Hooray you want to adopt a pet!!
Whether it’s your first time adopting a pet or you’re a seasoned pet owner, the thought of bringing home a new dog or cat is always an exciting one. Sometimes we see a picture of a puppy or kitten and we immediately fall in love and know we have to have it in our lives. TAPS receives dozens upon dozens of emails, phone calls, texts, and Facebook messages every day with inquiries from excited potential pet owners (spoiler alert: we’re excited for you too!). But, it is important to remember there is an adoption process that everyone must go through in order to feel the wonderful experience of bringing home your furever pet for the first time.
So what’s the process??
Whether you are 100% interested in adopting or are just thinking about it, the first thing you absolutely must do is fill out an adoption form. There is no cost and no commitment associated with filling out the form and you can back out at any time, but this must be done before you can come in an see any of our animals. Luckily, you can do this from the comfort of your own home by filling out the application online (click here for the adoption form!). If you have owned a pet in the last 5 years, you will be asked to share the information of the veterinarian you used. If you are a first time pet owner, you will be asked to provide two personal references, one of which must NOT be a relative. Because of the overwhelming number of applications that are received daily by TAPS, we ask that you specifically list which animal you are interested in on the adoption form. Adoption forms that do not list the names of specific animals will not be processed in effort to prioritize serious inquiries at this time.
I submitted an application, now what??
First, we humbly ask our potential adopters to be patient. Our front desk is mostly a volunteer-led effort and TAPS often receives hundreds of applications for a single dog or cat, especially if it is a popular breed. Puppies and kittens are also extremely popular! Applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis, which is why getting an application in as soon as you are interested in a dog or cat is important. Once your application is approved, and if you are the first applicant on an available animal, our staff will contact you via telephone to schedule an appointment to conduct a meet and greet. We strive to schedule appointments no later than 6:00 p.m. Currently, you can only view our animals by appointment only with an approved application on file.
Please pay attention to special restrictions!
Staff and volunteers at TAPS work tirelessly to find loving, adoptive homes for our available dogs and cats. To reduce the number of dogs and cats that are returned to TAPS for not being a good fit for the family, some pets come with special restrictions. For example, you must be 21 or older to adopt a puppy or kitten from TAPS. Additionally, if you want to adopt a pit bull, you must also be over 21, own your own home, and have prior experience. TAPS takes in dogs and cats with all kinds of backgrounds. Many have been picked up by local animal control for being stray animals, several come in with numerous parasites and injuries, and some have been severely neglected and abused. This means that they may need time to decompress in a quiet home. Some need to be the only pet because they have never been socialized with other animals and are aggressive towards them. Some have never been around children and are frightened by their loud noises and sudden movements. We ask that you please research the animal you want to adopt by reading their biographies on the TAPS website, where this information is publicly available for any potential adopter.
Happy Tails!
Deciding to add a furry friend to your family is an incredibly fun and exciting experience. TAPS loves pairing together the perfect family with each dog and cat that enter our doors. Our staff and volunteers love getting updates and seeing photos of how a neglected puppy or kitten has blossomed into a full-fledged furbaby in their forever home. The adoption process is straightforward and easy if you follow a few simple steps. I encourage you to visit the TAPS website for more information and remember the following quote:
You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it.
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