Thanks for considering a rescued pet as an addition to your family! 

Here are some adoption process FAQs that you may find helpful:

Where is your shelter located?

Our foster animals live in the homes of our volunteers. This gives us the opportunity to observe their behavior in a home setting and identify any issues that may need to be addressed. Our foster parents are located throughout the metro New Orleans area.

How do I arrange a meeting with the rescue pet?

Since our animals are fostered in private homes, we ask that a brief online application be completed prior to meeting the pet. This is done for the safety of our volunteers and to ensure that the pet is a match for your home and to allow us to offer further recommendations.

How long does it take to receive a response to my application? 

When an online application is completed, we start processing within 24-72 hrs, but due to the fact that we usually receive multiple applications for the same dog and the time required to contact veterinarians and/or landlords for verification, the entire process make take several days before we make a final decision and contact the approved applicant. We are a 100% volunteer group and work full-time jobs in addition to doing rescue, so your patience is greatly appreciated. 

We encourage anyone seriously interested in adopting to complete the brief online application as soon as possible. Although we do not operate on a first-come-first-served basis, but rather on what is best for the pet and the adopter, we do give preference to the first qualified application received.

How do I know if the animal I am interested in is still available? 

Animals that are listed as adoptable are available. When we have a qualified applicant scheduled to see a pet, we change the pet's status to "pending" so that others will know that someone is scheduled to meet the pet. Applications may still be submitted for pending animals.

We encourage you to submit an application if you are interested in a pet listed as "pending" since we will still use your application to match you with a similar pet should the pending adoption finalize. If your application is approved, this will allow you to be considered first for the next similar pet. 

If the pet for which I applied is not deemed a match, does that mean I have been denied?

No. Even the best pet owners are not a match for every dog. Our goal is to facilitate a lifelong relationship between pet owners and the new pet. The adoption coordinator will explain why the pet is not a match, get any necessary additional information from you, and we will actively search for a pet for you. At the very least, you will remain on our wishlist and will have first preference when a rescued pet that is deemed a match for you arrives.

If there is information on my application that is not in accordance with your adoption policy, do you automatically deny my application?

Not necessarily! Our ultimate goal is to foster long-lasting, loving relationships between people and pets. A significant part of reaching that goal involves increasing awareness in the public regarding responsible pet ownership. We have approved many applications and facilitated matches with pet owners who simply were not aware of certain responsibilities required in being a responsible pet owner. How easily this obstacle is overcome depends on how open the applicant is to receiving and utilizing the information offered.

With this in mind, we strongly urge applicants to be completely honest on their applications. This is in the best interest of you and your future pet.

Any applications found to have intentionally false or misleading information will be denied.

What if I am looking for a certain type of pet that is not yet available, or I am not sure what kind of dog or cat would be a match for my home?

We ask that you complete an application for the dog or cat that is the closest match to what you might be looking for and include breed, color, weight limit, and any other information you think might be helpful, in the comments section of the application. Completing an application as Wishlist request helps us to match the right dog or cat with your home by letting us know about other pets, the ages of children in the home, work schedule, etc. This is important since some of our rescues require a certain environment based on their history. We will contact you to discuss which pet would be best for your home. Your application can be transferred to the dog or cat with whom we ultimately match you.

What happens after I am approved for a pet?

Once you are approved for a pet, you will complete a Foster-to-Adopt (FTA) agreement that will be sent to you via email and submit your fee (usually via Venmo or Paypal, but other arrangments can be made, if necessary). Then, the pet will be delivered to your home and if all members of the family agree, the pet begins the FTA period for approximately a month. This allows you to make sure that the pet is a good fit for you home.

After the one month FTA period is complete, the family and the pet attends an adoption event to finalize the adoption. Adoptions are held 1-2 times per month in Metairie.* You will be given an appointment for the date and time of adoption.

Prior to the adoption being finalized, we require that you make your first purchase of heartworm preventative from your vet. If you do not have a vet when you submit your application, we will be happy to refer you. 

 *There will be a refundable cash distance deposit collected for adoptions to families on the Northshore or out of the Greater New Orleans area that will be returned in person when the adoption is finalized.

 

Approved Adopters Only: Go here to schedule the adoption finalization appointment for your new family member.