How to adopt
When you adopt an animal, you save a life. As an open adoption shelter, we help thousands of homeless animals find loving new homes each year. Our adoption counselors are here to help you find the perfect pet that will complete your family.
How to adopt
1View Adoptable Animals Online
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We always have a wide range of animals available for adoption – from dogs and cats, to small mammals, exotics and barnyard animals. All adoptable animals are listed on our website; check back regularly as our adoptable animal pages update frequently. Or better yet, visit our shelter in-person to view adoptable animals.
2Visit with an Adoptable Animal
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To see if an animal will be a good fit for your family, come meet the animal and chat with an adoption counselor. No appointment is needed.
3Place a “Hold” on an Adoptable Animal
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If you’re interested in an adoptable animal but would like more time to consider, an animal may be placed on “hold” for a $30 non-refundable, non-transferable fee. The fee is not applied to the adoption of the animal. In order to place a hold on an animal, you must visit with the animal in person. Multiple holds can also be placed on an animal, in the case that someone decides to not move forward with an adoption. If an animal has an existing hold, you will see an “ON HOLD” image above their photo. Holds expire at the close of operating hours the following business day, and cannot be extended.
Plan your visit
When you come for an adoption visit, plan on spending a minimum of one hour at the shelter meeting your new family member. To minimize your wait time, consider visiting the shelter during the mid-morning or mid-afternoon when there is less traffic.
- When you arrive at the shelter, check in with a representative at our host desk.
- If you believe you’ve found an animal that might be right for you, inform the host desk of the animal’s name and kennel number upon your return from the adoption rooms.
- You will meet with one of our client services team members to learn more about the pets you’ve requested to visit. Feel free to ask them for recommendations on animals that might suit your personality and lifestyle.
- When you’ve found a pet you think is a good fit, we will arrange a meet-and-greet in one of our visitation rooms. If you are interested in adopting a dog and have another dog at home, we encourage conducting a dog-meet-dog introduction as well. (This can be done following your initial visit with your potential new dog.)
Adoption Fees
NOCO Humane uses variable adoption fees. The adoption fee for certain animals is dependent on many factors including age, size, behavior, medical condition, and demand.
Adoption fees range from $25 to $150 for cats and kittens and $75 to $750 for dogs and puppies. Adoption fees for small mammals, fish, birds, exotic and barnyard animals vary. Click on each animal’s photo on our website to find the adoption fee.
When you adopt, you’ll receive a new best friend and:
- Spay or neuter surgery for cats, dogs, and rabbits
- General medical examination and testing for good health
- Preliminary vaccinations
- Microchip implant and registration for cats and dogs
- Temporary collar, leash or carrier to get your new pet home safely
- Complimentary post-adoption medical exam from a participating veterinary clinic
- Complimentary first month of pet health insurance
- Discount on your first initial purchase from Poudre Pet & Feed Supply
Why do your adoption fees vary by animal?
Several years ago, NOCO Humane implemented a variable pricing model for our animals. While we don’t see one particular animal as more “valuable” than another (every animal up for adoption at NOCO Humane is equally wonderful from our perspective), we tend to assign higher adoption fees for our puppies, kittens and purebred animals. This helps off-set the cost of care for all our animals. Since there is no time limit on how long an animal can stay in our adoptions program (provided that the animal’s overall health and temperament remain positive), assigning higher fees to those animals who have a higher chance of getting adopted quickly allows us to reduce the adoption fees for those animals who might spend more time in the shelter. It also allows us to offer additional assistance to injured, sick or under-socialized animals who may need a little extra TLC before being placed up for adoption.
Please note, regardless of where our adoption fees are set, they do not cover all the costs NOCO Humane incurs for caring for the nearly 6,000 animals we see each year. Donations, provided by generous members of the community (like you), help us supplement the animals’ care. If you have the ability to make a donation to NOCO Humane, please do so. Your support means everything to us and the animals.
