ADOPTING WITH TCPR
When you adopt a pet from TCPR,
you are saving 2 lives.
The first, of course, is the life of your new family member.
The second is the life of an animal in-need welcomed by the foster home because you helped open up a spot!
OUR
ANIMALS
Thank you for considering adopting with TCPR.
You've come to the right place.
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Because we are a foster-based rescue, all of our animals are in foster homes, getting the attention and love that they may not have experienced before. This means that when you adopt through TCPR, you will know how your new pet behaves in a home—something that can be tough to judge in a stressful shelter environment.
OUR PROCESS
Select the tabs below to learn more about the steps to adopting with TCPR.
01
Find your perfect match.
Think about the type of dog that will fit best in your household. Browse our adoptable pets page using the filters to narrow your search.
Don't see the right match? Keep an eye on the page—we post new dogs often!
02
Apply for adoption.
Once you find a dog you're interested in, select "Apply for Adoption" on the right side of their profile page. Fill out the adoption application with as much detail as possible.
You will hear back from us within 72 hours!
03
Meet the dog and their foster.
If your application is approved and the dog is still available, the dog's foster will reach out to schedule a meet and greet.
Depending on the dog and the foster, the meet and greet may be at the foster's home, a park, or another location.
04
Decide whether you would like to adopt.
Adoption is a big commitment, and we would never want to rush anyone into this decision. Please take some time after the meet and greet to think about whether this is the right dog for your household.
We ask that you let us know if you'd like to move forward within 72 hours of the meet and greet.
05
Complete a home visit.
A home visit is a brief, 20- to 30-minute virtual video chat. During this visit, you will give one of our trained volunteers a tour of your home. This visit is designed to be helpful for our adopters and is a great opportunity to ask any questions about introducing a new pet into your home!
06
Finalize the adoption.
The adoption contract and an invoice for the adoption fee will be sent to you by email or text. Once you have signed the contract and paid the fee, you're able to pick up your new dog!
To help keep our foster homes open for more animals in need, we ask that you pick up your new dog within 3 days of finalizing the adoption.
Adoption is a big commitment—cats and dogs can live as long as 20 years.
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Rescued animals have gone through many transitions, often moving from a home to a shelter environment before they come to a TCPR foster home. We want to make sure that their next transition, from foster home to adoptive home, is their last. That's why we consider the adoption process at TCPR like “matchmaking.” We’re committed to finding the right homes for our animals and the right pets for our adopters!
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What are your adoption fees, and what do they cover?Our adoption fees range from $400-$600 for dogs and $200-$275 for cats. These fees are necessary to cover the high-quality care that our animals receive while they are in rescue, which includes: Examination by a licensed veterinarian Sterilization (spay or neuter) Age-appropriate vaccinations (distemper series and/or rabies) Microchipping Testing and any recommended treatment for common transmissible diseases (FIV/FeLV for cats and heartworm/anaplasmosis/Lyme/Ehrlichia for dogs) Deworming Flea/tick preventative Heartworm preventative for dogs Supplies while in foster care (food, treats, litter, etc.) Many animals require additional veterinary services, which TCPR takes care of prior to adoption. These commonly include dental cleaning and extractions, treatment of any infections, allergy treatment, and more.
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I've heard adopting is more expensive than other methods of getting a pet. Is this true?This is a common misconception about adoption, but the opposite is actually true. Adopting a pet saves money because your family member comes with all age-appropriate vetting to help ensure a healthy start! TCPR also treats any illnesses that arise and provides specialty surgeries as recommended by our veterinarians. For example, an average new pet without any vetting would require 1 or 3 distemper vaccines ($45 each), rabies vaccination ($30), testing for common infections (often called 4DX or snap tests $45), microchipping ($30), preventatives and dewormer ($30-$50), spay or neuter surgery ($285-$625), and exam fees for all of the above ($50 each). This means you could spend anywhere from $610 to $970 on basic vetting alone—plus the added cost of treating any illnesses that crop up. This is more than even our highest adoption fee of $600.
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Do I need to live in the Twin Cities to adopt through TCPR?No! TCPR will consider adoption applicants from many parts of the country. However, preference will always be given to applicants within 100 miles the Twin Cities area, which includes parts of Wisconsin. This ensures that TCPR is able to provide continued support for our adopted animals and their families. Pre-adoptions are restricted to within 60 miles of the Twin Cities area.
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Why should I adopt a pet through TCPR?Twin Cities Pet Rescue has been helping cats and dogs since their forever homes since 2013! We do our best to ensure every animal that comes through our doors receives high quality vetting and are healthy upon adoption. We also work hard to support animals that we have rescued for their entire lives, so in the event that an adoption does not work out, we do our best to welcome them back and ask that they will be returned to Twin Cities Pet Rescue. Our adopters also have access to exclusive benefits post adoption which include: A free vet exam and up to $250 in vetting at VCA clinics if a surprise medical issue is found shortly after adoption Virtual training and behavior support for 30 days which includes access to webinars to help you support your new pet through the transition to their new home Coupons and offers from local businesses to help you save money on your new pets needs!
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I met one of your foster animals, but they're not listed on the website. Can I apply to adopt that animal?Due to the high volume of adoption applications, Twin Cities Pet Rescue only accepts applications for animals that are currently ready for adoption. We are also unable to provide timing updates to the public about when an animal will be ready for adoption as there are a lot of factors that go into the vetting process. Please keep in touch with the foster or keep an eye on our adoptable pets page for updates.
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How long does it take to complete an adoption?The length of time for completing an adoption can vary! But as a general guideline, cat adoptions take anywhere from 3-7 days after the application is submitted and dog adoptions will take 7-10 days from the time the adoption application is submitted. We also require adopters to pick up their new pet within 3 days of completing the adoption to ensure we keep our foster homes and adoption centers open for more animals in need. Please take upcoming vacations, commitments, housing moves, etc into consideration when applying to adopt a new pet to ensure the timing will work out for everyone!
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Is adopting a pet right for me?The America Veterinary Medical Association published this article that goes over things to consider before brining a new pet into your family. This includes pets other than cats and dogs as well!
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I submitted an application and haven't heard from anyone yet. What should I do?Our volunteer adoption coordinators usually respond to applications within 1 business day after they are submitted. But during high volume times, application response times may vary. Please allow 3 business days for a response. If you have not heard from us by then, you can email our adoption teams at dogs@twincitiespetrescue.org or cats@twincitiespetrescue.org.
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I see multiple animals that I am interested in. Do I need to submit an adoption application for each one?If you are interested in more than one of the same species, we only need one application on file. You can submit an adoption application using the "Apply for Adoption" button from one pets profile. Then in the application you can add the other pets names when you get to the "Animal Interested In" field. If you're interested in cats and dogs, we will need a dog and a cat adoption application on file. Please note: We are unable to more animals than you are planning to adopt at one time. For example, if you are interested in three cats but only planning to adopt one, we can only hold one cat at a time for you.
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I'm feeling disappointed because the pet that I applied for has already been adopted. How can I find a good match for my home?Keep an eye on our Adoptable Animals page. New animals are posted regularly! Fostering Is also a great alternative because fosters get first dibs on adopting their foster pet! You can learn more about fostering here.
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I have an approved application on file, and I see an animal that I'm interested in adopting. What are my next steps?Email the cat or dog adoption team to let them know you have an approved application on file and which animal(s) you are interested in! Please make sure you email us from the email that we have on file for you or include your full name in the email. This will help our adoption team find your application faster! Dog Adoption Team: dogs@twincitiespetrescue.org Cat Adoption Team: cats@twincitiespetrescue.org
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Why do you require kittens to be adopted in pairs or in a home with a young playful cat?TCPR requires kittens under 4 months old to be adopted in pairs or into a home with another young, playful cat. Kittens at this age (and all the way into adulthood!) really thrive by having another kitten or young cat around to show them the ropes and teach them how to be a polite kitty. It also helps keep their energy at bay when they have friend around to play with them when their human is unavailable. We understand adopting two kittens at the same time can be a big financial commitment! So our policy also allows families that already own one (or more!) cat to adopt a young kitten by themselves. However, its important that your resident cat is young, and playful so that the kitten doesnt become more of a nuisance than a friend. Older, calmer cats will likely have a different play style than a kitten and could develop unwanted behaviors as a result of the stress the kitten brings. So for this reason, we do require resident cats to be under a certain age limit in order for a family to adopt a single kitten from us. We are unable to place a hold on young kittens for an adopters until they "age out" of this policy. Please note: 4 months of age is our general policy cut off but the requirement can be placed on any cat of any age if the foster feels they would do best with another cat in the home. When looking at adoptable cats on our website, cats that are required to be adopted with a second cat or into a cat with another will have a flag at the top of their bio that states that.
ADOPTION FAQs
Answers to the most common questions about adopting through TCPR
Can't find an answer to your question? Email info@twincitiespetrescue.org