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Adoption
Procedures
Adopting
a pet into your home should be considered a lifetime commitment. Pets
have arrived in our shelter because their former owners were unable,
or unwilling, to continue with that commitment. When deciding about
adopting a pet, please take your time with this decision. Carefully
consider your family's ability to provide the food, medical care, exercise,
shelter - and love - that this companion animal will need for its lifetime.
When visiting
one of our two shelters, you will have
a variety of pets from which to choose.
Here are
the steps that are part of the adoption process:
- Identify
a pet you would like to consider for adoption.
- Review
the card that is attached to the pet's cage or kennel.
- Remove
the kennel card and ask a staff member or volunteer to help you spend
up-close-and-personal time with the pet.
a. We recommend that you spend at least 20-30 minutes with that pet
outside of its cage/kennel.
b. We also recommend that you have as many family members as possible
with you during that visit.
- Ask
the staff member if there is any other information on the pet in our
files.
- Complete
the Adoption Questionnaire and meet with an Adoption Counselor when
your name is called.
a. In your conversation, be as detailed as you can with the Counselor.
Remember our mutual goal is to place the right pet into the permanent
home that is best for it AND the family.
Here are
some other important things to keep in mind during this process:
- Pets
are adopted on a first-come-first served basis. Pets will not be "held"
for potential adopters.
- Please
allow enough time for all the adoption steps. Once you have identified
a pet you want to get to know better, you can anticipate it will take
at least another hour or more to complete the process.
- The
shelters close at 5:00 PM, Monday through Saturday and at 4:00 PM
on Sunday.
a. No more applications will be accepted after 4:45 PM, Monday through
Saturday and after 3:45 PM on Sunday.
- If you
are renting your apartment or home, be sure your landlord will allow
you to have a pet of any kind as well as what the restrictions might be on size,
breed, etc.
a. It is important for you to do this BEFORE you come to the SPCA.
b. The same rule applies if you are living with your parents.
- Be sure
to bring a picture ID with you, ideally your driver's license.
- Once
the adoption has been approved, you may take the pet home with you
on the same day ONLY if the pet has already been spayed/neutered.
a. If the pet has not yet had its surgery, the staff will place the
pet on the surgery schedule on the next available day, and you will
be given information on the afternoon to come to the shelter to take
your pet home with you.
- When
leaving the shelter, ALL cats must be placed in a secure container
and ALL dogs must be on a secure leash.
a. If needed, you may purchase these items at the shelter.
- The
SPCA reserves the right to refuse an adoption or to require a house-check.
Remember, our mutual goal is to place the right pet into the permanent
home that is best for it AND the family.
The adoption
fee for all dogs and cats, regardless of age, breed, or size is $65.
The price includes spay/neuter surgery, preliminary shots, dewormer,
physical exam, heartworm test for a dog and feline leukemia/feline AIDS
test for a cat.
PLEASE
NOTE: As of September 1, 2007, the adoption fee (for all dogs and
cats, regardless of age, breed, or size) will increase to $75. The increase
will cover the cost of microchipping all adopted pets, along with the
registration of the chip into a national database.
In addition,
the price will continue to include spay/neuter surgery, preliminary
shots, dewormer, physical exam, heartworm test for a dog and feline
leukemia/feline AIDS test for a cat.
You may
pay by cash, check, debit card, MasterCard, Discover Card, or Visa.
We do not accept American Express.
Adoption
Questionnaire/Application
The information
that potential adopters provide in the SPCA
of Central Florida's Adoption Questionnaire is an important part
of our adoption process. This information will help our staff be sure
we are placing one of our shelter pets into the permanent home environment
that is right for the pet AND the family.
For the
convenience of potential adopting families, you may download
the Questionnaire, complete it, and then bring it to one of our
two shelters for review. Please note, no application is considered final
until the Adoption Counselor has reviewed and approved the application.
