Kitten Adoption Fee | $110 + $40 Refundable Spay/Neuter Deposit |
| Rabbits | $50 (Homeward will fix at appropriate age, if not done already, at no additional cost) |
| Ferret | $50 |
| Guinea Pig | $25 |
| Rats | $20 |
| Hamster/Gerbil/Mouse | $10 |
Do you offer any discounts for adoption?
We do have discounts for both senior citizens and for military members/veterans. You can read more about them here.
Do you offer "trial periods"?
In general, we do not offer trial periods because our refund policy includes a full adoption fee refund within 30 days.
There may be times where we do offer a "foster-to-adopt" agreement to adopters if an animal is undergoing a medical issue that is not fully resolved and/or needs more diagnostics, or if the animal has a scheduled spay/neuter surgery in the upcoming days/weeks. In these instances, "foster-to-adopt" means that the potential adopters will take the animal home after paying a portion of the adoption fee, and Homeward will continue to cover the costs of any veterinary care for a pre-determined amount of time. Once that pre-determined timeframe has been completed, the adopter will be asked to finalize the adoption. An arrangement like this will be offered at the time of adoption only if the animal has unfinished medical care needs or is old enough to be spayed/neutered but it hasn't been completed yet.
What happens if the animal ends up not being a good fit for my household?
We will always take our animals back, at any time, and encourage anyone who has adopted to reach out to us for guidance with any issues they may encounter.
If an animal is returned to us within 30 days of adoption, we will refund the adopter 100% of the adoption fee.
If an animal is returned to us after the 30 day timeframe, we will always take our animal back but a refund will not be offered.
Questions?
Adopting an animal is a rewarding experience and we hope to make it as stress-free as possible. If you have any questions related to our adoption process, please reach out to us at 701-239-0077 or email us at info@homewardonline.org. Thank you!
