Adoption FAQs
Do I need an appointment to see a pet?
Yes, due to our unique environment, our locations are not open to the general public. If you are interested in adopting a pet, the first step is to fill out an adoption application online. Within a few days, our amazing Adoption Team will be in touch and begin processing your application. Once you have been approved, our Adoption Coordinator will be in touch to set up meet and greets for any of the pets you may be interested in! If you aren’t sure about adopting and want to see some of our pups first, keep an eye out for our monthly Open House and Petsmart Adoption events, or sign up to be a volunteer and get to know the pups first hand!
What if I don’t know what pet I’m interested in? Can I come meet them first?
Our locations aren’t open for walk-up adoptions, however, volunteers are welcome any time! Sign up to volunteer and meet the pups first hand, spend as much time with them as you’d like, and let your heart fall in love! Visit alwaysandfurever.org/volunteering to learn about our different locations and volunteer opportunities.
How long does it take to process an adoption?
Processing times may vary, but in general adopters can expect the entire process to take 1-2 weeks. Please know that we are not a same-day adoption facility, we have a very thorough process to ensure we are placing our pups with the right family! This includes a 5-step adoption process: reference checks, virtual home checks, background checks, medical team consultations, and multiple meet and greets. Please be patient with our team as we work our hardest to find the best matches for both our pups and your family.
Do you do out-of-state adoptions?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis. In general, we ask that adopters travel to us in order to meet their potential new family member and drive them back home if all goes well. If a family has other pups, we ask them to come as well so we can ensure proper introductions are done. Our meet and greet process is typically over the span of two days, so families should plan to stay overnight. Any exceptions to these rules are by the discretion of the Adoption Coordinator.
I have another pet at home, can I bring them to meet the pet(s) I’m interested in adopting?
Absolutely! In fact, this is a required step in our adoption process. After an adopter has been approved, our Adoption Coordinator will be in touch to begin scheduling meet and greets, which include a minimum of two meets with at least a 24 hour gap in between them. For the first meet and greet, we ask that only the human family members attend so that you can get to know your potential new pup without any distractions. Next we require a 24 hour break for families to go home and think over this immense decision of adding a new furry family member for life. When it is time for the second meet and greet, our Adoption Coordinator and often our certified trainer will help introduce your current pets to your potential new pet to ensure that it is the perfect fit.
What are your adoption fees?
We have none, yup – you heard that right! Here at A&F, we do not believe in putting a price on a life. We want to change the way the world views animals and are breaking the stigma that they are an item to be purchased. We rely solely on the generous donations from our followers and adopters to keep saving more lives. This is another reason why our adoption process is so thorough, due to the fact that we don’t charge adoption fees, we want to ensure that the families adopting from us have good intentions and aren’t here for the wrong reasons. Additionally, since our focus is primarily on saving senior dogs, we know that many of our adoptable animals come with medical needs that can be quite costly and would rather adopters focus their funds on caring for their new pet rather than on our fees.
What happens if I need to return the pet that I adopted?
In our adoption contract, it states that it is mandatory for all adopters to return a pet to us if they can no longer keep them for any reason. Giving away your pet to a friend, family member, shelter, etc. would be in direct violation of the contract all adopters sign when they decide to adopt one of our pets. These animals are a part of our A&F family for life and will always be welcomed back with open arms if things do not work out for any reason. Please know that our contract also states that we are allowed reasonable time to find space or make accommodations when a pet needs to be returned and you will be charged a $100 return fee due to the fact that we will most likely have to board the returned animal at an offsite facility until space becomes available.
What is the adoption process for cats?
We have a designated cat team that handles things a little bit differently than our dog team! Most of our adoptable cats are located at the Petsmart in Olathe off of 119th Street. You can view the kittens there, but still need to fill out an application and schedule your adoption with our Cat Coordinator!
Do you provide any post-adoption training or behavior classes?
All adopters should know that rescue dogs often come with unknown backgrounds and most likely have never experienced love or training before coming to us, or even possibly a home environment at all. For this reason, we strongly advise all our adopters to go the foster-to-adopt route which allows you to foster your new pet for an amount of time prior to signing the contract. This allows the pet to decompress and adjust to your home and allows you the time to be absolutely sure that this is the pet you choose to love for the rest of its life, no matter what happens. Contact your adoption coordinator post-adoption if you are experiencing any issues with your new furry family member, we will try to provide guidance and advice as much as possible. We want to make sure you are set up for success as much as possible to help resolve small issues and prevent avoidable returns.
Adoption FAQs
Do I need an appointment to see a pet?
Yes, due to our unique environment, our locations are not open to the general public. If you are interested in adopting a pet, the first step is to fill out an adoption application online. Within a few days, our amazing Adoption Team will be in touch and begin processing your application. Once you have been approved, our Adoption Coordinator will be in touch to set up meet and greets for any of the pets you may be interested in! If you aren’t sure about adopting and want to see some of our pups first, keep an eye out for our monthly Open House and Petsmart Adoption events, or sign up to be a volunteer and get to know the pups first hand!
What if I don’t know what pet I’m interested in? Can I come meet them first?
Our locations aren’t open for walk-up adoptions, however, volunteers are welcome any time! Sign up to volunteer and meet the pups first hand, spend as much time with them as you’d like, and let your heart fall in love! Visit alwaysandfurever.org/volunteering to learn about our different locations and volunteer opportunities.
How long does it take to process an adoption?
Processing times may vary, but in general adopters can expect the entire process to take 1-2 weeks. Please know that we are not a same-day adoption facility, we have a very thorough process to ensure we are placing our pups with the right family! This includes a 5-step adoption process: reference checks, virtual home checks, background checks, medical team consultations, and multiple meet and greets. Please be patient with our team as we work our hardest to find the best matches for both our pups and your family.
Do you do out-of-state adoptions?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis. In general, we ask that adopters travel to us in order to meet their potential new family member and drive them back home if all goes well. If a family has other pups, we ask them to come as well so we can ensure proper introductions are done. Our meet and greet process is typically over the span of two days, so families should plan to stay overnight. Any exceptions to these rules are by the discretion of the Adoption Coordinator.
I have another pet at home, can I bring them to meet the pet(s) I’m interested in adopting?
Absolutely! In fact, this is a required step in our adoption process. After an adopter has been approved, our Adoption Coordinator will be in touch to begin scheduling meet and greets, which include a minimum of two meets with at least a 24 hour gap in between them. For the first meet and greet, we ask that only the human family members attend so that you can get to know your potential new pup without any distractions. Next we require a 24 hour break for families to go home and think over this immense decision of adding a new furry family member for life. When it is time for the second meet and greet, our Adoption Coordinator and often our certified trainer will help introduce your current pets to your potential new pet to ensure that it is the perfect fit.
What are your adoption fees?
We have none, yup – you heard that right! Here at A&F, we do not believe in putting a price on a life. We want to change the way the world views animals and are breaking the stigma that they are an item to be purchased. We rely solely on the generous donations from our followers and adopters to keep saving more lives. This is another reason why our adoption process is so thorough, due to the fact that we don’t charge adoption fees, we want to ensure that the families adopting from us have good intentions and aren’t here for the wrong reasons. Additionally, since our focus is primarily on saving senior dogs, we know that many of our adoptable animals come with medical needs that can be quite costly and would rather adopters focus their funds on caring for their new pet rather than on our fees.
What happens if I need to return the pet that I adopted?
In our adoption contract, it states that it is mandatory for all adopters to return a pet to us if they can no longer keep them for any reason. Giving away your pet to a friend, family member, shelter, etc. would be in direct violation of the contract all adopters sign when they decide to adopt one of our pets. These animals are a part of our A&F family for life and will always be welcomed back with open arms if things do not work out for any reason. Please know that our contract also states that we are allowed reasonable time to find space or make accommodations when a pet needs to be returned and you will be charged a $100 return fee due to the fact that we will most likely have to board the returned animal at an offsite facility until space becomes available.
What is the adoption process for cats?
We have a designated cat team that handles things a little bit differently than our dog team! Most of our adoptable cats are located at the Petsmart in Olathe off of 119th Street. You can view the kittens there, but still need to fill out an application and schedule your adoption with our Cat Coordinator!
Do you provide any post-adoption training or behavior classes?
All adopters should know that rescue dogs often come with unknown backgrounds and most likely have never experienced love or training before coming to us, or even possibly a home environment at all. For this reason, we strongly advise all our adopters to go the foster-to-adopt route which allows you to foster your new pet for an amount of time prior to signing the contract. This allows the pet to decompress and adjust to your home and allows you the time to be absolutely sure that this is the pet you choose to love for the rest of its life, no matter what happens. Contact your adoption coordinator post-adoption if you are experiencing any issues with your new furry family member, we will try to provide guidance and advice as much as possible. We want to make sure you are set up for success as much as possible to help resolve small issues and prevent avoidable returns.