Adopting a Pet? Here Are Five Rules You Must Follow

Anyone who adopts a new pet from Animal Care and Control must follow our Adoption Policy. Four rules must be followed:

1. Every adopted animal must be spayed or neutered.
2. All dogs must receive the "4-in-1 vaccine".
3. All dogs must be microchipped.
4. All owners must prove that they have the means to properly care for their pets.

Find Adoptable Dogs        Find Adoptable Cats

The primary responsibility of Animal Control is animal welfare, making sure that animals in the county are treated humanely and the prospective owners have the means to properly care for adopted pets. Our four rules are listed in detail below.

Rule 1. Every adopted animal must be spayed or neutered
In order to prevent unwanted litters of puppies or kittens, Animal Care and Control has a strict spay/neuter program in place. EVERY animal adopted from us MUST be spayed or neutered.

Animal Care and Control will hold the dog or cat until the pet is transported to the vet on the date of sterilization. A vet performs the surgery, vaccinates the pet against rabies, and the new owner picks up their new pet at the vet's office at the end of the day.

Any elective surgery that the owner may wish to have done at the same time as the sterilization, such as ear cleaning, declawing, tail docking, etc., are the total responsibility of the owner.

Rule 2. All dogs must receive the "4-in-1 vaccine"
All dogs receive one 4-in-1 vaccination before adoption. The vaccination includes Canine Distemper-Adenovirus Type 2-Coronavirus-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus Vaccine.

Rule 3. All dogs must be microchipped
All dogs are microchipped and cats can be chipped upon request. Animal Care and Control uses a universal microchip and we complete the registration for the new owner.

1. Microchipping (for dogs) and sterilization are not negotiable and if the potential owner does not wish to comply with these two requirements, he or she will not be allowed to adopt from Animal Care and Control.

Rule 4. All owners must have the means to properly care for their pets
Your pet must be safely confined and have adequate food, water and shelter. Proper confinement is necessary to protect the public or someone living in the new owner's home.

Rights of Animal Care and Control to Refuse Adoption
The Staff at Animal Care and Control hope that every adoption is successful. That is why we follow the procedures we do. We take it very seriously and ask for your patience while we go through the process together. If, for any reason, our staff does not believe that a successful adoption can take place, Animal Care and Control reserves the right deny the adoption.

Adoption Wish List
If you are interested in adopting a pet, yet would like to get a specific kind, or don't quite know what you would like, we have the Adoption Wish List which just might help you out. With the Wish List, we take down some of the characteristics of the animal you would like to have, and then keep them on file to match against any of the animals that we have now, or take in at a later time. By filing out this form, you will be notified when a pet matching your description becomes available, and at that time, you will need to follow all of the requirements listed above. So, please take a moment to fill out one of the following Wish list: