Adoption Guidelines

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Approximately 100-200 pets are adopted out of our shelter per month.

Adoption Fees

Cats/kittens are adopted for $80 each
Dogs/puppies are adopted for $90 each
Ferrets are adopted for $70 each
Bunnies are adopted for $35 each
Guinea pigs are adopted for $10 each

These fees include the routine vaccines, spay or neuter surgery if not already done, microchip ID and registration, and a rabies tag or Henderson License (depending on where you live). Guinea pigs are generally not vaccinated, spayed, neutered, or microchipped.

Cash, checks, and major credit cards are accepted forms of payment.

Preliminary Adoption Application

Preliminary Adoption Application for Henderson Animal Care and Control Facility

You can download this form, fill it out and bring it with you, or fill it out at the shelter when you are considering adopting a pet.

If you are renting your place of residence, your landlord's information will be on this form for us to verify you are allowed to have this type of pet at your residence.

We reserve the right to conduct yard checks, and also reserve the right to deny any adoption if we feel it is not in the best interest of the pet. You are able to apply to adopt any type and size of pet regardless of where you live, as long as your landlord approves.

Yard Check

We reserve the right to conduct yard checks prior to finalizing an adoption.
You do not need to be home when the yard check is being conducted.
A notice will be left on your door informing you if you have been approved to adopt the dog you are interested in.
Notations will be left on the courtesy notice of any extenuating circumstances that need met prior to adoption.

Purebred and Mixed-Breed Pets

Purebred pets as well as mixed-breeds are available for adoption.
If you want to adopt a purebred pet, please read about the breed and its stereotypical behavior so you know if this breed will fit into your lifestyle.
Most mixed-breed identities are educated guesses at best, but one of the presumed breeds is more prevalent. Knowing this will give you a good insight into the pets' basic behavioral traits. We do not do genetic breed testing on shelter animals.
The mixed-breeds will behave similarly to the purebred pets, only with a mixed breed, it is unique and you get a variety. Most behaviors are a product of the animal's environment and training.
Some of the best pets are mixed breeds. They tend to get the best traits of the mixture.

Fearful Pets

Fearful pets that shy away from you when approached in their kennels, or those that try to run away from you when taken out of their kennel, will most likely, initially, exhibit the same behavior when in a new home environment.
Don't consider adopting this type of pet unless you have the time, patience, and knowledge to work with this type of pet behavior.

Pets with obvious medical and/or physical problems are occasionally put up for adoption because they have exhibited an exceptional disposition.

These pets will have notes from our medical staff explaining the medical or physical condition and what is expected of a new owner to provide a proper setting for the pet.
Do not consider adopting these types of pets if you know you cannot afford the extra time, money, and emotions it may require to maintain a healthy and happy home for this pet.

Can't find what you are looking for?

Be willing to walk out the door if you do not find the type of pet you are looking for.
One of the many advantages of an animal shelter is that it has a high volume of pets coming in.
Over a period of time you will have the chance to see many different pets before making the decision on which one to adopt.
We don't "hold" pets for anyone, as it is first come first served.
If there is a pet you want but can't adopt right now, the best approach to this is to plan on coming back when you can adopt, if the pet you wanted is still here, great! If not, then it wasn't meant to be and there is usually one you will find that is a better match than the first one you thought you wanted.

Circumventing the Shelter Process

Occasionally, a potential adopter visiting the shelter will see an animal on its way into the shelter and try to circumvent the shelter process.

While there is no law that prevents you from merely taking the animal if the owner offers it to you, it is not a wise idea.

If you are truly interested in the pet for yourself, alert the front office staff of your interest so they can inform you how the adoption process works, what is included in the price of the adoption, and when the surrendered pet will be available for adoption.

Adoption Fee vs. "Free"

Accepting a "free" pet usually ends up costing you much more money than following through with an adoption at the shelter.
Usually "free" pets need to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated with combo vaccines and rabies, microchipped and registered, and licensed.
The cost of our adoptions includes all of these items.
The cost to perform these items on your "free" pet at a veterinary hospital will far exceed the adoption cost.

"Open Admissions Facility" and "Closed Admissions Facility"

An "open admissions facility" is one that takes in every domesticated animal in its jurisdiction that is brought to it and does not have the luxury of turning these pets away when full or when the animal is unadoptable. Usually these are government operated facilities (such as ours), and not dependent on donations to sustain its existence.
A "closed admissions facility" is one that has the ability to turn away pets when they are full and/or the facility perceives the pet as unadoptable. These facilities usually operate mostly on donations to sustain their existence.
When the "closed admissions facility" deems itself full or the pet unadoptable and refuses entry, the pet is ultimately taken to an "open admissions facility" where entry is not denied. This is where the term "no kill" and "kill" come from.
Both types of facilities work together in this manner to provide valuable services to the communities in which they operate.
"Open admissions facilities", such as the City of Henderson Animal Care and Control Facility, are tasked with taking in all stray or unwanted animals from their jurisdiction, evaluating adoptability, or attempting to return them to their owners. We take in approximately 4,500+ pets per year.