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Adopting a Pet

If you meet an animal at the Milton Animal Shelter and are ready to make a lifetime commitment, we’ll be

asking you a lot of questions and asking you to think about a number of things.

 

Our process is generally as follows:

1. You and your entire family should come to shelter to meet the pet. Why? Because everyone in

the household needs to be committed to the pet and comfortable with the decision.

2. If you're considering a dog, we'll ask if you have a dog at home already. You’ll be asked to bring

your current pet to the shelter to meet his or her prospective new friend on neutral turf.

3. If you're considering a cat, we'll also ask about your other pets. If it seems like a good match, we'll

give you advice about introducing a new cat to the household.

4. We will call your past or present vet to be sure that you've been providing regular vet care to your

pets, and that any current pets are spayed or neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations.

5. If you rent, we will need to speak to your landlord before we let you take a pet home. If you own

your home, we'll ask to see some proof of ownership (such as a tax bill).

6. We'll ask you to fill out an application, which includes the above questions and a few more. We'll

then review that application with you to ensure that it's complete and accurate.

*WE ARE AN ALL VOLUNTEER GROUP AND WE TRY OUR BEST TO MAKE DECISIONS IN A

TIMELY MANNER. IF WE GET SEVERAL APPLICATIONS ON ONE ANIMAL, IT MAY TAKE A

WEEK OR MORE TO PROCESS THEM ALL. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND WILL

EMAIL ALL APPLICANTS WHEN A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.

Why do we go through all these steps? Our goal at the Milton Animal Shelter is to match pets with a

loving permanent home. The cute kitten you think you want may not fit with your lifestyle, or the active

untrained lab may need a fenced yard. By going through this process, we're doing our best to ensure a

good match for both your family and the pet.

What does it cost to adopt a pet from the Milton Animal Shelter? In order to pay for food and veterinary

care, we charge a fee of $325 for dogs and $200 for cats. We also have a "Seniors for Senior Cats"

program: adopters over age 65 may adopt a cat over age 7 for a reduced fee of $125. The adoption fee

for rabbits is $150 and the fee for other small animals is $50.

Finally, the Milton Animal League reserves the right to refuse to adopt to any applicant. By requesting

information on an animal and initiating the application process, you are not guaranteed that any particular

animal is yours to adopt. Your application is only the first stage of the adoption process. We don't place

our animals on a "first come, first served" basis. Instead, we work to place our animals in the best

possible home.

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