Adoptions
Available Cats | Dogs | Adoption Information | Adoption Application | Seniors for Seniors | Two-Furr Adoptions | Success Stories | Adoptions are Up!!!!
Check out our August Adoption Special!
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Alleviate the financial stress associated with your pet’s unexpected medical expenses and generate funds for our shelter at the same time! Simply apply for a ShelterCare Pet Insurance Program by using the ShelterCare banner-link.
Here’s how it works: ShelterCare Pet Insurance Programs cover you when your pet needs essential veterinary care from an illness or injury. Also, every time a completed application for a ShelterCare program is generated through our shelter’s website, we automatically receive a $25 donation to help cover common needs like blankets, litter and food. This donation is of no cost to you and provides us with essential funds. Make the right move and enroll today! |
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Adoption Donation
Seniors For Seniors
Love that senior discount? So do we! Here's a senior benefit that is totally FREE! North County Humane Society is now waiving the adoption fee for human seniors (anyone 62 or older) who adopt feline seniors (any cat 9 years or older). That's right. At NCHS seniors can adopt older cats at no charge. Our senior cats, like all of our kitties, have been spayed or neutered, are vaccinated and parasite-free, have been microchipped, tested for major cat illnesses, and go home with 1 free month of pet insurance.
Older adult cats provide companionship that doesn't involve strenuous exercise for their human caretakers. It's been proven that having a cat fends off depression and loneliness. Cats are comfortable in small spaces like apartments and enjoy simply sitting by their person while reading or watching TV. Taking care of an adult cat is easy. An indoor senior cat can provide up to 20 years of affectionate companionship. Cats are clean, entertaining, and they purr.
If you are a senior thinking about cat adoption, let the staff at NCHS match you with your perfect senior feline companion. You'll be saving a feline life and giving yourself the gift of unconditional love. The cost? Totally free.
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How About A Two-Furr?
Cats are certainly more independent companion animals than are dogs, who are pack animals. Depending on their temperaments and histories, some cats are happier in single-cat households. But many other cats are happiest living in pairs
or multiples. There are pairs of adoptable cats at NCHS who have bonded with each other and would be happiest living out their lives together. They already have a strong bond that will continue.
For these special pairs NCHS offers a "Two-Furr". Both cats can be adopted together for the price of one, just $69. Both cats will come with all the benefits offered with all of our adoptions.
Our staff knows all of our cats very well and can help guide you in selecting the purr-fect pair of bonded companion cats for you.
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Adoption Application
ADOPTION APPLICATION (click to download)
We match animals with people based on general lifestyle and the type of care that you can provide. We strive to provide the best possible animal companion and life-long friend to you and your family.
Your new friend comes to you with many extras, as well:
- Personality assessment
- Vaccinations
- Shelter health check-up
- Free vet check-up
- Free starter pet food
- Discount pet store coupons
- Spayed or Neutered
- 30-day Happiness Guarantee
We pass along our savings to you where you would otherwise pay three to four times as much for these outside services on a “free” kitten or cat!
Our Adoption Agreement addresses:
- Indoor/outdoor safety
- Dietary considerations
- Well-being issues
- Medical & dental needs
- Lifetime return guarantee
- Pet/family relocation
- No de-clawing (options given)
- Required spay/neuter
- Surrender policy
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NCHS and DOGS
Several people have asked why we do not take in dogs at the shelter. Our Conditional Use Permit with the City of Atascadero does not allow us to board dogs on our property. Also, until we can adequately provide for their well being (trained personnel, additional housing, etc.) as well as the required Conditional Use Permit change, we continue to refer homeless dogs to our offsite dog rescue partners.
We routinely provide the dog rescuers with donated dog food, leashes and collars, toys, and other canine supplies. We offer our shelter grounds every Saturday morning to our dog foster parents for on-site dog adoptions. Woof-woof!
Click here to access
Debby Sweet's Short 'n Sweet Dog Rescue
and
PETFINDER DOG LISTINGS
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CAT ADOPTIONS ARE UP!
There’s some good news these days at the North County Humane Society: Cat adoptions are way up! Sherry Chapman, the Shelter’s “Animal Care Coordinator” reports that, “In May, 42 cats were successfully adopted out, which I believe may be the highest month we’ve ever had in our near 33 year history. It’s very exciting to see these deserving animals find good homes and we really want to thank the community for their support and help in making this happen.”
The increase in adoptions may be due to a number of factors. The difficult economy, which resulted in a decrease in financial donations and an increase in cats, resulted in an all-time cat population high of nearly 300 cats two years ago, and a precarious financial situation for the Shelter. This combination of factors forced the Board and staff to re-evaluate Shelter policy and procedure, to trim expenses as much as possible without compromising the quality of cat care, streamline operations, modernize computer systems, and step-up community outreach efforts.
As a result of hard work by staff, board, and volunteers, the adult cat population has decreased from that 300 cat figure, to a level today of approximately 165, more in line with the space needs of cats in confinement.
Some of the cats have also been adopted out because of a re-evaluation of, and decision to change, adoption policy guidelines. Although the Shelter still encourages pet owners to keep their animals indoors because it’s safer for the animal, they also recognize that it is hard on animals to live out their lives in a Shelter setting. Each potential adoption is still evaluated individually. Factors taken into consideration are: how heavy traffic is in the adopters' location, whether there is a problem nearby with coyotes or wild animals, and how much land surrounds the home. In situations where an indoor/outdoor adoption appears to be in the cat’s best interest, and the adopter understands the need for the cat to have a safe environment at night, adoptions have gone forward that have thus far, appeared to be successful for cat and person. Followup calls to the adopter have confirmed this.
In limited situations, the Shelter also considers outdoor only adoptions. For example, there are some cats that appear unsuitable to live in a residential home because of spraying or incontinence issues. In collaboration with local wineries and owners of large parcels of farm land, ten such cats were placed in May. Vickie, one of the Cat Care staff, remarked “I am very fond of Apricot and a few of the others that were placed out this past month to settings with large open spaces. I envision them running, jumping high into trees, and basking in the Sun. I hope they’ll be very happy.”
One set back however, is the large number of kittens the Shelter is seeing this year due to the poor economy and the difficulty many local citizens have affording spay/neuter. According to Chapman, “Kitten season began with a high of 53 kittens. We’re presently around 27, but unfortunately, new ones are born daily. Thanks to local business support, the auction fundraiser NCHS had in February raised enough money for 48 spay/neuter certificates for San Luis Obispo county residents to help defray this cost. And, we’re very thankful to the City of Atascadero for $5,000 in funds for spay/neuter certificates for Atascadero residents.” (Some of these are still available). “There is a significant cat overpopulation problem in the entire North county. Other cities need to follow the City of Atascadero's lead and earmark funds to help with spaying and neutering of animals within their cities. It is the only way to start to control the animal overpopulation problem. Either cities support spay/neuter, or they end up paying Animal Services to deal with the problem with the euthanazia of hundreds of homeless animals."
The Shelter encourages anyone who is interested in adopting a cat, to stop by their location at 2300 Ramona Road in Atascadero (off the Del Rio Road exit) anytime Tuesday through Saturday from 10 - 4. Potential adopters can view cats online at: www.slonchs.org, Petango, or their Facebook site. Any questions can be directed at: 466-5403.
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