Adoption Information

Adopting a pet is a SERIOUS COMMITMENT. We strongly encourage anyone thinking about adding a fuzzy member to their family to do their research and be ready for this commitment. Take a moment to read through this short but helpful Are You Ready to Adopt? page. We will also be happy to work with you to figure out what kind of pet is best for you. If you want to have a pet in your home but aren’t sure you can make the 10-15 year commitment, consider fostering pets.

Promises Animal Rescue will work directly with you, the prospective adopter, providing individualized attention and support in order to help you find the perfect pet for your family. We also suggest you take the time to read through the many resource documents on our website to prepare yourself for the many things that adoption will bring!

We provide as much information on each animal’s history, disposition and health as we can gather. We strongly believe that honesty is the best policy. We want each of our animals to find the RIGHT home, not just ANY home. Likewise, we want you to find the pet who best matches your lifestyle and interests.

Since we require a home visit as part of the adoption process, we are limited in adoption areas because we are limited by where our volunteers can travel. So our adoption areas are Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia and parts of West Virginia.

The Process: Pet Adoption Application, Interview, Home Visit

As part of the adoption process, you will first be required to complete our Adoption Application. Once the application is received, the application will be reviewed by a PAR volunteer.  A volunteer with PAR will contact you either by phone or email for interview, and to answer any questions that you may have about the process.

The application requires three (3) personal references which may not be a relative.  If you have a pet currently, or in the past, a veterinary reference is required to verify that the pets are current on vaccinations, are in good health, and are spayed/neutered.

To help the process move forward, we ask that you contact your references to inform them that they will be receiving a call from us.  If you are renting the property that is listed on the application, we require proof that you are allowed to have a pet, as well as any breed or size restrictions that may exist.

The final step is a home visit.  One of our volunteers will schedule a visit to your home, and all family members must be present. The volunteer will interview all members of the household, as well as answer any questions that you may have. The volunteer will also want to walk all areas of the house, back yard, walking trails, or play areas that your pet would be subject to. The volunteer is there to verify that your home is a safe place for one of our dogs. Upon completion of your home visit, your application is either approved, denied, or approved with contingencies.  Once the application is approved, a PAR volunteer will work with the applicant and family to find the right match for their lifestyle.

If you want to be considered for adopting one of our dogs, please complete our Adoption Application.

Adoption Fee

The adoption fee for Promises Animal Rescue, Inc is $275. This is set to allow us to cover some of our expenses as well as to help other animals in our program that require additional care. Our fees go toward vetting costs, shelter fees, special food if needed and small portion toward office expense.. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our system do. Thus, any “extra” money from adoption fees goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Promises Animal Rescue, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.

What is an Adoption Day?

An Adoption Day is a wonderful opportunity for people that want to adopt a Dog to meet some of the dogs that are available through the Promises Animal Rescue. Potential adopters and dogs have the opportunity to interact and to determine whether there's a basis to move forward in the adoption process. Potential adopters should understand that an Adoption Day is NOT an opportunity to select a dog and take the dog home that same day. It's just one step at the beginning of the adoption process.