Adopting a Dog or Cat From CLAWS
- Find a Friend. Peruse our dog and cat listings on Petfinder.org to find an animal companion you feel will fit in well with your family. If you don't have a specific dog or cat in mind, that's OK. Please email us at clawsadopt@yahoo.com to let us know that you wish to be notified if a particular breed comes available or if you need help understanding which temperament, sex, size, age of dog will be a good match for your family's lifestyle.
- Contact the Person(s) Listed in the Bio. Each dog and cat listed should have a contact email and/or phone number. In all cases, this is your first contact. Sometimes, you will be asked to complete an online application in lieu of direct contact. Please note that many dogs and cats receive multiple inquiries, especially puppies and small dog breeds. In these cases, it is not always possible to respond to every phone call, email, and application. Do not be afraid to follow up, but please be aware we are all volunteers and although we make it a priority to get back to everyone individually, it is not always possible.
- Tell us About Yourself. The contact person will ask you, via email, phone or an online application, questions that will help us learn about your family and assess whether a particular dog will fit into your lifestyle. Any information you give us is strictly confidential, and is never shared with an outside party -- including other rescue groups -- unless you give us prior consent.
- You Meet the Dog or Cat. After we've gotten a good idea of who you are and the kind of home you can provide, you may be invited to meet the dog or cat in person. As our animals reside in people's homes, meetings are almost always by appointment only. (Exceptions are our weekly adoption events.) We encourage the entire family, including any canine and feline members, to come to the meeting.
- You Adopt the Dog or Cat. If all goes well up to this point, you may be invited to adopt the animal. Please understand that no adoption is final until a contract is signed. Our foster homes always have the right to refuse any placement based on their own judgement and have our full support. Most of our animals have been through at least one previous home and we make decisions with the animal's welfare foremost in our minds.
- Post-Adoption. We reserve the right to follow up by phone, email or in person, and if the adopted animals is not kept humanely as an indoor pet, we have the right to redeem it. Should you ever have to or want to give up the animal we will, if at all possible, take it back or will help find him or her a new home. We ask to be given reasonable time and notice. Under no circumstances are you permitted to give the animal away or to a shelter. You will have to sign a contract to that effect.
GET STARTED!
See the dogs and puppies or cats and kittens we currently have available for adoption!
Important -- Please Read:
• CLAWS is not a shelter. We are a network of volunteers. Most of our animals live in a fosterhome or, in rare cases, are still with their previous owner.
• We do not have a central database or a phone hotline for instant information.
• Unless specified otherwise, an email will almost always generate a faster response than a phone call.
• You must be at least 21 years of age and economically independent to adopt a dog or cat from us.
• CLAWS will take an animal we place back at any point in his or her life, as long as it is physically possible and we receive fair advance notice.
• CLAWS does not ship dogs, although local transportation can be arranged if needed.
• All animals have been vaccinated and examined by a vet and if old enough, spayed/neutered.
• An adoption donation is requested to help cover our expenses for rescuing, housing, and veterinary care.