Adopt

Consider asking yourself the following questions to determine if you’re ready to introduce a new animal into your home: 

• Are the other dogs and cats in your home neutered or spayed and current on shots?
  Local ordinances allow for ONE unaltered pet in the home. State law requires a rabies vaccine for your cat or dog, so we will confirm that your pets are current on their rabies vaccines. Additional vaccines, though not required, could protect your pet from any shelter-borne illness your newly adopted pet may inadvertently bring home.
• Have you researched the breed of pet you are interested in?
  Researching the breed(s) of an animal will help you understand information crucial to their fit in your family, such as their activity level and temperament (although the best way to determine a pet temperament is to come meet the animals!).

• How will you deal with housebreaking, training, behavioral problems and daily care of a pet?
  We strongly encourage crate training for your new dog and will be happy to provide you with tips for housebreaking and crate training. We also recommend obedience training post-adoption to get you and your new dog off on the right paw!

• What kind of pet is best for you and your family?
  Have you talked as a family to decide if you’re interested in a cat or a dog? Is everyone excited at the thought of having a new pet? If you have children, are they prepared to be respectful to an animal that lives in your home and share the responsibilities involved in pet ownership? We highly recommend that everyone be in the know and onboard with any new pet decisions and we require all family members to be present at canine adoption appointments.

• Will your working hours allow enough time to provide the care, attention and exercise a pet needs every day?
  While most people work, it’s important to consider if you have the time and energy to keep up with your new pet outside of work. (And where dogs are considered, we do recommend crate training for your away-from-home hours. We’ll even provide tips and resources!)

• Do you have the means to provide food, toys, annual vet exams, vaccinations, monthly heartworm preventative, flea control, unexpected medical care, grooming, training and boarding?
  Pets require just as much care and attention as humans do! Consider the financial impact of the previously mentioned needs. Also consider that our adoption contracts will require that your pet visits a veterinarian and stays current on flea/tick prevention and annual vaccines.

• If adopting a dog and you have a dog at home, has your dog come in for an interaction?
  We don’t require a meet-and-greet between every adoptable dogs and your dog, but it’s a highly encouraged option! We’ll also provide you with information on safe introductions at home.

Yes! Anyone with an approved application can adopt one of our animals.

You must be 21 years of age or older to adopt from us. If you have a cat(s) or dog(s) living in your home already, a maximum of one pet can be unaltered. The other pets must be neutered or spayed. All cats and dogs in your home must be current on rabies vaccination. If you rent your home, we strongly suggest approval from your landlord and any pet deposits paid before taking your new pet home. All family members living within your household must be present to interact with the dog or cat. If adopting a dog and you have a dog at home, that dog is welcome to come in for an interaction.

In order to take your pet home with you, please provide the following:

• Dog Adopters: must have a leash AND collar. Leashes and collars are available for purchase at the shelter.
• Cat Adopters: must have a crate/carrier.

Yes, you can! (As long as your application is approved.)

If, for any reason, the adoption does not work, contact us and make arrangements for the return of the animal to Humane Fort Wayne. Animals from our program may not be re-homed without our permission and may never, under any circumstances, be advertised for sale or as a free pet on any public platform such as social media or the newspaper. We take this very seriously and put utmost importance on our animals’ well-being when finding them furever homes. You will be asked to sign a binding contract to ensure the safety and care of your new pet.

Our adoption fees include spay or neuter surgery, distemper combination vaccination, rabies vaccination, flea prevention, canine heartworm test and prevention, registered microchip for permanent I.D., a starter bag of pet food, training classes (for puppies only), and tons of printed and online resources for adopters to take home! The adoption fee does not include the $5 City of Fort Wayne pet tag/permit required for Fort Wayne city residents.

All of our pets are microchipped. A microchip is not a GPS. If your pet ever becomes lost, the finder will have to take him or her to a local vet, our shelter, or Animal Care & Control for a simple microchip scan. The microchip scan will give the scanner your contact information. You will be given directions on how to register your microchip upon adoption. It’s important that you keep your microchip information updated if you move or change your phone number!

You can fill out an application and be preapproved for a pet, and in the case that you don’t find your new pet that day, your application is valid for up to six months. This enables you to take advantage of same-day adoption events, too! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on our animals.

Yes, with an approved Adoption Application! You can fill out an application online and look at our website to determine who you’d like to meet. Once you are approved, you can stop by our Shelter during our regular business hours. Once you identify a furry friend you’d like to meet, you can meet them in a socialization room. We require all family members at canine adoption appointments.

You can fill out an adoption application online. You can also download the adoption application and either fax it to us at 260 456-5184, scan and email it to us at [email protected] or drop it off at our offices during business hours. 

Our adoption applications ensure the safety of our animals. We run a simple criminal background check for animal cruelty, animal neglect, violent crimes and domestic abuse. Any such charges will result in an inability to adopt from our shelter.