Adoptions

Giving Tuesday (12/3) is coming up!

Benefitting animals in need of extraordinary care. 

 

Adoptions

A.D.O.P.T. is a temporary home to a number of dogs and cats waiting to find their perfect forever home. Please take a look at the dogs, puppies, cats and kittens currently being housed at our shelter or in foster care that are available for adoption. We update this page often, so check back frequently!

Search Available Animals

The Adoption Process

We’re so happy that you’ve come to A.D.O.P.T. in search of your new pet! Our facility is full of amazing animals ready to find their forever homes. Below is an outline of how our application process works:

  • Visit our shelter during adoption hours to complete an application and meet our animals. (You may complete and submit an online application prior to your visit if you wish to speed up the process!)
  • You will meet with an adoption counselor who will introduce you to our animals and answer any questions you might have. If you’d like to spend some one-on-one time with an animal, we have private “get acquainted” rooms so you can get to know your potential pet outside of their normal shelter environment.
  • If you find a pet that you think would be a perfect fit for you (and your family), you can submit a request to adopt your new friend! Your adoption counselor will help determine if it’s the best match for both you and your furry friend.
  • Once approved, you can schedule a day/time to pick up your new family member within the next 24-48 hours!  Same day adoptions are done on a case-by-case basis.

A few things to note:

  • You can fill out an application prior to coming in if you would like to be “pre-approved” when you come to the shelter.  We will contact you if your application is approved and schedule you to come in during our open hours. 
  • We only hold animals for 24-48 hours after you have met them.  If you are not prepared to adopt within that time frame, please plan on visiting the shelter once you and your family have made a decision to bring home a new furry family member!
  • All members of the family will need to meet your potential new pet. We want to make sure it’s a good fit for everyone!
  • You must be 21 years or older to adopt. Please bring a valid form of I.D.
  • If you are planning on adopting a dog and already have a dog at home, an appointment will be scheduled to bring him/her to the shelter to meet your potential new pet.  Please do not bring them with you to your first visit (unless you have been pre-approved to do so – a counselor will discuss that with you if you have sent in an application prior and was scheduled to come in)
  • The adoption fee includes a routine veterinarian examination, spay/neuter, microchip, current vaccinations, deworming/parasite preventative*, heartworm testing and preventative in dogs, and testing for feline leukemia and FIV in cats. *A.D.O.P.T. only runs fecal tests on animals showing symptoms of a parasitic infection. Each animal is given a preventative de-wormer that is ~98% effective. The odds are unlikely that your animal came into our shelter with a parasite and is one of the 2% of cases not resolved by the initial de-wormer, but you may wish to talk to your vet about running an easy & inexpensive fecal test at your initial check-up if you have concerns.

For questions about dogs, email: dogquestions@adoptpetshelter.org
For questions about cats, email: catquestions@adoptpetshelter.org

Adoption Fees

DOGSADOPTION FEE
Puppies4 months and under
$525**
Puppies5 months – 1 year$475**
Adults1 year – 6 years$350*
Seniors7 years and older$250*

*A.D.O.P.T. reserves the right to charge a higher adoption fee for specialty breeds.  

** This fee includes training classes at our training facility in Naperville

CATSADOPTION FEE
KittenUnder 1 year$175
Pair of KittensUnder 1 year$250
Adult Cat1 – 7 years$100
Pair of Adults1 – 7 years$150
Senior CatOver 7 years$75
Pair of SeniorsOver 7 years$112.50
Special BreedsAny age$175+

Adoption Application

Please complete the Dog Adoption Application, Cat Adoption Application, or download the Small Animal Application (Hamsters/Guinea Pigs/Rabbits)

Applications must be completed and approved prior to meeting an animal. 

Small animal applications can be emailed directly to our Adoptions Team (adoptions@adoptpetshelter.org).

If you have cat-specific questions, you can email our cat staff: Cat Questions (catquestions@adoptpetshelter.org). For dog-specific questions for the dog staff, you can email them here: Dog Questions (dogquestions@adoptpetshelter.org). 

Adoption Policies

  • Please plan on visiting the shelter to work with an adoption counselor and pick out an animal first, allow us at least 24-48 hours to process and approve your application, and schedule an appointment to return to the shelter to finalize your adoption.  
  • Viewing animals is subject to the approval of an application
  • All members of the family must be present in order to adopt. We want to make sure it’s a good fit for everyone!
  • You must be 21 years or older to adopt. Please bring a valid form of I.D.
  • Townhome/Condominium/Lease owners should be familiar with their HOA by-laws, pet policy, including restricted breeds, weight limits, and maximum number of pets allowed. We will verify pet policies with your leasing company or landlord.
  • Adopters must be willing to allow an A.D.O.P.T. representative to make a follow-up contact, either in person or by phone.
  • If at any time you are unable to keep the pet or offer it proper care, it must be offered back to A.D.O.P.T. before alternate arrangements are made.
  • If approved, an applicant must sign a contract to adopt an animal which outlines the responsibilities of the shelter and the adopter. This contract is legally binding.
  • Our primary adoption area is within 100 miles of the shelter.
  • We reserve the right to refuse any adoption for any reason.

For questions about dogs, email: dogquestions@adoptpetshelter.org
For questions about cats, email: catquestions@adoptpetshelter.org

Caring For Your Pet

We’ve compiled some useful information to help you with your new pet.