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Adoption 
Please take a few moments to read the following explanation of our adoption policies and the steps that make up the process. You 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 is important to understand two things: (1)the process is the same for everyone; and (2)it is not our intent 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, loving home. Steps Involved in the Adoption Process:When you see an animal in our kennel or cattery that you are interested in, we will ask that you complete some paperwork (our "Adoption Application"). This paperwork must be completed first in order to minimize stress for you and the animals. Our process includes asking questions: 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. You will have a counseling session with one of our knowledgeable staff members who will fill you in on the history and needs of that animal, and his feeding and exercise requirements. You can ask your counselor any questions about spaying or neutering, housetraining, obedience training, scratching (in cats), veterinary care, how to deal with fleas and ticks, and anything else you can think of. If you are approved to adopt, you will be asked to sign an adoption contract and pay an adoption fee. This fee covers spaying or neutering, and the veterinary care, deworming and vaccines your pet has received at the shelter. Please Note: As a general rule, we cannot hold animals for anyone. Unfortunately, because of the tremendous demands on our kennel space, all adoptions must be done on the first good, properly qualified prospective home for the pet. We don't ever mean to be frustrating to or evasive with you. We want you to understand that it is 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. A bad adoption experience can sour some people on dogs and cats-or on shelter animals-for life. Please be aware that many of "our" animals come to us with little or no information about their behavior, their medical history, and sometimes even without names. Although we observe and evaluate all animals as thoroughly as possible, please understand that we cannot know all there is to know-good and bad-about each animal in our care. So try to bear with us and be patient. Understand that going through the process the way we do really is the best policy-for all of us. You are, after all, making a life decision, which quite likely will last 10 to 15 years. There is no need to hurry!
Feline Canine
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P.O. Box 620, Shaftsbury VT 05262 Ph: (802) 375-2898 Fax: (802) 375-0235 Email: secondchance@wildblue.net
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