What is the adoption process?
Adopting a pet is a SERIOUS COMMITMENT. We strongly encourage anyone thinking about adding a fuzzy member to their family to do their research and be ready for this commitment. Take a moment to read through this short but helpful Are You Ready to Adopt? page. And please carefully consider the financial obligation you will take on when adopting a new family member. It is important to be sure you can properly care for your pet now and in the future. We will also be happy to work with you to figure out what kind of pet is best for you. If you want to have a pet in your home but aren’t sure you can make the 10-20 year commitment, consider fostering pets.
Forgotten Dogs of the 5th Ward Project will work directly with you, the prospective adopter, providing individualized attention and support in order to help you find the perfect pet for your family.
We provide as much information on each animal’s history, disposition and health as we can gather. We strongly believe that honesty is the best policy. We want each of our animals to find the RIGHT home, not just ANY home. Likewise, we want you to find the pet who best matches your lifestyle and interests.
Pet Adoption Application, Interview, Home Visit
You will first be required to complete our Adoption Application. Once received, an FD rep will contact you via phone or e-mail. If it seems you are a good fit for each other based on the info you provided, a phone interview will follow. If you are renting, we require proof that you are allowed to have a pet as well as any breed or size restrictions that may exist. If you have pets or did previously, we require your vet information and we will call them to verify that your pets are in good health, current on vaccines and spayed/neutered. We require that all pets in the home be spayed/neutered unless there are health reasons that can be verified with the vet. The final step is a home visit, where an FD volunteer comes to your home to verify your home is a safe place for an animal. It is also a time where the volunteer can answer questions and discuss safety precautions.
What is required?
In our Adoption Agreement, we require that every animal be spayed/neutered (if not prior to adoption) by a specific date. This is VERY important as the overpopulation of dogs and cats in our country is a sad result of too many unplanned litters! If for any reason the match is not as perfect as we all had hoped, the dog or cat must be returned to Forgotten Dogs, not given away or turned in to a shelter. Serious fines apply to violators of the Forgotten Dogs Agreement to Adopt. So be clear about what you are signing and be prepared to abide by the contract. It is legally binding and we take it very seriously.
Note: Forgotten Dogs requires adopters to be at least 21 years of age. We will require proof of age to finalize any adoption.
What are your adoption fees?
Forgotten Dogs’ adoption fees are $150 for adult dogs ages 2+ and $175 for puppies >2 years old (plus an additional spay/neuter deposit on those that are too young at the time of adoption: $75 local, or $250 for long-distance adoptions). Long distance transportation costs vary based on size/weight/breed of the individual dog being adopted, as well as the mode of transportation (ground, air, etc). Our fees go towards covering spay/neuter, lifetime-registered microchip, vetting costs such as vaccinations and deworming, shelter fees, fuel for transport, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding, behavioral training, and any additional medical care. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our system do. Thus, any “extra” money from adoption fees – which almost never happens – goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Forgotten Dogs, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.
How long does the process take?
We are a small group of volunteers and almost all of us have full-time or part-time jobs, families, and pets of our own to care for. There is not set amount of time it may take since we have to coordinate schedules with multiple people in order to do home checks, meet and greets, etc. Please understand that we do try our best to expedite the process as much as possible. If you are looking for a quick adoption, please visit your local shelter, as there are many dogs there that need homes, just as our Forgotten Rottens do.
Still have a question?
Just ask! 🙂 We are here to help!