We are so glad that you want to adopt a new family member from us! We’d like to share an overview of what to expect during the foster-based adoption process.
When you submit an adoption inquiry for an animal living in an Atlanta Humane Society foster home, you should expect to be contacted by one of our adoption counselors via email, and if you indicated that you'd like to receive text message updates, you will receive those in addition to emails.
1. We'll conduct a short review of what you are looking for in a new pet, your pet ownership experience, and your expectations. We will then share as much information about the animal’s temperament, behavior and medical status as we can. Please respond to this email as soon as possible to confirm your interest in adopting.
2. Once you confirm your interest, an adoption counselor will contact the animal's foster parent, and they will reach out to you to schedule a meet-and-greet appointment. A meet and greet can either be a virtual or in-person session, which will be decided between you and the foster, and the foster parent will let us know the scheduled date/time. We try to ensure adoption counselors are available at the end of the meet and greet so that, if you choose to adopt, they can facilitate/complete the adoption for you immediately. However, please note that counselor availability is limited, so we may not be able to complete adoption same-day. If your meet and greet is during normal operating hours, you may visit our Atlanta Animal Center to finalize your adoption as well!
3. At the end of the Meet and Greet, you can choose to a) adopt, b) decide the animal is not a good match for you or c) for animals over 6 months old, you may opt for a 2-week trial period where you take the animal home with you. We call the 2-week trial adoption “Foster First”.
a.) Adopt
- If an adoption counselor is available, they will call you 30 minutes after the M&G starts to ask if you want to adopt. They will be prepared to answer any questions you have, review the animal’s medical history and scheduled vaccines, provide information on AHS adoption perks. They will also send you an electronic adoption contract to sign and provide a link for the adoption fee payment. Please have your method of payment ready and be prepared to electronically sign the contract. We cannot release a pet from our care until this is complete!
- If an adoption counselors is not available at the time of your meet and greet, we will schedule an adoption session. To let them know you want to adopt, you and/or the foster can email us so we can send you a link to book your counseling session.
- We will let the foster know when the adoption is complete, so they can plan with you to pick up your new pet! Congratulations on your new family member!
b.) Not a good fit
- We understand that sometimes it's just not the right fit. If this is the case, our adoption counselors will work with you to get your feedback and see if we have other animals that may be a better fit for your home, family, or lifestyle.
c.) Foster First
- If you would prefer to take your potential pet home for 2 weeks as a trial adoption, a session needs to be scheduled with our adoption counselors. They will explain what is expected during the 2 week period, ask you to sign a Foster First contract, and guide you through what happens at the end of the Foster First period. After this session, you can pick up the animal and take them home.
- An adoption counselor will check in with you periodically via email to see how things are going and answer any questions you may have. At the end of the Foster First period, you can choose to a) adopt or b) return the animal to our Atlanta Animal Center facility.
- Sometimes during Foster First, the animal may need to come to the facility for vaccines or medications such as heartworm prevention or flea prevention. If that is the case, we will provide the scheduled due dates and connect you with our in-shelter foster team to schedule those appointments.
If you have any questions or concerns after adoption or during Foster First, please feel free to contact our adoptions team adoption@atlantahumane.org and we’d be happy to assist you.