Adoption Help
Need help finding good homes for your litter of kittens or puppies?
If you find yourself with a litter of puppies or kittens please read on,
this information will help you place your litter of puppies or kittens responsibly.
Tips on placing your puppies or kittens
Suggested places to find good homes:
- Place an ad in the Mail Tribune classified section of the paper.
- Please note: Never say "Free to a Good Home" in the ad - many
Bunchers seek out these ads - (see
below regarding Bunchers).
- Place posters in your veterinarian's
office, where you work and at pet supply stores.
- Tell your friends neighbors
and co-workers.
- Be creative when making your posters, it's always good to include
a photo!
- Never give away your puppies in front of a grocery store or shopping
center. Many of these adoptions end with the pet abandoned or not properly cared
for. It is far better to take the animals to the animal shelter than to give
them away in front of a store.
Be aware of "Bunchers" or other
people seeking animals for unethical purposes. Bunchers frequently pose as
prospective pet owners then sell the animals to research labs. ALWAYS carefully
interview the prospective adopters. Don't just say yes to the first person
to come along...make sure they are responsible.
Suggested questions to ask people interested in your pet:
- Take the lead during the interview with a prospective adopter; don't let
them first ask you questions about your
pet - rather, you ask them questions about themselves, and their qualifications.
- Ask the person for their name, phone number and
address - "Bunchers" posing as prospective owners will not want
to give out this information or will give you false information. Call them
back to confirm they have given you a correct phone number.
- Ask the following questions when interviewing a perspective adopter:
- Do
they have other pets, if so how many, what kind, will your pet get along
with their other pets?
- How long have they had their other pets?
- Do they have children, if
so how old are their children?
- Will they give their new pet a cat collar & ID
tag?
- Who is their veterinarian? (Beware of someone who has pets but no
regular veterinarian. How well will they care for their pets with no
vet?)
- What has happened to pets they have had in the past (Beware of those
who have lost pets because they were poisoned or killed in traffic, if
they "ran
away" (why?), if they died at a young age was it due to something
a vet could have prevented?)
- Will they have the pet vaccinated annually?
- Always visit the home before giving the animal up. If someone won't allow you to come to their home, do not entrust the animal to them. The home visit allows you to verify the address, see if the other animals are fixed and cared for, and if there is an adequate fenced yard etc. You will want to be sure the entire family welcomes the new member, so pick a time when they will be around.
Do NOT do third party adoptions (i.e. "It's a surprise for my girlfriend").
- Don't hesitate to say "no" to someone who doesn't "feel right," even after THE HOME VISIT. If NO is difficult to say, tell them that there are other interested people and you'll call them later.
Please do the best you can for your pet. Their future is in your hands.
If you cannot find good homes for your pets, call the Southern Oregon Humane
Society or Jackson County Animal Care and Control.
NEVER abandon a pet.
Abandonment is not only inhumane,
it's also against the law.
Phone numbers you may need: