Adopt a Pet

Our goal for any HSLC animal is its adoption into a loving home. Our staff takes great care to ensure that all pets are placed into appropriate environments where they will receive responsible, permanent care and love. Our adoption counselors are trained in HSLC policies and procedures, breed characteristics, evaluating the personality of shelter animals, animal behavior and health issues, and working effectively with the public. Last year, the HSLC helped over 1000 animals to find loving homes!

We have many companion pets available for adoption at our shelter.
Come visit us and meet your new forever friend!

Shelter hours: Mondays 12:00-8:00pm, Wednesday-Sunday from 12:00-5:00pm
The shelter is closed every Tuesday and major holidays.

You can also search our adoptable pets on PetFinder.com

And, if you have digital Comcast cable, you can view our pets on "Pets on Demand."
Check your Comcast cable listing for details.

Adoption Process

Once you select an animal (or they select you!) you will be asked to fill out our application for adoption. One of our adoption counselors will then meet with you to conduct an interview and help answer any questions you may have. Upon approval, you may take the pet home. It is the goal of the HSLC to match animals with appropriate adopters and we reserve the right to refuse adoption of an animal to anyone. While we try to complete the adoption process quickly, our goal is to be thorough to serve the best interest of both you and the pet, and the process may take up to 60 minutes.

If you are considering adopting a pet, we recommend that you review and complete our Application for Adoption prior to visiting the shelter so you are prepared with the information required. Even if you do not find your special pet on your first visit, we can review the application with you. If you would like to have your application reviewed prior to visiting the shelter, please allow at least 48 hours for us to reply after receiving your completed application form.

HSLC Adoption Policies & Services

• All animals adopted from the Humane Society of Livingston County are spayed or neutered prior
leaving the shelter. There is no exception to this policy.

• All animals are micro-chipped, wormed for intestinal parasites, have age-appropriate
   vaccines, and receive an identification tag and collar.

• Dogs 6 months and older are heartworm tested and all felines are tested for feline
   leukemia and FIV.

• All dogs, regardless of age, receive heartworm preventative once monthly.

• All adoptions also include a free bag of Science Diet specially formulated for the animal
   you are adopting!

Return Policy

We require that if a new permanent home is needed for the pet that it is returned to our shelter. However, we cannot refund the adoption after the 2-week trial period has ended. Please think carefully before adopting a pet!

ID Tags

All animals leave with ID tags when they are adopted. We ask that you keep this ID tag on your pet after adoption to help us return your pet to you in case the pet ever is lost.

Adoption Specials

From time to time, the HSLC offers reduced prices on adoption fees in order to encourage the adoption of homeless animals. Please contact the shelter or check our web site often to find out if any special promotions are going on now!

We also often have "special needs" animals in search of "special homes." For example, some animals may require lifelong medications, special food requirements, or have a medical condition which may shorten their life. Reduced adoption fees may apply to these animals in an effort to offset the cost of care for the adopter based on the specific need and/or age of each pet.

Adoption Tips & Considerations

Think seriously before adopting . When you bring a new pet into your family, you are committing to care for that animal for the rest of its life - which could be as long as twenty years. It's not a decision to be made lightly. As much as we want the shelter animals to find homes, it saddens us to see pets being returned to the shelter a few days, weeks, months or even years later because their owners can no longer care for them. So think hard and ask yourself some important questions before making a commitment.

• Am I ready for the responsibility of a pet?

• Can I afford the costs of owning a pet, including food, supplies, grooming, and both routine
and emergency vet care?

• Do I have the time to care for a pet, knowing that all pets need love, attention, exercise and
training?

• Are there restrictions on pets where I currently live?

• Is there a possibility of moving somewhere that the pet couldn't go?

• Who will care for my pet when I am away from home?

Adoption Fees

Adoption fees help offset the cost of evaluation, housing, feeding and medical care for the animals we shelter each year. Because we are a nonprofit organization, donations subsidize the gap between the cost for care and the adoption fee. It is through the generosity of our donors that we have the resources to help so many animals and hold them until we can find them homes.

Adoption Fee Includes: Spay/neuter surgery Worming Dog heartworm test or cat leukemia/FIV test Age-appropriate vaccines Microchip HSLC ID tag w/collar Small bag of food
Cats
Kittens (under 6 months of age)	$120.00
Cats (over 6 months of age)	$80.00
Senior (8 year and older)	$50.00
2 adult cats	$120.00
2 kittens	$180.00
1 adult cat, 1 kitten	$140.00
Dogs
Puppies (under 6 months)	$250.00
Adult dogs (over 6 months)	$175.00
Small breed (under 20 pounds)	$250.00
Senior (8 years and older & over 20 pounds)	$120.00
Senior (8 years and older & under 20 pounds)	$140.00
2 adults (over 20 pounds)	$260.00

Updated 2/23/09