HOW TO ADOPT
Adopting a new pet is exciting and life-changing and we’re excited you’re considering adopting from us.
So how do you do that? The short answer is you come to meet our animals, find the right one for your life and home, complete our adoption application, get your application approved and then take the new love of your life home!
All pets are required to be spayed or neutered before they are adopted. It's both our policy and WV state law. If the pet you've chosen is not already spayed or neutered, we will schedule them an appointment and make sure the procedure is completed before you take them home. The only exception to this requirement is if they have a health condition that does not permit the surgery. This is a rare exception and only our Manager can make that decision.
Read on to learn more about the process, fees and things you'll need for your new pet. We also suggest you read Things to Consider before adding a pet to your home.
Availability of Animals
Animals are made available for adoption as soon as possible. For some, this is as soon as they arrive and for others, this may be days or weeks. Most often this comes into play with stray dogs who, by WV state law, must be held 5 days to give the owner time to find them before being placed up for adoption.
The majority of our animals may be seen at the Shelter and on our website, within a day or two of arriving at our Shelter. We may have some animals in foster care and as such, we require potential adopters to complete the adoption application prior to arranging a meeting. While seemingly inconvenient for the adopter, this is done out of consideration for our cherished foster families.
Completing the Adoption Application
You can complete and submit an adoption application on-line or you can download an application and bring the completed application to the shelter. While we ask a lot of questions, we're not just being nosy. Again we are trying to learn as much as possible so that our staff can help you find the love of your life!
While normally applications are processed in the order they are received, that doesn’t mean that the first applicant is approved to adopt the animal they choose. We are looking for the best home for each animal based on the needs of that animal and as such, that may not be the first applicant.
You're Approved!
Once you have been approved to adopt and your new pet is ready to go home, you'll pay the adoption fee.
See our Dog Adoption Checklist and Cat Adoption Checklist for valuable information about things you might need for your new pet.
