The adoption process consists of your completion of an adoption application, our review of the application and contacting relevant references, verifying the application information, a home visit, and then contacting you with a decision about approval. **Please note that this process may take up to seven days so your patience is appreciated as we receive many applications each day and have many animals to care for.

Once the application is approved, the adopter is contacted and arrangements are made to complete the adoption contract and take their new animal home. You will be required to read and sign the adoption contract before we will release the animal to you.

**THWAR reserves the right to refuse an adoption to anyone for any reason.

• Puppies- $250
• Adult dogs- $350
• Senior dogs- $200
• Cats/kittens- $200

Please note, the adoption fee rarely covers the amount THWAR spends on each animal…

• An animal’s very first intake veterinary visit includes a physical exam, vaccinations, fecal test, deworming, and heartworm test, along with any other treatments/medications– this usually costs between $350-$600 per animal. 
• Most animals also need to be spayed/neutered– this usually costs between $70-$250 per animal.
• If our dog tests positive for heartworms– this usually costs up to $1500 per dog. 
• Most animals travel from shelters in the south to their foster homes— this usually costs $115 per animal. 
• Once the animals are in foster care, not only do our volunteers give so much of their time and effort, but the rescue continues to pay for food, heartworm and flea/tick prevention, crates, leashes, cat litter, cat carriers, etc.

If at all possible, please consider donating to help us offset these costs. We rely solely on donations. THWAR is completely funded through fundraising efforts and public donations. We do not receive any government funding. 100% of all money donated goes straight to the animal for anything they may need (not a single cent goes to any human).

• Age: You must be at least 21 years old to adopt from our rescue.
• Distance: Currently, we adopt our animals to applicants in Maryland, Washington DC, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Jersey. If for some reason the animal needed to be returned to us, we want to make sure we have a volunteer within reasonable distance to receive the animal back.
• Good vet history: All pets must be up to date on vaccinations (or have titers), spayed & neutered (unless there is a medical reason) & be on monthly heart-worm prevention. If you currently do not have a pet but had one in the past, we will want to check their vet history as well. Please call your veterinarian and give them permission to release records to The Humane Way Animal Rescue.
• Homeownership: We will complete a property check to confirm you own your home. If you rent your home, please provide your landlord’s name and phone number. If you can send us a copy of your pet agreement, that is appreciated and will help expedite the process.
• Fence: This is case by case. We do not require a fenced in yard for every dog. In some cases, a dog might need a fenced yard and that will be indicated in their profile. We do not adopt to homes with invisible fences.
• Home visit: A home visit will be conducted to ensure the home is the right fit for the pet. We will check where the pet will be staying, we would like to see the yard and confirm the fence is secure (if applicable) and we would like to see how busy the area is. This is case by case as well. For example, not every dog will flourish in a busy environment and this will be indicated in their profile. The home visit sets both you and the dog up for success.
• Background check: We will conduct a background check on all applicants in the home. We want to ensure no one in the home has animal cruelty violations. Therefore you must provide full names and ages in the application.

If you meet the above requirements, please complete the Dog Adoption Application, or the Cat Adoption Application.

*THWAR reserves the right to deny any adoption at any time in the process based on answers to our questionnaire by utilizing publicly-accessible databases; by contacting the references you provide; and/or based on interviews prior to adoption.