Adoption Process

Fill out the Adoption Survey completely (Dog Adoption Survey Here, Cat Adoption Survey Here). This does not obligate you to adopt an animal from us, but it does give us relevant information regarding your lifestyle. It provides us with an initial idea of what you are looking for in a companion animal.

If you already have pets, they must all be up-to-date on vaccinations, as well as spayed and/or neutered. Second Chance spays and neuters all animals in our care before placing them in a home. Pets that are not vaccinated for at minimum Rabies must have an explanation provided by their overseeing vet as to why they are not.

Please list the desired animals or traits in the comments area, such as a particular animal on our website, one you met at an adoption event, or a particular breed or temperament you’re looking for. If you are unsure, even listing some general ideas as to what you are looking for will be helpful. Some good examples of what to write for desired traits would be energetic/playful, couchpotato/sedate, long- or short-haired, and approximate weight or size: large, medium, or small. If you are interested only in an adult who already is housetrained, or a puppy, or a kitten, please specify that.

We will discuss your pet choices. Once your application is approved, which typically takes a few days, one of our adoption counselors will contact you and begin working to find the right pet for your particular lifestyle. We know our animals well and can give you important information regarding their individual personalities, energy levels, particular “quirks,” how they respond with other animals, and whether or not they do well around children.

Meet the animal(s) you are considering. This, also, is a process. Please understand that all of our dogs and most of our cats are located in foster homes spread out in the mid-Missouri area. If you are interested in meeting many animals to find the perfect fit, it likely will take some time to contact foster homes to schedule the transportation of the animals to the Adoption Center to meet you. A pet is a lifetime commitment, so please take your time and meet as many animals as you would like. Please be patient and remember we are a volunteer organization with members who maybe will be taking time away from their own family and/or paid job responsibilities to work with you.

Select a pet for the adoption. Once you have decided upon your new family member, you will pay our adoption fee associated with the particular animal and sign a contract promising to provide good care to your new pet. All of our animals are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on relevant vaccinations before they are adopted out. We strongly believe in being transparent about any health or behavioral problems noted during the animal’s time with us; however, please understand that some of our animals are in our care for a very short time and certain issues might not be detected during our routine medical care.

We encourage adopters to take advantage of our “sleepover” period lasting 7 days after the adoption contract is signed to ensure that the animal is a good fit for your home and lifestyle. After the sleepover period, contact the adoption counselor or foster home you have been working with to finalize the adoption and we will mail you full medical records for your email. If you choose to return the pet you adopted, don’t stress! We want the best for our animals and for our adopters, so we are happy to continue working with you to find an animal who is a better fit for your home. In order to receive a refund on your adoption fee, you must contact us within the 7 day sleepover period about returning the animal.

Take your animal home. We will give you information about what kind of food your animal is accustomed to eating, any special instructions, current medications it is taking (if any), and general information about your pet. There will be an adjustment period. Younger animals tend to adjust much more quickly than older animals. Please be patient during this adjustment period. We will remain available by phone, email, or in person at the Adoption Center to answer any questions you may encounter during this time. Just give it a few days!