At the Ketchum ASPCA, our rescues are the first priority. We are here as a service to you for adoption, but above and beyond that, we are here for the animals. We strive to place each rescued animal in a happy home, and we also want to make sure you find the right pet for you and your family. To ensure potential adoptions would be a good match, we follow certain procedures in setting up an adoption. These are standards each applicantion goes through so that the process is as objective as possible. Below, you will find general steps taken that you can expect to go through as you adopt from KASPCA.
STEP ONE: The first step in the adoption process is filling out an adoption application. You can find our application to adopt here on our website. These applications are designed to give our adoption coordinators an idea of what life is like at your home. You may not understand why we ask some of the questions on the application, but trust us, we've been doing this for quite some time and knowing this information assists us in determining which pets would be good matches with your home. Some pets want to do nothing more than curl up on the sofa or on you. Others are more active and ideally need to play with you or with other pets each day. Some pets would go crazy living a quiet home life, while others would detest the chaos and energy level of a big family. Some pets love to go for walks, while others prefer to be allowed to run in a fenced yard. Some pets get along with other pets, while others think of them as a chew toy or prefer not to think of them at all. And, there are those that prefer to keep a watchful eye out for their younger human companions while there are others that believe children should be seen and not heard, preferably in someone else's yard. At any rate, we believe that there is a pet for every home seeking the addition of their company.
If you have seen a pet on our website and are interested in that specific pet, you can specify that interest on your application. Would you be willing to work with a pet who is not housebroken, or one that is paper trained? Are you experienced enough to take on a pet in need of behavioral attention or a pet that will need special handling when strangers are around?
STEP TWO: Once a rescue representative has received and reviewed your application, they will talk with the references you provided. If you rent or lease your residence, we will also contactyour landlord to insure you are within your rental or lease agreement rights in obtaining a pet. We will contact you by email and set up a date and time for a phone interview so that we can discuss yuour application with you, as well as what pet(s) would be matches for your home. If we cannot reach you after a combination of five attempts via phone and email, we will assume that you are no longer interested in adoption and we will proceed no further with your application. The application will be marked accordingly and will be filed for future use, should you be interested in adopting in the future.
If we have any questions about your application we will ask you about them. This will extend the time we will need to approve or deny your application.
STEP THREE: You will be told if your application to adopt is approved or denied. If we have any pets that interest you, then the process will proceed to step four. If we currently have no pets that would be a match for you, we will contact you about being placed into our "Want Book".
STEP FOUR: The next step is the initial visit. Once you've discussed with a coordinator the potential matches we may have for you, we will set up a date, place and time for you to meet whichever match you are interested in. Should there be more than one pet you are interested in, we will make every attempt to get each pet to the same location for one meeting, instead of several different meetings. Please understand that some of these pets are fostered in other cities and states, so finding a central location for a meeting may require a bit of time - (usually no more than a week.) This meeting may also require a bit of travel on your part, and we ask that you keep this mind when considering adopting a pet from the KASPCA. Also, keep in mind that you will merely be visiting with the pets, you will NOT be leaving with the pet(s) you are interested in adopting, unless such arrangements have been made prior to the initial visit.
On this visit, you will get to see if you and your family like the personality of the pet(s) you are interested in. We will get a feel as to whether the pet likes you or not, which is an important part of the adoption process. If you own other pets, we require that you bring them with you on this visit so that we may see the interaction between your current pet(s) and the potential adoptee. Most times, there are exhibits of dominance and testing, which is normal. Most times, within one visit, you will know whether or not your current pet(s) and the pet you are interested in will eventually get along. We expect a few growls and some posturing, but you know it won't work when major fireworks go off.
You will be asked to take a week to make a final decision as to which pet(s) you would seriously like to adopt. At the end of that week, you will need to contact us to let us know which pet(s) will be the new member of your family. This will also allow you time to make any purchases or last minute adjustments to your home - (if needed) - before your new pet arrives.
STEP FIVE: A member of the KASPCA will come to your home at your convenience, or to a prearranged meeting place that is mutually agreed upon, and meet with you and all your family members. The representative will bring with him/her the pet(s) you will be adopting. This visit gives you a chance to ask any questions you might have and talk with the representative about what you can expect when you first get your pet, as well as in the years to come. If you are dealing with a representative who is fostering the animal you are interested in, you will be able to talk to him/her, afterall, the foster has been living with the pets and can let you know what to expect, in terms of behavior. Feel free to ask any questions. If this step goes well, and the pet you are adopting was spayed/neutered PRIOR to this visit, the rescue representative will have the adoption paperwork with them. If you are still interested in adopting, you will need to sign an adoption contract, which states that you will provide any and all necessary care for the pet and will never give the pet to anyone in the event that you cannot keep the pet for any reason. If you are no longer able or willing to care for the pet, the pet MUST be returned to the KASPCA, or a rescue representative thereof. The contract also specifies that the pet has been seen by a vet, had a thorough physical exam, is up to date on inoculations, is heartworm negative and is on heartworm preventitive medication, and is spayed/neutered. Any known medical problems would be described in the contract. We also give you all vet records we have for the pet, so that your vet will know the pet's medical background. You will then give the adoption fee to the rescue representative, and you will be the proud new parent of a rescued animal from the KASPCA.
PLEASE NOTE: There is NO guarantee made, expressed or implied that any person requesting to adopt a pet from the KASPCA will automatically be approved. All adoptions are subject to a review process that requires aquiring information from references and visiting the applicant's home. Decisions on placing pets in adoptive and foster homes are based solely on the judgment of the KASPCA, volunteers and coordinators, and adoption applications may be denied for various reasons. The KASPCA reserves the right to refuse to adopt to anyone, without disclosing the reason(s), and to make all decisions regarding placement or final dispositon of any rescued pet in its care, whether in, or being placed in, a foster or adoptive home or other facility.
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