Home > Adopt
I WANT TO ADOPT!
Are you considering adopting one of our homeless animals? Animals become available every day that would make wonderful pets for any family or inidividual. By adopting a pet, you not only save an animal... you gain a friend for life. Click on the button below to view animals currently available for adoption:
To begin the evaluation process for adoption, first be sure to carefully read the Adoption Regulations as well as the Risks/Responsibilities in adopting an animal from us (click on links above).
BEFORE CONTACTING US ABOUT AN ANIMAL, PLEASE SUBMIT AN ON-LINE ADOPTION APPLICATION. This is the first step in determining if this is the right pet to add to your family. There is a place on the application to ask any specific questions you may have that are not answered in the links below. Please note that when you click on the link for the adoption application, you will be prompted to register at the website.
We realize that this might seem a bit backward (especially if you have questions or are not absolutely sure you want to adopt that animal)... but since we are staffed by volunteers who are scheduled to the max, we have consolidated our process into one step. Once we receive your application, our adoption counselors will begin the process of determining whether this pet is a good match for your family, answering your questions, checking your references, etc.
Once your completed application has been received and reviewed, you will be contacted by one of our adoption counselors. Please be patient as this procedure may take several days to complete.
Our vision is to ensure every animal leaving our care has a good home and that no animal shall be sold, given for research or experimentation, used for hunting or a guard dog or for any other purpose other than for a family pet.
We adopt animals only to homes where all pets are already spayed or neutered.
We do contact your veterinarian to inquire about the care your current pet receives. We expect that your pets will receive an annual wellness exam, dogs be tested for heartworm and be on preventative, and that all animals be current with rabies vaccinations. We believe this is an indication of how committed and responsible a potential adopter will be with the future care and treatment of the animal we are attempting to rehome.
We choose not to adopt to homes where more animals are being generated through breeding. Every dog or cat added to the animal population takes away one place for a homeless animal. Breeding is at cross purposes with our goal of reducing the number of animals euthanized in our country.
HSCC reserves the right to refuse adoption to any home that does not share our vision for the animals in our care. The final decision in approving or denying your adoption application will be based on the best match for both animal and family in the opinion of our adoption counselors. We are searching for a healthy, happy and long-term home for our animals with responsible caregivers who will make this pet part of their family.
A home visit is sometimes required before final approval for adoption. If a home visit is required, a volunteer in your area will contact you and arrange to briefly visit with all the members of your household and to evaluate if your home and yard will be suitable for the dog for which you have applied.
We do verify that your lease agreement or rental agreement will allow you to have pets, if you do not own your own home.
All animals must be spayed or neutered prior to adoption. This includes puppies and kittens. The only exceptions would be for health reasons. (We do not adopt puppies or kittens under 8 weeks of age for this reason). This means that puppies and kittens must be at least eight or nine weeks old to be adopted! Kittens under eight or nine weeks of age are not available for adoption and are listed on the website to help find rescue groups who may be willing to take them. If they are not transferred into rescue, they will be fostered until they can be spay/neutered.
You may apply to adopt a puppy before it reaches eight or nine weeks of age... but please realize that if we find a rescue organization who is willing to accept the litter before that time, we may need to transfer them and the adoption will not take place.
PLEASE NOTE: For the safety of both humans and canines, we will not adopt puppies under 12 weeks of age or small breed adult dogs to families with children under the age of 5.
We do allow out-of-area and out-of-state adoptions. However, we do not ship animals. Usually if an out-of-area or out-of-state family is approved for adoption, they arrange to drive here to central Virginia (Lynchburg area) to pick their new pet up. Sometimes we can also arrange to give the animal on a rescue transport heading north... so the driving distance may be a bit less.
Once you have reviewed all the information for adopters in the links above, please complete an on-line adoption application.
