Do you just show up and get one. or is there like a background check, licenses or vaccinations you have to get. and are there any fees you have to pay.
im not worried about a background check, im just wondering whats the process like and how long it will take. thats why ask about a background check cause those usually take time.
usually you fill out a form. pick an animal. spend some time in a room with the animal to make sure you and any other pets you have can get along. thgen youy pay a small fee of some sort and leave with your animal, shots, papers and all.
you have to fill out an application and if you rent they want the landlords info so they know it is OK, depending on the size dog you want they want to make sure you have a big enough area and the fees usually include spay and or neuter!!
I dont know where you live but in Australia you just go there pick a dog and pay for it. They will take down your details and the dogs details and thats it. No background check and the dog should already been vaccinated.
Why are you worried about getting a background check?
There is alot of thing you have to do when you go to a place like that. First if they gave him/her a vaccination you will have to pay for that if you get the dog and if it a male or female they will have you get it fixed to make sure it doesn’t end up for puppy mill breeding. Also if the dog got hit or was abuse by the former owner and you see this dog and want it you can also get suck for the bill. It also depend what kind of animal shelter it is as some don’t look after them to well..so be very careful before you chose your dog ..ask all question on fees and abuse and things before you make your mind up..go to a few of the Animal shelters and get your prices
Good Luck
It differs from shelter to shelter. Some have you fill out an application, interview you and give you some counseling on whether a specific animal is right for your lifestyle based on what you tell them. Others require references, letters from landlords and home checks. Some require fenced yards for dogs. Many let you take the dog home the same day. Each shelter has its own rules.
Almost all will require that the animal is spayed or neutered before being released for adoption and nearly all vaccinate their animals before adoption. There is almost always some sort of adoption fee or donation. Some require that you license the dog on the spot if you live in that community.
Edgar, I have adopted from the local animal control shelter. The process consisted of going to the shelter to pick out a dog. Filling out the paperwork and depending upon whether it is a big dog requiring outside fencing they will either come to your house or not. (small dogs they don’t do a home visit on) but a pit bull they’re coming out. Sometimes you can get the dog the same day and other times they don’t spay or neuter until the animal is adopted so you may have to wait 2 or so days.
I also, adopted from an animal rescue I found on-line. Go to Petfinder.com – follow the prompts to put in the breed of dog you are looking for. I adopted a miniature dachshund from a rescue about 3 hours from my home. This rescue gives you a pure bred dog with all its shots already neutered. I paid $225 for Lil Bit and I had to have a home visit and they checked my vet affiliation and got references on me. It was well worth the trouble. Good Luck -k-
Yes…I have adopted a dog from a shelter before. The is usually a fee. The fee is for housing and feeding the dog while it’s been there. Also, the fee goes toward spaying or neutering the dog. Sometimes, the dog will already be, and you wont have to pay as much……For instance, When i got my dog, They charged me $35. but they said that when i took it to the vet to get her spayed and vaccinated, the vet would give me a voucher for 25 dollars and if i brought it back (the voucher), to the shelter, then i could get the 25 back. So, i only ended up paying 10 for the dog. See? And, yes, you can just show up and get one. There is probably not a background check. If there is, then that’s crazy.
It is totally dependent on where you live. I see that you live in LA – I am in San Francisco and here some shelters can do some pretty intensive research on the potential adopter. This includes taking the dog to your house and seeing how it acts in your environment, especially if you currently have other pets. They will sometimes even do a background check on you.
Most often they will take care of getting the dog up-to-date on vaccinations as well as spay/neuter. If you adopt from the San Francisco SPCA you also get discounted pet health care for a period of time.
Most cities require that you get a license for your dog which can vary in cost. There is usually a cost to adopt the dog as well.
Be sure you do your homework – what kind of background does the dog have? Be prepared for behavioral difficulties that you might have to deal with – is the dog aggressive towards humans, kids, or other animals? Was it abused? It can sometimes be a challenge to help the dog over these mental hurdles and may take a lot of time/attention/love from you, so be prepared.
If you are interested in a specific breed, check to see if there is a rescue group in your area that can help you find a dog in that breed that matches your specific interests.
Try doing an internet search for shelters in your area. If they have a website they probably outline what is required for adoption.
Good luck! Adopting a dog from a shelter can impact your life greatly, and if you find a companion that is right for you, it will change both of your lives forever!
generally it depends. almost every shelter requires an application to see the animals. do your research. how much is it going to cost to have a dog for a year? about $1,000 dollars- usually fees run from $150-350 which usually includes spay/neuter surgery, age appropriate vaccines, a microchip, rabies certificate, county license and a leash. think about where is the dog going to be during the day? shelter dogs came to the shelter because they were displaced from their homes…out loose..escaped. shelter dogs can’t live outside all day. they will likely escape. crate training is encouraged. do you have kids? how old, and are they “dog savvy?” generally shelters do not have histories on the dogs. most shelter dogs do not do well with small children under 15 unless they were raised around them. realize that “rescuing” a dog from a shelter is a wonderfully rewarding experience-but you must be willing to put in the time and the training into the relationship with your dog. what you will get back is will be ten-fold.
Usually what happens is this (I have been thru it several times!!)
==You make an appointment with the shelter to view animals
==they interview you to see what you want, and what they feel woul dbest suit you, your lifestyle, finances, etc. This is because sometimes people think they want a pure bred (example) Lab, then fall in love with a mutt- and because sometimes pure breds can end up being more costly with vet bills, etc.
==they take you to see the animals they feel would be a good fit with you. If you pick one you like, they usually take them out of the kennel to let you interact with the animal, and shelter staff watches how you treat the animal, and how you interact together.
==You pick the animal you want, then most shelters will make you fill out an application, and sometimes they make you wait a day or two, just so you don’t adopt an unsuitable animal based on impulse.
==Most shelter animals have all their shots already, that is why the shelter charges adoption fees, to help pay for some of the vet care the animal got while at the shelter.
==You pay the adoption fee, and you get your pet. Should also be noted that some shelters make you buy a dog license and a rabies booster before they let you take the animal home, and if they animal isn’t spayed/neutered, they make an appointment with a vet for you to get it done. Some shelters also make you sign a contract saying you won’t breed the animal and you will get them fixed.
I have adopted ALL my animals from shelters or from unsuitable homes. We got our dog a few years back from a “shelter”— really just people out to get a $300 adoption fee from people who want a dog– and they treated her horribly… so basically we rescued her from the shelter, literally. I paid the $300 adoption fee because I couldn’t stand to leave her there…
ALso, I worked with a city run humane society, helping find homes for animals… so what I said above is the basic idea of what GOOD shelters do to adopt out their animals. Also, some shelters will give low income families a break on the adoption fees, as long as shelter staff thinks the animal will be loved and well taken care of. The standard adoption fees for animals vary by animal– cats and small animals are cheaper, dogs have a higher fee. This covers vet care, housing the animal, food, etc that the shelter needs to run. So it’s more like an involuntary donation, haha….
I highly advocate getting an animal from a shelter- 80% of shelter animals never get adopted, how sad is that?
It really depends on what kind of shelter you go to. Two of my dogs came from animal control shelters and I basically just paid the adoption fee and took the dogs home (one of them involved purchasing a prepaid spay from my vet, one of them involved organizing transportation as she was in a different state). The other one came from the Humane Society and there was a more involved process including making sure I wasn’t a known animal abuser.