Our Adoption Process
Step 1: Select your animal. To meet a particular animal, you can either email va.animalfriends@gmail.com to be put in touch with their foster parents or you can come to one of our adoption events. Please check our website www.animalfriendsva.org, for an accurate list of adoption dates and events.
Step 2: Submit an Application. Our Adoption Application can be found on our website or at one of our adoption events. Applications can be submitted at an event or submitted via email attachment to va.animalfriends@gmail.com. Applications are are processed on a first come basis. For assistance at the adoption events please see the person at our information table.
NOTE: Processing normally takes no more than one week from the time your application has been received and you have selected an animal, to the point at which you will sign the contract and receive your pup or dog. When submitting your application, please make sure you can be available to sign the adoption contracts and to accept your new pet within the following week. If you are a previous adopter, you do not need to fill out another application.
Step 3: Interview. As a first step in processing your application you will be interviewed by one of our adoption counselors. This is the time for you to ask any questions that you may have about the organization, our processes, or our animals. This will also help us determine if the animal you chose will be a good fit for what you are looking for. The interview will either take place at an adoption event or if you meet the dog or pup in a foster home, we can conduct your interview over the phone. All interviewed applications are then sent to the review committee for approval to move on to the next step in processing. If you are a previous adopter you must also be interviewed.
Step 4: Home Check. The review committee will determine if a home check will be conducted. If so, a volunteer will contact you, normally no later than Tuesday or Wednesday evening to arrange for a mutually agreeable time to do your home check.
NOTE: Animal Friends - VA makes every attempt to schedule home checks in a timely manner. Please understand that we are all volunteers who have families, jobs, pets, etc. that may affect our ability to conduct your home check as quickly as you would like. It is our goal to place the newly adopted pets as quickly as possible – we feel this is best for both the pet and the adoptive family (not to mention it frees up a space for us to save another dog or pup!) Your patience is appreciated.
Step 5: Vet Check. If you have or had another animal, we will contact your vet for a reference check for any animals that you have been responsible for as an adult.
Step 6: Contract Signing and Payment. Once your interview, home check, and vet check have been completed and the review committee has approved your application, you will be contacted either by phone or email to give you final instructions for your contract signing and payment. Adoption/processing fees are non-refundable. Fees are as follows:
Dogs (12 months and above) - $300
Adoption Fee includes spay/neuter, rabies, 4dx (heart worm test), distemper (DHPP), Bordatella vaccine, and any necessary vetting prior to adoption.
Puppies - $350
Adoption Fee includes spay/neuter, rabies, 4dx (heart worm test), Distemper series (DHPP), Bordatella vaccine, and any necessary vetting prior to adoption.
NOTE: The adoption/processing fee must be paid in full by cash or check at the time of the contract signing. There will be a $35 fee for returned checks. If we do not receive the full adoption fee with 3 days of the returned check, you must return the animal.
While not necessary and totally optional, Animal Friends – VA welcomes tax-deductible donations, which will go to our partner, Animal Friends of Barbour County, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill shelter. We thank you in advance for your support.
Step 7: Enjoy your life with your new family member! Congratulations, you have successfully completed the adoption process and have your new pet.
NOTE: In order to ensure your pet’s safety, please take a moment to attach your own I.D. tag to a collar and put it on your dog. You should be certain that the collar is fitted correctly so it doesn’t slip off of the dog’s neck if they get scared and try to back out of the collar. Ask a volunteer if you need help. Statistics show that the highest risk time for a dog to get lost is within the first 24 hours of arriving at a new home. Don’t let your dog be a statistic.
