Thank You for Choosing Rescue!
Every year, millions of healthy & loving animals in the United States will be euthanized because of overpopulation. Your decision to adopt a shelter pet makes you part of the solution to this tragedy and sets an example for others.
How Does the Adoption Process Work?
Step 1 : View Available Pets by Visiting the Shelter or Online
View Available Cats here – lchspets.org/available-cats
View Available Dogs here – lchspets.org/available-dogs
Step 2 : Complete an Adoption Questionnaire in the Shelter or Online
- At the shelter – find an animal you’re interested in then ask an available staff member to complete an Adoption Questionnaire on site.
- Online – find an animal you’re interested in then visit lchspets.org/adoption-questionnaire to fill out our Adoption Questionnaire.
NOTE: Submitting an adoption questionnaire is NOT a hold and does NOT guarantee that you’ll be matched with a pet.
Step 3 : Process the Adoption Questionnaire In Person at LCHS
Once you’ve submitted your adoption questionnaire, if you are:
- At the shelter – we’ll work with you on next steps
- Online – visit the shelter during our open hours and let us know you have submitted a questionnaire online
- NOTE – visiting the shelter does NOT guarantee a match for adoption
We do not do out-of-state adoptions.
We STOP processing adoption applications 30 minutes before we close.
Already Own A Pet?
If you already own a dog and want to adopt a dog, we will require your new dog to meet any current dogs you own prior to adoption and will schedule a meet & greet with you. You will need to bring your current pet’s up-to-date immunization records with you to the meet & greet. (NOTE: We do NOT require a meet-and-greet for cats being adopted; in other words, if you want to adopt a cat, you do not need to bring in your current pets to meet with that cat.)
Rent Your Home?
We welcome adopters who rent or live in an apartment or condo. We want to alert you that some landlords and management companies have size and breed restrictions, limits on number of pets, and/or require pet deposits or additional fees. We suggest that you contact your landlord prior to your visit to make sure that the pet you choose is welcome in your complex. Please bring a copy of your lease and pet policy with you when you come to the shelter and your landlord’s contact information.
Want to get your new dog enrolled in obedience classes?
We offer a variety of low-cost dog training classes to everyone in the community, whether you adopted from us or not. Each class lasts six weeks and is held at the LCHS shelter. To learn more about our dog training classes, click on the button below.
When you adopt with us, you gain a furever friend AND you save hundreds of dollars compared to the cost of traditional “new pet” vet bills! Those new pet services (vaccines, spay/neuter, etc.) are included in one adoption fee.
Dog Adoption Fees: $200-$260 Cat Adoption Fees: $35-$90
2023 By The Numbers
Adoptions in 2023: 1,533
Spay/Neuter in 2023: 2,562
Volunteer Hours in 2023: 9,960
A typical rule of thumb is to determine whether a shelter saves more than 90% of its animals. That is its Live Release Rate. The annual Live Release Rate is calculated by dividing the total live outcomes (adoptions, outgoing transfers, and return to owner/guardian) by total outcomes (total live outcomes plus euthanasia not including owner/guardian requested ethanasia or died/lost in shelter/care). Today, many leaders are raising the bar and stating that the real No Kill Live Release Rate should be 95%.
Licking County Humane Society is a non-profit organization devoted to the humane treatment of animals.