The Adoption Process: What to Expect
The Humane Society of Central Arizona asks a lot of questions to prospective adopters for two main reasons:
- To ensure long-term homes for the animals in our care
- To facilitate good matches between adopters and their adopted companions.
What questions will I be asked?
We require adopters to complete our adoption application. The application will include questions about basic contact information, your housing situation, the number of people in your home, the number of pets in your home, your activity level, and your expectations for the animal you are looking to adopt; just to name a few.
Why do we ask so many questions?
First, you should consider why pets are surrendered in the first place. Some of the main reasons for surrenders are landlord issues, moving, the cost to care for the animal, not enough time to spend with the animal, and allergies.
Many pets lose their homes because of financial issues that their owners weren’t prepared for. In other cases, it’s not a good match between the pet and family. Consider these all too common scenarios:
- A high-energy dog being adopted by a family that doesn’t have enough time for daily walks and exercise
- An undersocialized kitten that is adopted by a family with young, rambunctious children
- A cat or dog that does not get along well with other pets, being adopted to a home with other animals
To prevent such painful situations for the pets and people involved, we carefully evaluate potential adopters in hopes of avoiding these mismatched relationships.
How can I be prepared?
Having an animal is a lifelong commitment so it’s definitely worth being patient and taking your time to ensure the best match. Be sure to consider what kind of pet you would like- large, small, young, old, mellow or high energy; before coming to shelter to look at the available animals. Decide what will work best for you and your family and be sure to take into consideration the amount of time and money you will be able to provide for a new pet.
