Policies & Fees
At HSCC, we seek to find loving and permanent homes for the animals in our care. In an effort to ensure animal health and safety, and in the interest of helping you find a good match for your home, family, and lifestyle, we ask that you carefully review our Adoption Policies and Guidelines. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding the adoption process.
Requirements for Adoption:
- Completed adoption application. We use our profile and interview process to ensure that each animal adopted will be matched with the most compatible new home.
- Verification that you are 21 years of age or older.
- Verification that your current pets are up-to-date on vaccinations. If you don’t have animals currently but have owned them in the past, we may ask for a veterinary reference.
- Proof of home ownership. To ensure that the prospective new pet will find permanent placement, we verify that you are able to have pets. If you own your home, this can be accomplished by you providing a property tax bill or mortgage statement, or HSCC calling town clerk’s offices or checking the listing in the Hill-Donnelly Directory; OR if you rent, through Landlord permission (i.e. lease or direct contact).
- All members of your household must meet the animal prior to adoption.
General Policies:
- Adoptions are done by appointment only and can take up to an hour to complete.
- Appointments are scheduled on the hour and/or half hour (dependant on staff availability).
- During the appointment we review any medical or behavioral information relevant to that animal and answer any questions you may have concerning your new animal. At this time we also collect the adoption fee (see below for additional fee information).
- Adoptions can sometimes be started but not completed during our last hour of operation. In this case we can arrange an appointment to complete the process.
- The staff at HSCC reserves the right to refuse an adoption for any reason.
Holds Policy:
We rarely place holds on animals. However, if you meet all of our adoption requirements and have completed all of the required paperwork and we are unable to perform your adoption due to time constraints or appointment availability, we will then hold the animal until the next day that our adoption center is open. While this sometimes presents challenges in our process, our commitment to the best interests of the animals in our care - and to fairness in the process - dictates this approach.
Limited Access Areas:
Due to our abiding commitent to the health and well-being of the animals in our care, we ask for your cooperation in respecting our shelter guidelines. We also appreciate your understanding in honoring the wishes of the staff when certain areas of the shelter are restricted or under limited use. It is our continuous effort to provide a clean, healthy, and safe environment for the animals in our care that sometimes requires limited or restricted access.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding, and strongly encourage you to ask any questions you might have regarding our policies.
Adoption Fees and Services*
Cat or kitten:
| Pet | Fees |
|---|---|
| Kitten: 6 months and under | $100 |
| Adult cat: | $85 |
| Elder / Special Needs cat | $60 |
| Two adult cats: | $150 |
With a feline adoption you will receive the following:
- Spay/Neuter Guarantee
- Feline Leukemia Test
- Feline FIV Test
- Distemper Vaccination
- Rabies Vaccination
- De-worming Medication
- Flea Treatment
- General Health Exam
- Safety Stretch Collar
- HSCC Identification Tag
- Registered Micro-chip
- Cardboard Cat Carrier
- Certificate for a Free Vet Exam
The estimated value of these services is well over $400
Dog or puppy:
| Pet | Fees |
|---|---|
| Up to 6 months | $200 |
| Adult dog > 6 months | $150 |
| Elder/Special Needs | $100 |
With a canine adoption you will receive the following:
- Spay/Neuter Guarantee
- Distemper Vaccination
- Bordetella Vaccination
- Rabies Vaccination
- De-Worming Medication
- General Health Exam
- HSCC Identification Tag
- Leash and Collar
- Registered Micro-chip
- Certificate for a Free Vet Exam
- Home Again Microchip and registration
The estimated value of these services is well over $500
* Our adoption fees cover only a small portion of the costs we incur to care for, feed, vaccinate, and spay or neuter an animal. All adoption fees are non-refundable and adopters are encouraged to consider and additional donation to support the ongoing care of the residents in our shelter.