Adopting A Pet

We believe animal shelters are the best place to locate your New Best Friend. Our shelter has dogs & cats -- from big to small, long-haired to short-haired, males and females, and purebreds to mixed-breeds, you name it! And most important, when you adopt a companion animal from a shelter, you gain the lifelong gratitude and devotion of a pet whose life you have saved. We will address what you need to know about adopting your new companion.

Our overall goal is to make sure the animal you adopt is well suited to your lifestyle and that you are ready for him or her. When you visit our adoption center our knowledgeable staff will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the right animal. These Adoption Counselors will assist you by discussing your interests, needs and lifestyles and then matching them with those of the companion animals in our shelter. The Counselor will read through the adoption application materials with you so it may simplify things for you to have the form completed before you arrive. Our adopters receive many benefits that outweigh the modest adoption fee.

Health Exam--Every animal is examined for good health and sound temperament before he or she is made available for adoption.

Vaccinations and Treatment--Dogs receive a vaccination to prevent Kennel Cough called Bordatella. Animals who need it are de-wormed and treated for fleas and earmites. Before they leave for their new home, each animal is vaccinated for distemper.

Spay/Neuter--Many of our animals are already spayed or neutered, however if they are not, we ask for a commitment that you will spay/neuter your pet. We offer a certificate that covers the basic procedure at a number of local vets.

Home Safe and Sound--All pets are microchipped at no extra cost for identification purposes.

Are You Ready?

Adopting a companion animal is a big step, and one that will affect your lifestyle for many years.

Keep in mind that dogs can live up to 15 years, and cats can live up to 18 years. To get an idea of how long a pet's lifetime may be, think about how old you will be 15 to 18 years from now.

Also, consider whether you are prepared to go the distance with a new pet. Most people don't live in the same place for 15 years, and moving with a pet can bring problems. The time to think about these problems is before you adopt an animal.

In addition, think about the kind of person you are. You don't have to be perfect, but there are ways you can tell if you're a perfect dog owner, or a perfect cat owner.

If you've weighed the pros and cons of companion animal guardianship and determined that you're ready, congratulations! You are ready to begin the adoption process.

Pets As Gifts

Pets are a lifetime commitment. Before buying a pet for someone else, make sure that person is ready and willing to take on the responsibility. While pets can make wonderful presents for some people, we invite you to consider a few things before you decide to purchase a pet as a gift:

One of the biggest dangers to choosing a pet for someone else is that you might pick an animal that is not right for that person's lifestyle. Instead of giving a pet as a gift, try wrapping up necessary pet supplies along with a gift certificate towards the adoption of a pet from a nearby shelter. That way the person gets the fun of opening up a gift and of choosing their new best friend.

Most animal shelters and rescue groups adopt out many different types of animals besides cats, dogs puppies, and kittens. You can find birds, reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, rats, gerbils, hamsters, and even farm animals, to name a few. Before you head down to the pet store, contact your local animal shelter or rescue group to see what kinds of animals they have ready for adoption.

Adoption Process

click for • Aurora Animal Control and Care Hours for Viewing

Potential adopters must come in to the shelter before they can complete an Adoption Appication. Once you have come in and picked an animal to adopt, the following is required:

There is a one day holding period on all adoptions.

State Law requires all animals that are adopted from a public Animal Shelter be neutered/spayed within 30 days of adoption, if the dog/cat is 6 months or older, and be vaccinated for rabies.

The Fox Valley Animal Welfare League is issuing free spay/neuter certificates for all animals adopted from our facility. The Fox Valley Animal Welfare League will furnish you with a list of participating veterinarians who will honor the certificate.

It is required that within 7 days of adoption that you visit a veterinarian of your choice to have the animal checked over, and discuss future care and office visits they will consider necessary.

Should the veterinarian find that a serious health condition exists, they are to indicate so by signing and dating on the adoption contract in the provided space. At that time we will accept the animal back within 3 days of the exam, and only for an exchange, there are no refunds.

Fees and Registration

The Adoption Fees are as follows:

The Registration Fees effective November 1, 2007:
If you live within the city of limits of Aurora, and are adopting a pet, it is required that this pet be registered with the Aurora Animal Control and Care Facility.

At the Aurora Animal Control and Care Facility, puppies are fed Purina Puppy Chow, Kittens Purina Kitten Chow. The adult dogs are fed Purina Adult Chow, cats Purina Cat Chow. What you feed your new adopted pet is your choice. We ask that if you are going to feed another product that you use a half and half mixture of the above Purina food with the new food you are going to feed, until the Purina is gone. Sometimes an abrupt change from one food to another can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, or other problems.

We cannot guarantee the pet you would be adopting is housebroken, nor do we guarantee the temperament of the animal with children, adults, or other pets. Many of the animals we have are stray animals and we do not know their background. This is why we ask that if you do have children or other pets at home that you bring them here to the facility to see how they react with the pet you have chosen.