How To Adopt
Our comprehensive FAQs can answer all your questions about adopting a cat or dog from The Fuzzy Pet Foundation – (TFPF).
When you adopt a cat or dog from TFPF, you can be assured that he/she has been loved and well cared for during his/her stay with us. Our cats and dogs enjoy a clean, loving environment inside our volunteers’ homes. They are given ample socialization, play, and exercise, in addition to comprehensive veterinary care.
How to Adopt
- ADOPTABLE PET SEARCH – To find an adoptable cat or dog, you can begin your search using our website. We have a wide variety of cats and dogs in our care who are all deserving of a loving, responsible, and lifelong home.
If you are not sure which cat or dog might be perfect for you, our volunteers would be delighted to help! Simply e-mail us here, and we can serve as your matchmaker.
- APPLICATION – If you are interested in adopting a cat or dog in our care, please complete an online application that includes information about you, your living situation, other people and pets in your household, and how you plan on caring for your new cat or dog.
- VET & PERSONAL REFERENCES – In addition to providing us with the name and contact information of your past and/or current veterinarian, you will be asked to list two personal references who can be reached via phone.
- SELECTION PROCESS – Each application is thoroughly reviewed by TFPF. Selection is based on compatibility with the best interests of you and the adoptable cat or dog in mind. Please note there may be multiple candidates deserving consideration. Final selection is made at the sole discretion of TFPF. We want the best for everyone!
- HOME VISIT – There is a home visit required to evaluate what type of home the individual or family can provide the cat or dog. Along with compatibility, we assess the location for safety and security.
- CONTRACT & FEE – If you have been selected you will be asked to sign a legally-binding contract with TFPF.
There is an adoption fee to help defray costs of spay/neuter surgery, vaccines, de-worming, de-fleaing, microchipping, fecal examination, complete blood count, as well as FeLV/FIV testing for cats. The adoption fee can vary depending on the extent of veterinary care the cat or dog needed while at TFPF.
- REQUIREMENTS FULFILLED – Once requirements are fulfilled, the adoption is finalized!
- RETURN PET TO TFPF IF YOU DO NOT PLAN TO KEEP HIM/HER – If, for any reason, you are unable to keep or provide proper care for the cat or dog you adopted from TFPF, we require that you return him/her to TFPF. Our cats and dogs cannot be transferred, sold, or given to a third-party. No exceptions.
Like children, animals are extremely vulnerable and unable to protect themselves from abuse and neglect. This is why it is absolutely essential for TFPF to proceed with caution when placing a cat or dog into new home. Many people would like to have a cat or dog, but not everyone is a responsible, compassionate animal guardian. It’s important for us to carefully screen potential adopters to ensure that the cats and dogs we place today will still be cared for next year and even 10 years from now.
When placing our animals into committed and nurturing homes, TFPF finds it vital to screen potential adopters very carefully to assess their attitude, commitment, and level of responsibility. We like to get to know our serious prospects – we sit down and have long conversations with them about the reasons why they are interested in adopting a cat or dog, how they cared for other animals in the past, etc. We strive to get a feel for the adopter’s personality and lifestyle, and how they would mesh with the specific needs of the cat or dog in our care (for example, a busy family or elderly person may not be able to provide a young, active dog with adequate exercise).
Adopting a cat or dog from TFPF can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks. TFPF thoroughly reviews every application, checks all references, and conducts a home visit before making a final decision.
Unfortunately, we do not offer a hold service for our cats and dogs.
Our adoption process can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks. Once the completed application, reference checks, and home visit are approved by TFPF, we can move forward with the adoption.
TFPF requires two references from each prospective adopter.
Animals are not toys. They are sentient beings who, like us, require love and proper care to thrive. Although people who give animals as gifts invariably have good intentions, it is unfair to give an animal to anyone unless you are absolutely certain that the person wants that particular animal as a companion and is willing and able to give a lifetime of proper care. If you know of someone who might be interested in adopting a cat or dog from TFPF, kindly refer him/her to us and we would be happy to assist with the matchmaking process.
TFPF prefers to place our cats and dogs locally in homes in Southern California. However, if you are an out-of-state resident or live outside of the United States, and you believe you can provide an excellent home for a cat or dog in our care, we welcome you to fill out our adoption application. The same adoption procedure applies; and knowing we have a companion animal overpopulation crisis in every part of the world, we will carefully weigh the potential impact of re-locating a cat or dog to another state or country against the prospect of placing him/her into a responsible, loving home. If we feel you may be an ideal match for one of our cats or dogs, we would then absorb all travel expenses to do a home visit before finalizing the adoption. We have successfully placed cats and dogs in Oregon, Nevada, Georgia, Tennessee, and New York, just to name a few states. We have even flown to the United Kingdom for an adoption!
Selecting the Right Cat or Dog for You
When adopting, you are making a commitment to care for an animal for the rest of his life – this could mean 10 to 15 years for dogs and up to 20 years for cats. As you go through lifestyle changes such as moves, the birth of children and new jobs, your animal will remain a permanent part of your life. If circumstances change, will you still be able to care for your pet?
- Raising a cat or dog costs more than the initial adoption fee. Food, veterinary care, proper identification, and supplies – a collar with tags, a comfortable bed, and toys – can all add up.
- Time is also a factor. Cats are healthiest and happiest indoors and love to be treated to energetic play sessions. Dogs benefit from several hours of exercise and companionship every day. If your work demands that you travel often, or if you’re out of the house most days and evenings, this may not be the right time to adopt.
- It is important to consider whether your children, along with your resident pets, are also able to accommodate the addition of a cat or dog to your household.
Please know that when you approach TFPF to look for your new companion animal, you are not alone in the search. All our cat and dogs are fostered inside warm, loving homes of volunteers who know the personalities and needs of these cats and dogs both inside and out. TFPF would be happy to guide you in your selection!
Of course! You will have an opportunity to socialize with the cat or dog you have chosen to meet during the home visit. You will be given a chance to hold and interact with him/her. We will make sure you have plenty of hands-on interaction and opportunities for bonding before we finalize the adoption.
TFPF has both “purebred” and mixed-breed pets. It is a common myth that shelters and rescue organizations only house mixed-breed cats and dogs.
TFPF believes that the best adoption decisions are made based on compatible personalities, not on what a cat or dog looks like. Therefore, rather than limiting your choices to certain breeds or sizes, we prefer that you visit our adorable cats and dogs at one of our adoption events and meet with our representatives. The cats and dogs in our care range widely in size, age and personality type, and TFPF can help you find a cat or dog who fits best with your personality and lifestyle.
Behavior Issues & Resources for Adopters
Most of our cats and dogs are house-trained. However, if you adopt a puppy or under-socialized adult dog, for example, you may need to work with him/her during the transition.
TFPF observes all cats and dogs for behavior traits prior to adoption. Our volunteers also work on basic training and socialization with every cat and dog in our care. Some of our cats and dogs are extremely well trained, but others may require a refresher course.
Yes, TFPF would be more than happy to provide you and your family with tips on training using positive reinforcement, and referrals to reputable trainers in your area. Please contact us for more information.
TFPF provides counseling over the phone anytime to all our adopters. Feel free to contact us!
Yes, in fact we encourage potential adopters to bring their resident pets with them for an introduction on neutral ground before we conduct a home visit with the adoptable cat or dog of interest.
How Much It Costs to Adopt from TFPF – and What’s Included in the Fee
Yes. Our adoption fees range from $200 to $400 to help defray costs of spay/neuter surgery, vaccines, de-worming, de-fleaing, microchipping, fecal examination, complete blood count, as well as FeLV/FIV testing for cats. The adoption fee can vary depending on the extent of veterinary care the cat or dog needed while at TFPF.
TFPF’s adoption fees help defray costs of spay/neuter surgery, vaccines, de-worming, de-fleaing, microchipping, fecal examination, complete blood count, as well as FeLV/FIV testing for cats. In some cases, our adoption fees can help us care for special-needs cats and dogs, and incoming animals.
At TFPF, we believe animals deserve to be treated like individuals, not discounted merchandise. Sadly, we are seeing more and more animal shelters resorting to a variety of ill-advised tactics in order to increase adoptions, including free or grossly discounted adoptions, black cat giveaways during Halloween, buy-one-get-one-free kitten promotions, and other schemes meant to make for more appealing adoption statistics – without really checking where (or with whom) the animals end up. These irresponsible “bargain adopt-a-thons” send the message that animals’ lives are worth little to nothing – the very mindset that causes millions of animals to be relinquished to animal shelters in the first place.
An application, reference checks, a home visit, a contract, and a reasonable adoption fee are essential to ensuring that animals are placed in truly forever homes. After all, anyone who is not interested in fully being part of the process to adopt a cat or dog can hardly be expected to spend the time, money, and energy needed to care for an animal for his/her entire life.
All TFPF cats and dogs are spayed/neutered prior to adoption.
TFPF microchips all cats and dogs prior to adoption.
For New Adopters – What to Expect and What Happens Next
Post-Adoption
A TFPF representative will contact you by phone or e-mail within the first few days after adoption to make sure the settling-in process is going smoothly. This is especially helpful if the cat or dog you have adopted is working through a behavior issue or has a health condition that requires extra care.
TFPF will also be available to provide ongoing support and guidance for you and your pet. We treat our adopters like family, and we want nothing more than to stay in touch and get regular updates!
TFPF knows the cats and dogs in our care quite well, so we will discuss with you their personalities and how they may react to new people and an unfamiliar environment. Please remember, however, that it takes time for an animal to settle into a new home, and your new friend must be treated with patience and given time to adjust.
Every cat and dog adopted from TFPF comes with a lifetime promise. If, for any reason, you can no longer care for your cat or dog, we ask that you return him/her to our organization without delay.
Our adoption contract states that you must return the cat or dog to us if for whatever reason the adoption does not work out. If you feel you may know of an appropriate home with a family that is well-suited for your cat or dog, please let us know as soon as possible. All potential adopters will need to complete an adoption application and fulfill our requirements before an adoption is finalized.
General Information about TFPF and Our Services
TFPF supports policies requiring in-depth assessment before placing companion animals into new homes. By screening properly, rescue organizations and animal shelters can help make sure that animals who have often survived cruelty, neglect, or abandonment will find safe homes in which they will be treated with love and respect for the rest of their lives.
As a result of careless or negligent rescue organizations and animal shelters, we have come across numerous cases where adopted animals have been killed, horribly tortured, fed to snakes, and sexually abused, among other things. And in response to pressure from “no-kill” supporters, there has been a push to increase adoption numbers and manipulate euthanasia statistics, causing children and others to be harmed and killed by adopted animals, which is a tragedy for families as well as for adopted animals and serves only to frighten people away from adopting vulnerable animals from shelters.
Bottom line, an application, reference checks, a home visit, a contract, and a reasonable adoption fee are essential to ensuring that animals are placed in truly forever homes. After all, anyone who is not interested in fully being part of the process to adopt a cat or dog can hardly be expected to spend the time, money, and energy needed to care for an animal for his/her entire life.
The word “euthanasia” comes from two Greek words – “eu” meaning “good” and “thanatos” meaning “death.” Euthanasia is defined as a merciful release from life in order to end suffering.
TFPF only takes in as many cats and dogs as we can comfortably, humanely care for in our foster homes. We make every effort to place each of our cats and dogs into safe, responsible homes. In certain cases, however, this may not be possible due to severe medical conditions that cause the animal to suffer, or due to extreme aggression that poses a danger to the community and the animal’s quality of life. In these instances, humane euthanasia is performed painlessly and humanely by a veterinarian so as to prevent the animal from suffering.
TFPF does not place a time limit on the search for a forever home for our adoptable cats and dogs. We never rush into any placement and we screen potential adopters very thoroughly to ensure that the animals we place today will still be cared for next year and even 10 years from now.
If this particular cat or dog was previously adopted from our organization, then we require that you bring him/her back to our care. Every cat and dog adopted from TFPF comes with a lifetime promise.
TFPF can only take in as many cats and dogs as we can comfortably, humanely care for in our foster homes. You can contact us to see if we have the space and resources to take in these kittens to place them into a responsible, loving homes.
If we cannot take them into our care, we can refer you to a high-traffic, open-admission shelter where the kittens have a chance at finding a new life.
If this particular cat or dog was previously adopted from our organization, then we require that you bring him/her back to our care. Every cat and dog adopted from TFPF comes with a lifetime promise.
If this particular cat or dog was not adopted from our organization, then please read the following:
Having to give away a companion animal can be very traumatic for you and certainly for your animal. If circumstances make it impossible for you to keep or properly care for your animal and if you have exhausted resources such as trusted friends and relatives, don’t rush into a placement just because you are pressured for time. If you are unable to find an excellent home for your animal using our tips here, take him or her to an animal shelter operated by a humane organization. Don’t avoid a shelter just because it performs euthanasia. A peaceful end is certainly preferable to being “warehoused” for years in a cage or a cruel, slow death by disease, exposure, starvation, or being crushed under the wheels of a car.
If your animal friend is old, very shy, or very dependent on you and you cannot find a home with someone he or she trusts and loves, the kindest course may lie in taking him or her to a veterinarian or shelter to be euthanized. Animals who have been with you a long time may suffer and pine terribly when you are gone. As a final kindness, remain in the room to comfort your old friend during euthanasia.
Never sell your animal or give him or her to anyone without checking for identification, the person’s full name, driver’s license number, address, and telephone number, and explain that you will visit his or her home (to ensure that he or she actually lives there). Ask for (and check) references from veterinarians, neighbors, and employers.
TFPF can only take in as many cats and dogs as we can comfortably, humanely care for in our foster homes. You can contact us to see if we have the space and resources to take in your cat or dog, and place him/her into a responsible, loving home.
If we cannot take in your pet, we recommend these tips on finding the right home for your cat or dog. Never advertise the animal on Craigslist or in a “Free to a Good Home” ad, and never adopt out an animal who has not been spayed/neutered.
At this time, TFPF only has cats and dogs in our care. You may wish to visit other shelters and check online sources to adopt other species of animals.