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P.O. Box 1015 Waldorf, MD 20604-1015
Phone: 301 645-8181

Adoption Procedures

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke

Are you the perfect pet owner? Take a look here for a tongue in cheek look at what it takes. Perfect Dog Owner   | Perfect Cat Owner

We adopt to the Southern Maryland area!

• Don't adopt a pet on impulse.
• Think of your family's lifestyle and how a pet will fit in. How much attention can you give? A dog demands a good deal of time, a cat less, and fish somewhat less than that. But all must have your time and attention to some degree.
• Match a pet to the members of your family's temperament.
• Keep the ages of children in mind. Guinea pigs are good pets for younger children who want to handle the pet a lot.
• Check the members of your family for allergies to animals. Sometimes allergies won't show up until you have a pet in the home. Its good to know before you take a pet home.
• Know who will be responsible for the pet before you adopt. Write down individual responsibilities.

Dog Adoption Application: If you decide to adopt a dog from the Humane Society, we ask that you complete the DOG ADOPTION REQUEST FORM to give us additional information about you and where your pet will be living. You can print it out and fill out the bulk of it at home, then bring it with you to save yourself some time! Just click on the image or the underlined words in this paragraph to find the application! The Humane Society will verify information given on the application. There is a 24 hour "cooling off" period before an adoption may be completed. The Humane Society will also do a yard check before making dog adoptions; a fenced yard is required unless waived by the Shelter Manager.

Cat Adoption Application: Applying to adopt a cat is almost the same as for the dog (above), with some minor differences. Kittens require a distemper vaccination (adults require a yearly distemper vaccinations) and there is no yard check required to adopt a kitten or an adult cat. You can print out the form, fill out most of it and bring it with you to save yourself some time!

Contract:
When adopting a pet from the Humane Society, you must complete and sign the ADOPTION CONTRACT. You won't need this until you are approved and will be taking your pet home. The staff members will provide you with a copy for you to read and sign. Two of the most important requirements you must agree to are:

1) If the pet is not already neutered you must have the pet spayed/neutered no later than the date specified on the contract
2) If the pet is returned, return the adopted pet to this shelter. The Humane Society reserves the right to decline any adoption request.

Adoption Fees:
The good news is: you can generally find a pet here for far less than in most pet stores. The bad news is: it’s unfortunate that we cannot give away the animals free of charge!  But,in order to continue operating, we must recover some of the costs of care (such as medical examinations, food, utilities and other costs). All of our dogs and cats are spayed or neutered, have rabies and distemper shots (age appropriate), and are dewormed. Additionally, each has a microchip that contains information that can help any shelter locate the pet's owner (as long as you register the chip) in the event the pet becomes lost. All fees are used to cover operating costs, repairs and improvements necessary to provide the care required for lost, stray, or abandoned pets brought to the Humane Society of Charles County (we are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization).

Our schedule of fees is as follows (subject to change, so please call us to confirm):

Dogs & Cats (over 4 months & older)…………………..$95.00

Puppies (up to 4 months of age)…………………..$125.00 + a $50 deposit for training

Kittens (up to 4 months of age)….................$125

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