Pet Adoption Instructions

• First, go into the adoption room and take a look to see if anything is close to what you are looking for. If you find something of interest, take the animal out of its cage and spend some time with it. Either take the animal into the "Get Acquainted Room" (cats and dogs) or in the new fenced area across the alleyway (dogs only).
  
  
• If you decide the animal is what you are looking for, take the paperwork off the front of the animal's cage and proceed to the front desk (receiving office) where you will fill out an application. The questions are designed to allow us to help adopters make a knowledgeable choice and to ensure that the animals will be going to good homes. The officer reviewing the application will undoubtedly ask further questions for this same purpose.
  
  
• The Seattle Animal Shelter requires that all adoptors provide current picture I.D., and their landlord's name and phone # (assuming they rent) to verify that they are allowed to have pets at the property.
  
  
• All animals adopted MUST be spayed or neutered prior to their release from the shelter, except in rare circumstances when the animal's age, or physical condition, preclude the surgery. This is generally at the discretion of the Veterinarian and/or the Animal Care Supervisor. SAC has been performing pre-pubescent surgeries for the past several years without significant complications. Cats adopted must also pass a Feline Leukemia Virus test, prior to their release.
  
  
• The customer signs the adoption agreement, pays the cashier, and is then advised on when to pick up the pet following the surgery. (Generally on the evening of the day following the adoption or the morning of the second day following adoption.) The cost of the adoption includes: a license (Seattle and unincorporated King Co. only), a microchip, vaccinations and worming, having the animal spayed or neutered, a feline leukemia test, and a certificate for a free exam at any local vet hospital.
  
  
• Dogs are vaccinated for Distemper and Parvo-virus; cats are vaccinated for feline distemper. Animals will be vaccinated for Rabies only if going upstairs to the Spay/Neuter Clinic. All dogs and cats are given a single dose of worming medication. Adoptors should follow the specific instructions of their own veterinarian for a schedule of vaccinations, worming following adoption.
  
  
• For individuals who are newcomers to the world of pet ownership, the staff will gladly work with them to educate them on traits of the various breeds, and what might be a good choice for them depending on their life-styles, time, expense, etc.
  
  
• The majority of animals at the shelter are waiting for their owner to claim them. SAC does have a reservation ("First Choice") system, whereby a prospective adoptor can fill out an application in advance of the animal actually becoming available. If they are qualified, they will be advised as to what date that animal does become available, and to inquire the day before to check on whether the owner has claimed it.
  
  
• Assuming the animal is not claimed, the "First Choice" person has all day only on the first day available to adopt it. If they fail to come-in on the date indicated, the following day the animal goes "first come, first served".
  
  
• Fees for adoptions run from as little as $20 to approximately $130 depending on the sex and size of the animal. See fee schedule.

Note: if you adopt an animal that has already been altered and/or micro-chipped, the fee is less by the specified amount.

Pet Adoption Prices | Pet Adoption Application Form