Adoption General Information
If you are interested in adopting a life-long, loving friend, you are indeed special.  Making a decision to open your heart and home isn't always an easy one.  HART strives to help you in every way we can, offering guidance and answering any questions you may have along the way.  We'll take you through the entire process.

There are some basic things to understand when you are ready to adopt.  The information below can act as a guide for what to expect and what you need to do.

How we select the animals we offer for adoption
First, a quick note on how we select the pets we offer for adoption.  We evaluate the general health, and personality of impounded animals at our partner animal shelters.  We try to help animals in good health with the potential to be wonderful companion animals.  We pay very close attention to the personality traits, and if at all possible we try to discover any history of the pet. 

Which pet is right for you?  Which owner is right for the pet?
Understand that HART does everything possible to match the right pet and owner.  If you are an experienced pet-owner of a specific breed/type, or if you are a first-timer looking for that first special pet, HART will help you select the right pet  that is the best match possible for both pet and owner.   

If you're ready to adopt, but still not quite sure which animal will be the right one, HART can assist you in selecting your future companion.  It may take a bit to find the right match, but the end result is the knowledge that you and the pet are just right for each other.

See our pets!
With the internet, you can get started right now in searching for your next furry family member!  You can view our available dogs and cats on this website by clicking on the "See our Dogs!" and "See our Cats!" buttons on the left menu.  There, you can see pictures of the pet, read about their traits, personality, etc.   You will also see an email address of the foster parent.  You can e-mail the parent and ask them anything you'd like.  Who knows, you may see your next best friend!

Meet the pets!
Whether you see a pet on our site that you fall in love with, or if you simply want to see more, you can come meet our wonderful animals in person at our Adopt-A-Pet functions.  If you are wanting to meet a specific pet, you will want to contact us or the foster parent to make sure the pet will be at the next Adopt-A-Pet function.  Due to limited space, we sometimes can't bring all of our animals.  So be sure and ask, and we'll make sure he or she will be waiting for you.

If you own other pets, and are looking to expand your family, we may ask you to bring them with you to meet the animal as well.  If you have children, especially small ones, they should meet the animal as well.  The reason we recommend this is to simply make sure that it looks like everyone will get along.   This is especially important for whenever animals meet other animals.  From time to time, animals just will not care for each other no matter what.  If this is happens to be the  case, it's better to find out now rather than later.

The Adoption Forms
Once you've decided on your future pal, you will need to fill out an application form.  You can get these forms (either for dog or cat) at the Adopt-A-Pet function, or on this website.  Please review the application very carefully.  Our adoption forms ask you several questions that will help us tremendously in determining whether you and the animal are right for each other.  If you have existing pets, it is imperative that you include your Vet's information.  Once we receive your application, we will review it and verify the information on the form.

The Adoption fees
The minimum donation for cats/kittens is $100; for dogs/puppies $125.  We spend well over $200 on each of our pets, which includes medical care, boarding and food.

The donation covers a variety of necessary medical testing and care.  Felines are tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS.  Dogs are tested for Heartworms and put on preventative if they are negative.  If a dog tests positive for Heartworms, HART provides treatment as recommended by our veterinarians.

All animals are altered (spayed or neutered), micro-chipped, and receive at least one immunization for a variety of diseases, as well as a rabies shot if they are at least 12 weeks old before adopted.  (After adoption, puppies and kittens usually need one or two additional immunizations, which becomes the adopter's responsibility.)

Next, The Adoption Procedures