Pet Harbor Rescue & Referral, Inc.

Pet Adoption

Lots of wonderful furry, fluffy, or fuzzy companion pets are homeless and in search of families. They don't ask for much. The biggest demand is love! But they give so much in return.
  1. Why adopt
  2. How to adopt
  3. Who to adopt

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Why Adopt
  • LOYALTY: Our experience has been rescued babies are grateful to the foster families and subsequently the families who adopt them and are, therefore, loyal.
  • HEALTH: They are completely current and up to date on veterinary care, including (but not limited to) testing, vaccinations, deworming, and spay/neuter. All of our pets are also microchipped before leaving our rescue. If they were heartworm-positive, they have been treated. If they have medical conditions we know about, we disclose all that information and give you the medical records.
  • KNOWLEDGE: We tell you everything we know about their personalities and the behavior traits we observe while the pets are in our foster care. We encourage questions because the more you know about the pet before adoption, the better the match and the better the chances of ensuring a permanent home.
  • INTERACTION: We not only allow but encourage you to spend time getting to know the pet(s) before adoption. We require interaction with your current pets and our homeless pet prior to adoption.
  • NEED: Last, but not least, they are homeless and searching for loving families where they will never have to worry about how to get their next meal again or if they will wake up in the morning and see a face they recognize as their human's. For further information about reasons to adopt, visit the page of our friends at SPOT in Atlanta. Warning: The message is powerful.

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    • How to Adopt
    • APPLY: Complete the dog application or cat application.
    • APPROVAL: This involves our processing the application. We check all applicable references (your vet, three people who know your pet experience, landlord, and a shelter check). We go back & forth with you with questions & answers. The more we learn about you, the better equipped we are to match you with the right pet. Then we visit your home. Then, if approved, we issue you an approval letter telling you about the meet & greet & contract process.
    • MEET & GREET: Meet the pet(s) if you haven't already. This almost always occurs near Fredericksburg, Virginia. If you have an approved application, we will meet you at a time convenient to you to show you as many pets as will match your home. Your entire family must meet the pet before adoption. That includes all human & canine family members, not feline family members.
    • CONTRACT: Enter into a contract. To see a synopsis of what is required in our contracts, click here.
    • DONATION: Make a donation to our organization. We are a 501(c)(3) organization. So your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. NOTE: We do NOT accept personal checks. We accept only cash, cashier's check, certified check, or postal money order. Alternatively, if you choose to use a credit card, will accept a Visa gift card. The minimum required in no way comes even close to covering our costs. Veterinary work is already done when you get your pet. Your donation can be as much as you want over a minimum of when adopting:
      • dogs, age 6 months to 8 years, $200;
      • dogs younger than 6 months of age: mixed-breed $200, purebred $250
      • dogs over 8 years, $100
      • cats, younger than 10 years of age, $85
      • cats, over 10 years, $40
    • BE PATIENT: Wait, if required. Sometimes pets are going through recovery from surgery or other medical procedures or we do preadoptions for young animals. Animals recovering from treatment for heartworm or other diseases do not leave our organization until the veterinarians assure us their health allows it.
    • ENJOY!: Welcome your new family member. Give him/her lots of love and a permanent home.
    • KEEP IN TOUCH: Give us a call or drop us a line and photograph every now and again to let us know you and your new family member(s) are happier every day. We require updates for the life of the pet.We actually give you a schedule you have to follow to update us so we can help with any issues. That schedule includes updates 24 hours after adoption, one week after adoption, one month after adoption, etc., and annually after the first year.
    • SUMMARY: Though sometimes it varies, the usual sequence is:

      1) You fill out an application.
      2) Our board of directors reviews the application.
      3) Board members discuss it and ask any questions.
      4) Pet Harbor's president writes the applicant (or calls in rare cases) and relays the board's questions. There usually is a lot of back & forth here.
      5) The application is given to our applications processor.
      6) The processor checks the vet check & landlord check if applicable.
      7) Home ownership is checked where applicable.
      8) Personal references are checked.
      9) If it's an area with a shelter we work with intimately, we do a shelter check.
      10) We visit your home. If you are applying to adopt a dog & have no dog, the home visitor will bring a dog.
      11) The processor presents the summary of results to our president.
      12) The package is presented to the board.
      13) The board discusses & votes.
      14) If approved, the president sends an approval letter; if rejected, a rejection letter.
      15) If approved, we either arrange a meet & greet or invite the applicants to come to the next event (depending usually how long until the next event).

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      Who to Adopt

      To see a listing of the pets we have available, click below or call us at (703) 583-HSKY. We would be happy to discuss the pets or match a pet with your family's needs, though we work with you to try to make the right match, which isn't always the first pet the applicant wants.

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