how to adopt
Secondhand Hounds can only adopt out to residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Our animals reside in foster homes throughout the Twin Cities area.
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step 1
Adoption
Application
Potential adopters search Dogs for Adoption or Cats for Adoption and fill out an application for animal they are interested in! Adoption coordinators process applications and reply to applicants within 48 hours of submission (Please note that our staff does not work on Sundays so that may delay processing).
Your application shows that you are truly interested in meeting an animal; it is not a binding contract. Once your application is reviewed, it will be sent to the foster.
step 2
Meet &
Greet
The foster reviews applications and if a good fit, schedules a “meet and greet.” This meeting could take place at an adoption event, our office, or at a home. Keep in mind, the foster may be meeting with multiple applicants depending on interest. This process may take a few days so please be patient as we ensure you and your potential new family member are set up for success!
step 3
Virtual
Home Visit
If chosen to adopt, then a home visit will be conducted virtually by the foster family or one of our home visit volunteers.
step 4
Contracts &
Payments
Once the home visit is approved, the adoption coordinators request payment and send the electronic adoption contract to be signed.
Adoption fees include the cost of spay/neuter surgery, microchip implant, de-worming, flea/tick preventative, heartworm test (for dogs and puppies over nine months), feLeuk/FIV test for cats and kittens, and age-appropriate rabies/distemper vaccinations. The adoption fee for each animal can be found on their individual website listing. Adoption fees are non-negotiable.
Puppies and kittens must be at least eight weeks old and weigh at least two pounds to be spayed/neutered before adoption.
step 5
Pick Up
The foster will contact the adopter to coordinate pick up after the adoption agreement is signed. For tips on the first 30 days after adopting a dog, please check out this article from Petfinder.com.
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