Adopt

After seeing an animal you are interested in, regardless of if you have questions or are unsure if the animal will be a good fit in your household, please begin our adoption process by filling out an adoption application. Your application simply shows that you are interested in an animal; it is not a binding contract.

A member of our Applications team will process your application and reply within 48 hours of submission. Be sure to check your spam folder within the 1-3 days after submission to ensure you do not miss an email from our team members. (Please note that it may take us more than 48 hours to process any applications submitted on the weekend.)

Once your application is processed by our Applications team, it will be sent to your chosen animal’s foster family for review.

Your chosen animal’s foster family will review your application and, if they feel the animal you are interested in may be a good fit, they will work with you to answer your questions and, if applicable, schedule a meet and greet. This meeting could take place at an adoption event, a neutral location, the foster’s home, or your home.

Keep in mind that the foster may be working with multiple applicants to find the best fit for their foster animal and it is possible your application may not be chosen. This does not mean you are not approved to adopt an animal through our rescue.

If both parties (the foster family and adoptive family) decide to move forward with an adoption after a meet and greet, a visit of your home may be conducted virtually or in-person by either the foster family or one of our designated volunteers. This visit is set up to ensure the safety of our foster animals.

At the same time, a veterinary check will be done (if applicable) to ensure your current pets are up-to-date on vaccines, spayed/neutered, and have been tested for any transmittable illnesses, such as FeLV/FIV. This process will be expedited if you contact your family veterinarian and give consent to release records to Ruff Start Rescue for any of your pets.

Once home visits and veterinary checks are approved and cleared, one of our Applications team members will send the electronic adoption contract to you to be signed. They will also request adoption fee payment at the time of signature.

Adoption fees cover the cost of a foster animal’s spay/neuter surgery, age appropriate core (rabies and distemper) vaccinations, microchip implant, de-worming, flea/tick preventative, and preventative bloodwork (a heartworm test for dogs and puppies over nine months of age, and a FeLV/FIV test for cats and kittens). The specific adoption fee for each animal can be found on their individual webpage. Adoption fees are non-negotiable.

You will receive an adoption confirmation email when all applicable documentation is signed and completed. At this time, the foster family caring for your new family member will reach out to coordinate a pickup/drop-off time to bring your newly adopted pet home!

Previous veterinary records will be sent to you via email after the adoption is processed on our back-end. This may take up to a week.