Arnprior & District Humane Society

Click here to see our shelter's pets on Petfinder.com

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Why adopt from a shelter?

Adopting from a shelter is a wonderful way to give a homeless pet a secure and loving home. Typically shelters have a deep understanding of the temperament and health of the animals in their care and will provide you with a full background assessment, including the animal’s tolerance and attitude towards children. Remember a major priority for shelters is to find a lasting, compatible match between an owner and a pet that brings joy and a daily dose of happiness to all family members.

Very few things in life can compare to the unconditional love, companionship and fun given by our animal friends!

If it’s time for a new pet in your life, you will surely find your perfect companion at the Arnprior & District Humane Society. There are so many wonderful pets at our shelter- cats and dogs of all ages, shapes, sizes and breeds, waiting in hope for a home, someone to share life with, someone to love.

Make adoption your first option – and find your friend for life today!

A perfect match
Adoption shelter staff will help you through every step of finding your special friend – one that is just right for you. They will answer any questions, help you decide which pet is a good match for you, and be available for advice following your pet adoption. When you adopt your pet, not only do you get a wonderful friend:

• You also help the many more animals still waiting for their chance, and those that have been rescued from abuse and neglect;
• You help eliminate the cruelty and misery in puppy and kitten mills;
• You get excellent value – see 'Economical!' below, and
• You give an animal an incredible gift – a second chance to find happiness and love.

Economical

The shelter is often asked why we don't give away our orphans for free. We agree that would be great, free pets mean more families would be able to afford a homeless animal. However, the reality is that being a responsible pet owner costs money! A free kitten or puppy sounds great, but that's just the start - all new pets need to be checked by a veterinarian, be de-wormed, vaccinated and spayed or neutered.

Here are some of the cost considerations of a typical 'free' pet, which are all routine procedures for us in readying an animal for adoption.

1. Health Checkup
All animals receive a routine health check by our experienced staff prior to adoption. A veterinarian will examine all animals that require a diagnosis or prescription.
Value - average cost of a Health Checkup $60.00

2. De-worming
All animals receive medication for typical internal parasites. When an animal is suspected of having other parasites, a stool sample is taken, examined by the vet and medication is prescribed.
Value - average cost of De-worming $35.00

3. Flea Treatment
All cats are routinely treated for fleas and ear mites, dogs are treated if they have fleas.
Value - average cost of flea treatment $10.00

4. Vaccinations
All animals are vaccinated, if an animal is in the shelter for an extended period of time, they will receive a 2nd vaccination.
Value - average cost for vaccinations $34.00

5. Microchip
All animals are implanted with a microchip, which is a permanent form of identification.
Value - average cost for Microchiping $60.00

6. Sterilization
Most animals adopted from us will have already been spayed or neutered. However, the occasional animal is not suitable for this surgery prior to adoption so it becomes the responsibility of the new owner to have that animal sterilized within 6 months by a vet of choice. In these cases we provide a coupon to help cover this cost.
Value - average market cost for sterilization: dogs $350.00, cats $250.00

7. Medical care for sick or injured
The Arnprior Humane Society receives all animals, regardless of health, so its not uncommon for our animals to require treatment - from Upper Respiratory Infection, a common yet highly contagious cat cold - to extensive surgery. Often these animals must be placed in isolation or foster care, often with medication, fluids and special diets. They may require long recovery periods before they're ready for adoption.
Value - average costs are $60 to $hundreds.

8. Health Guarantee
Our health guarantee ensures that you adopt a healthy pet. Any animal that is or becomes unhealthy within the first week of adoption can be returned and all adoption costs will be refunded.

• Total cost of a "free" pet = $500+
• Arnprior & District Humane Society adoption Fees = $250.00 for dogs, $160 for cats