Adoption Procedures

Requirements:

• We have minimum standards for housing depending on species.  (See each species' page under Adoption Requirements for species specific information).  We will provide and construct adequately sized cube cages for you for just the cost of materials if you prefer not to make your own.
• For species which are social we STRONGLY prefer to adopt animals in pairs or groups. If you already have an animal we will schedule 'dates' and teach introduction techniques to be sure they get along. We will only adopt animals to live alone under exceptional circumstances (typically at the preference of an individual animal).
• We cannot adopt intact animals to homes that have intact animals of the opposite sex (of the same species), even if the animals will be housed apart.
• We will not adopt animals as gifts. The primary caretaker must be involved in the adoption process.
• We cannot adopt to children under the age of 18 as primary caretakers, since contracts with minors are not legally binding in NC. Even if a minor is technically going to be the "owner" of the animals, a parent or guardian must sign the contract, be committed to providing money for supplies and vetcare, and agree to be heavily involved in supervising day-to-day care. Ideally, we wish for our animals should be adopted as "family" pets, not for children only.
• Animals adopted from ACR&S are not to be sold, given away, or otherwise transferred to any other person or organization other than the person or organization to which adoption rights are granted. If for any reason the adopter us unable to retain possession of the animal, the animal MUST be returned to ACR&S.
• We do not allow our animals to be used for purposes other than companionship. This includes breeding, showing, eating, or defense. We will refuse to adopt to anyone who engages in any of these pratices with their animals.

Steps in the adoption process:

1. Before you apply, we urge you to become familiar with the housing, diet, and health requirements of the species you are interested in. These are not low-maintenance pets. We will be happy to provide educational materials or you can check out one of the care guides here. Just email us for more information!
2. We ask all potential adopters to fill out an adoption application. We now have an online application, or it is also available as an MS-Word document which may be downloaded here. If you use the downloadable version, save it to your hard drive, complete it, save again, and then email it back to us as an attachment.
3. When we receive your application and have performed the vet check, we email you to talk about your interests and needs and try to match you up with your ideal pet.
4. We then schedule a time to visit your home so you can meet your chosen animals. If there is to be an introduction, we will also need to schedule a "date" on neutral ground for them to get aquainted. The animals will generally not be left with you at this time.
5. At the home check we will answer any remaining questions you might have, and schedule one more visit to bring the animals to you for adoption!

Adoption fees:

We do ask for a small donation to be made for each animal which is adopted. We spend approximately $250 per animal prior to adoption, about $150 of which is vetcare and spay/neuter, so you can see that the adoption fee does not even begin to cover the cost of rescue & rehabilitation. Larger donations to cover the cost of spay/neuter are always appreciated, and any donation you make above and beyond the adoption fee is tax deductable!

• Guinea Pigs - $40 per pig ($70 for a bonded pair)
• Rabbits - $50 per bunny ($90 for a bonded pair)
• Rats - $15/$30 (intact/altered)
• Birds/Reptiles - Varies by species

Return Policy:

We will always, no matter what, accept adopted animals back into the rescue, no questions asked. It can be 5 years down the road, and your adopted pet and any bondmates will still always be welcome back for readoption or Sanctuary.