If you've decided to adopt a pet, that is great news! To let you in on the adoption process and what should be considered before, the rescue shelter Fairy Tails has answered some questions that you might learn a thing or two from. “The first step is always to fill out an application on our website. We ensure that the family dynamics fit the pet they are trying to adopt (Ex: do they have other pets, does the pet they want get along with other pets, etc.),” shared the rescue center.

When looking from the adopter's point of view, the first step seems rather easy. However, the process that happens after requires a lot of work from the rescue team’s perspective. “We call and verify landlord approval for all renters, we call the vet and check on the current status/care of pets in the home, we ask for home visit pictures from the applicant, and then we set up a meet and greet with the pet they are interested in. If all goes well, we typically will finalize the adoption at the meet and greet,” shared the Fairy Tails rescue center.

It is important that through this whole process, the animals are matched with the right families and homes. The rescue team shared how they ensure that this goes right: “via our application that asks about people and ages of those in the home as well as other pets, we also have questions on the application that ask about their experience with training, etc. in the event that they are looking to adopt a pet with training needs.”

Bringing a new pet home can get overwhelming at first, but with the right support, the adaptation process can go easier. Fairy Tales rescue center shares what support they offer for new families: “We always provide our contact information and tell them to contact us if they have any questions/concerns. We have trainers/vets etc. for whom we can provide contact info in the event an adopter contacts us with needs. We always take our pets back if it is not working out in the home, no matter how long they have had the pet.”

The same goes for common challenges and concerns that may arise during the adoption process; the rescue center is always there to support you. Specifically, in the case of Fairy Tales rescue: “we are a small organization, so we do work closely with all applicants, we try to be as transparent as possible regarding any and all behavioral or health issues a pet has, we have no problem questioning adopters on how they would handle certain situations/behaviors, etc. whatever the pet's needs may be. We have no problem declining an application if we feel it is not a good fit, and we always try to explain to the applicant that it isn't about them, but what the pet needs in order to live a happy, healthy life.”

In this case, being a small organization has many benefits. One of them is keeping up with the families and their pets after the adoption process goes well. “We have someone that tracks all health/medical needs. We have a private Facebook group just for fosters so we can stay connected. As I said, we are a small organization, so it is fairly easy to stay in contact and know what is going on with each pet. We typically have 25-30 pets in the rescue at a time,” shared the rescue center.

And lastly, they also added: “We are always in need of foster placements. We provide all the medical care needed, food and supplies, fosters just need to provide day-to-day care.”

“We rely on volunteers, adoption fees, donations, and fundraisers to do the work we do. We appreciate your support.”