Adoption Services

Sunny the CatYou may be surprised to find that adopting an animal is a more involved process than you expected, or that it means you can't have immediate access to an animal you are interested in. Therefore it's important to understand two things:

  • The process is the same for everyone.
  • It's not our intention to frustrate you. Rather, everything we do is for the best interests of the animals in our care and is aimed at giving them the best possible chance of finding a permanent home.

Adoption Steps

Here are the steps you'll go through in the adoption process. Before you can interact (that is, pet, cuddle, walk, and get to know) any animal that you've seen in our kennel, we'll ask you to complete some paperwork. This paperwork must be completed first in order to minimize stress for you and the animals. Our process includes asking questions, asking to see proof of identity, and, frequently, asking for veterinary references, particularly when you have other animals at home. This is simply to protect the health of adoption candidates and the pets you already have.

Pre-Adoption Application

  • Online Pre-Adoption Application - Simply fill in your answers and submit your application electronically! 
  • Pre-Adoption Application (PDF) - Print out the application and fax, mail, or hand-deliver your application to the shelter. Our fax number and mailing address can be found at the top of the pre-adoption application.

You must be 18 years of age to adopt a pet!

Approval for Adoption

Once you have been approved for adoption, you may handle and visit the animal you're interested in. You will have a counseling session with a knowledgeable member of our staff who will fill you in on the history and needs of that animal. You can ask your counselor any questions about spaying and neutering, housetraining, scratching (in cats), veterinary care, how to deal with fleas and ticks, and anything else you can think of.

Fees

You will be asked to sign an adoption contract and pay a fee for adoption. The fees are split for dogs and cats. The fees are:

  • Cats/Kittens: $95 for cats/kittens 5 years and younger. Cats 6 and older, the adoption fee waived!
  • Discounted Fee for Military Veterans: $35 (residents can contact the Animal Shelter for qualifications)
  • Discounted Fee for Senior Citizens: $35 (this reflects a $35 fee for Spay/Neuter and no adoption fee)
  • Dogs/Puppies: $125 for dogs/puppies 5 years and younger. Dogs 6 and older, the adoption fee waived!

Our adoption fees include the following for every animal:

  • Dogs include:
    • All Age-Appropriate Vaccinations
    • Antigen Heartworm Test
    • Collar
    • Identification Tag from Gloucester County Animal Shelter
    • Leash
    • Microchip
    • Nasal Bordetella
    • Spay/Neuter
    • Worming
  • Cats include:
    • All Age-Appropriate Vaccinations
    • Disposable Cat Carrier
    • Feline Leukemia/AIDS Combination Test (12 Weeks and Older)
    • Identification Tag and Collar from Gloucester County Animal Shelter
    • Microchip
    • Spay/Neuter
    • Worming

Surgery

If the animal is not Spayed/Neutered at the time of your adoption, an appointment will be made for surgery and the animal will be delivered to the veterinarian where the new owner can pick up their pet after surgery.

Holding Animals

Please note, as a general rule, we cannot hold animals for anyone. Unfortunately, because of tremendous demands on our kennel space, all adoptions must be done on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the first good, properly-qualified prospective home will get the pet.

Let Us Repeat

We don't ever mean to be frustrating to or evasive with you. We want you to understand that it's stressful and upsetting - in fact, downright devastating - for the animals, for our staff, and most importantly, for you when adoptions don't work out and pets have to come back to us. And a bad adoption experience can sour some people on dogs or cats - or on shelter animals - for life. So try to bear with us and be patient. And understand that going through the process the way we do really is the best policy - for all of us.

Hours of Operation

We are open to view and/or adopt an animal the following days: Monday's 8AM - 4PM, Tuesday's through Thursday's 8AM -6PM, Friday's & Saturday's 8AM - 4:30PM. The Adoption Office is closed on Sunday's and all major holidays.