Adoption Info & FAQs

When you adopt, you’ll need:

• Proof that you’re at least 18 years of age.
• A picture ID with your current address, or if this isn’t available, a picture ID and a current utility bill.
• A meeting with one of our pet adoption counselors.

• The Animal Foundation Main Campus Adoption Center at 655 N. Mojave Road in Las Vegas.

More information on locations and hours.

Although it costs The Animal Foundation an average of over $300 to care for each adoptable pet, we work constantly to eliminate price barriers, so homeless animals can find a forever home. This is why we are committed to everyday low prices, so people don’t need to wait for a special promotion to adopt a pet.

Animal Adoption Fees

• Puppies (under 6 mos. old) $200
• Adult Large Dogs (6 mos. and older and weighing 30lbs or more) $50
• Adult Small Dogs (6 mos. and older) $100
• Kittens (under 6 mos. old) $75 or two for $100
• Adult Cats (6 mos. and older) $25
• Rabbits $25
• Ferrets $75
• Chickens and Ducks $5
• Snakes $25 and up
• Guinea Pigs $10
• Hamsters, Rats, Gerbils $5

Adoption fees include spay and neuter surgery, all current vaccinations, and a microchip. Additionally, adopters at our campus Adoption Center will receive a transition bag of Hill’s Science Diet pet food (dogs and cats only), a coupon for $5 off Hill’s Science Diet, and a voucher for a complimentary wellness exam at a participating veterinary hospital partner.

A $10 pet license fee for pet adoptions applies for residents living in City of North Las Vegas and City of Las Vegas.

We offer discounts to seniors and to active military personnel, veterans, and first responders. Occasionally, we run pet adoption promotions.

Adopters 60 years and older can take $25 off the adoption fee of any cat or $50 off any dog. This adoption discount is valid year-round, and photo ID must be provided at the time of adoption. Licensing fees still apply where required.

We offer a 50% discount on adoption fees for all active military personnel, veterans, and first responders (police, EMT, paramedics, and firefighters). Your ID badge must be presented at time of adoption. This discount is only available to the military member, veteran or first responder, not to family members. Licensing fees still apply where required.

For all adoption discounts, adopters must meet qualifications to be eligible to adopt. Adoptions can and will be denied if an adopter cannot meet requirements or if placement is not in the best interest of the pet. Adoption discounts cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Multiple pet adoptions are subject to approval by the adoption manager/supervisor.

The adoption process takes a few hours in most cases. It depends on traffic that day.

• We will look up any information we may have on the animal you’ve chosen and help you interact with them.
• After you and the animal have spent some time getting to know each other, we’ll start the adoption process.
• We’ll verify your ID and proof of address (if different than your ID).
• We’ll have a brief counseling session to learn more about your household, your lifestyle, and your ability to love and care for a pet.
• We’ll answer any questions or concerns you may have.

That’s all there is to it. Let the loving begin!

If you are not sure about a permanent adoption, ask a counselor about our Trial Adoption program that lets potential adopters house a pet temporarily — generally over a two-week period – to see if that pet is a good fit with family members and even other pets. This program is designed to give potential adopters more time and experience with an animal before they make a lifetime commitment.

We’ll provide you with an initial supply of pet food along with all required vaccines and medical care (restrictions may apply) for your pet during the Trial Adoption period. You’ll be asked to provide other pet necessities such as collars, leashes, crates, food bowls and, most importantly, love and affection.

In most cases, yes. Pets that have already been spayed or neutered will go home with you the same day. If not, he or she will stay overnight, have their surgery and generally be available to go home the next day. If you know you are in the market for a pet, it is a good idea to have some things ready for your new pet such as bedding, food, bowls, and toys. That way, when you fall in love, you will be ready.

The Animal Foundation does not place a hold on specific pets. Adoptions for qualified applicants are on a first-come, first-served basis.

No. The shelter is a strange and stressful place for most pets and does not provide an accurate indication of how the animals will act in a home environment. The most successful dog-to-dog introductions are properly staged outside the shelter environment. We provide step-by-step instructions on how to properly introduce your new pet to resident pet(s).

In keeping with best practices within the animal welfare community, The Animal Foundation will only identify a breed if there is proof of registration from the American Kennel Club. Research has shown that sight-based identification of breeds is highly unreliable and can be misleading. Dogs and cats are as individual as people are. The best way to learn about the personality of an individual pet is to visit the shelter, spend time with the pet and ask one of our adoption counselors about the pet you are considering

• We highly recommend you upload a photo of your new dog or cat (and any others you already have) to Finding Rover. Finding Rover is a free service that uses facial recognition software to help you find your lost dogs or cats. By registering your pet in the Finding Rover community, your pet becomes searchable by thousands of users if he or she is ever lost. The software will look for “found” matches in its database.
• Keep the contact information associated with your pet’s microchip up to date.
  Keep recent photos of your pet, so you can find and use them quickly if he or she is ever lost.
• If your pet does go missing, contact nearby animal shelters and veterinarian offices and post on social media. Post flyers in your neighborhood, where allowed.
• For more helpful information, visit our Lost & Found page.

The Animal Foundation will take back any adopted pet if the adoption does not work out for any reason.