FAQ
- Q: Do I need to make an appointment to come in and see a dog or cat?
- Q: Why is your adoption fee so much? I could get a free dog or cat from the newspaper, so why should I pay $275 for a dog and $125 for a cat?
- Q: Can I apply for a pet before it is available for adoption and have you hold the pet for me?
- Q: Can I adopt more than one animal at a time?
- Q: Can I adopt only one kitten?
- Q: I have completed my application, now what?
- Q: Where do your pets come from?
- Q: What type of pets do you take in?
- Q: Where does your funding come from?
- Q: How do I surrender a pet to Atlanta Pet Rescue?
- Q: What are your criteria for adoption?
- Q: Do you respond to every email?
Q: Do I need to make an appointment to come in and see a dog or cat?
A: No. You are welcome to come to the shelter any time during business hours and see our pets available for adoption. Our business hours are 11am – 5pm Tuesday through Friday, noon – 5pm on Saturday and 1pm – 5pm on Sunday. Pets that are in foster homes are only available for adoption on Saturday at our adoption facility from noon and 5pm. You can meet with pets that are listed as “by appointment only” outside of regular adoption hours after you have scheduled an appointment.
You also can see all of our pets on this website. Each pet’s bio includes at least one photo and all the information we have on that specific pet. Bios are updated daily as we get more information and as we welcome new pets into our adoption program, so check back often.
Q: Why is your adoption fee so much? I could get a free dog or cat from the newspaper, so why should I pay $275 for a dog and $125 for a cat?
A: Our dogs, cats, puppies and kittens receive exceptional veterinary care before they are made available for adoption. APRA pets have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated and treated for fleas and intestinal parasites. Adult dogs are tested for heartworms and treated if they test positive, and our cats and kittens are tested for feline leukemia and FIV. Most municipal animal control facilities do not provide these services. We also treat other easily corrected problems, such as repairing hernias and removing retained baby teeth and dewclaws. We are not subsidized by taxpayer dollars like animal control facilities and therefore must pay area veterinarians to provide these services. Our adoption fees ensure that our pets receive the medical care they need and are a fraction of what most people would pay for the same veterinary services.
When you buy a dog or cat from a backyard breeder, pet store or newspaper ad, you’re encouraging casual and irresponsible breeding and in that way contributing to the pet overpopulation crisis.
Your “free” pet may cost far more than you expect when you go to your veterinarian. An examination plus necessary vaccinations and treatment will cost between $100 and $300. Spaying or neutering your new “free” pet adds another $150 to $400. Other medical care, such as teeth cleaning or treating infections or wounds, ear infections or ear mites, will cost even more. Following are some cost comparisons:
Estimated “Free Dog” Cost Per Item:
| First Veterinary Office Visit (Exam) | $ 30 – $ 60 |
| De-worming Treatment / Fecal Check | $ 15 - $ 25 |
| DHPP, Rabies and Bordetella Vaccinations | $ 45 – $ 75 |
| Heartworm Testing | $ 30 – $ 45 |
| Heartworm Preventative (per month) | $ 5 – $15 |
| Flea Preventative (per month) | $ 15 |
| Surgical Sterilization (Spay or Neuter) | $150 – $400 |
| Grooming (if needed) | $ 35 |
| Leash / Collar | $ 20 |
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST ”FREE DOG” $355-745
APRA Adoption Fee $275 – $325
| Exam | included |
| De-worming Treatment / Fecal Check | included |
| DHPP, Rabies and Bordetella Vaccinations | included |
| Heartworm Testing (and treatment if dog tests positive) | included |
| Heartworm Preventative (current month) | included |
| Flea Preventative (current month) | included |
| Surgical Sterilization (Spay or Neuter) | included |
| Grooming (if needed) | included |
| Leash / Collar | included |
| Other care as needed while at APRA, includes but not limited to: | |
| Ear mite prevention and treatment | included |
| Extractions and other dental work | included |
| Antibiotics | included |
| Treatment for mange and other skin infections | included |
| Endless love via warm laps, kisses, snuggles, ear scratches and belly rubs | included |
* By Adopting From APRA, You Save $80 – $475
Estimated “Free Cat” Cost Per Item:
| First Veterinary office visit | $ 30 – $45 |
| De-worming treatment /fecal check | $ 15 – $ 25 |
| Combo test (FeLV/FIV) | $ 35 – $ 50 |
| Rabies vaccine | $ 12 – $ 25 |
| FVRCP | $ 25 – $ 35 |
| Flea Preventative (per month) | $ 10 |
| Surgical Sterilization (Spay or Neuter) | $ 60 – $300 |
| Microchip | $ 35 – $70 |
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST ”FREE CAT” $245 – $535
APRA Adoption Fee $125
| Exam | included |
| FVRCP and Rabies Vaccinations | included |
| De-worming treatment /fecal check | included |
| Combo testing | included |
| Flea Preventative (per month)) | included |
| Surgical Sterilization (Spay or Neuter) | included |
| Grooming (if needed) | included |
| Microchip (paid for by a generous donor) | included |
| Gift bag with toys | included |
| Other care as needed while at APRA, includes but not limited to: | |
| Ear mite prevention and treatment | included |
| Extractions and other dental work | included |
| Antibiotics | included |
| Treatment for mange and other skin infections | included |
| Treatment for ringworm | included |
| Endless love via warm laps, kisses, snuggles, ear scratches and belly rubs | included |
* By Adopting From APRA, You save $ 120 – $410
Q: Can I apply for a pet before it is available for adoption and have you hold the pet for me?
A: No. We do not hold pets at any time.
Q: Can I adopt more than one animal at a time?
A: Yes! Some animals do extremely well with companions and would love to go to a new home with a friend. However, some animals would not do well going home with a friend. Our adoption counselors will work with you, using the information you’ve provided about your family and our information about our animals, to make sure that you go home with one or more pets that will be a good fit for your home.
Q: Can I adopt only one kitten?
A: APRA follows the advice of many leading animal behaviorists and understands that kittens do best in environments with other cats or kittens. It helps them to be better socialized and behaved. In addition, kittens with a playful companion are much less likely to exhibit destructive behavior from being bored, such as climbing the curtains or waking you up at 2:30 am for play time. Following this advice, we strongly suggest that kittens under the age of 7 months go to a home with another cat or kitten. If the home has no cats, then kittens should be adopted in pairs from our shelter.
Q: I have completed my application, now what?
A: Completing your application (whether it is for a specific pet or not) is just the first step in the process.
When you apply for a dog, you will need to print your application and bring it with you to our shelter along with the members of your household. An adoption counselor will review the application with you in person.
When you apply for a cat, the application will be submitted online. Your application will be forwarded to our cat adoption counselors who will contact you to discuss your application.
For more information on the adoption process, read How to Adopt.
Q: Where do your pets come from?
A: Most of our pets come from outlying animal control facilities where they’ve run out of time. These facilities have time limits for holding pets, and many end up being euthanized because the facility is full. We also accept a small number of pets from owners who can no longer keep them. We do not accept stray animals, who by law, must go to animal control.
Q: What type of pets do you take in?
A: APRA is mainly a small-dog rescue. Most of our pets weigh less than 25 pounds. Larger dogs are more difficult to place since many apartments and condominiums have pet-weight limits. Older folks prefer smaller pets that they can carry easily. We do accept dogs over 25 pounds on occasion, but limit the number of large dogs in our program due to our own space limitations. We accept dogs that pass a temperament test, showing no signs of aggression toward people or animals.
Q: Where does your funding come from?
A: APRA is able to rescue homeless dogs and cats thanks to the generosity and support of our adopters and donors. Because adoption fees do not come close to paying all of our bills, we rely heavily on public and private donations, which are tax-deductible. We also hold fundraising events every year to help cover the costs of caring for our animals and running our shelter. Read more about donating to APRA.
Q: How do I surrender a pet to Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption?
A: To surrender your pet, you must first email a photo and detailed description of the pet, along with an explanation of why you can no longer provide care for the animal to sheltermanager@atlantapetrescue.org. Then we will arrange a time for you to bring the pet for a temperament evaluation. Intakes are limited to the amount of space available in our shelter, and there is no guarantee that your pet will be accepted.
Q: What are your criteria for adoption?
A: Our goal is to find permanent, loving homes for our pets. We look for adopters who are able to provide for the pets financially and emotionally and are willing to make them part of their families.
Q: Do you respond to every email?
A: Yes. We respond to every email as soon as possible. If you have emailed us and not received a response, please check your spam inbox or filter for our response. If necessary, please call us at 404.815.6680 but remember that most of our time is spent caring for the dogs and cats in our adoption program so you may have to leave a message. We will do our absolute best to return your call promptly. However, email is the best way to reach us: info@atlantapetrescue.org.
If you have any other questions, please email us at info@atlantapetrescue.org