|
To All Potential Adopters
Little Victories is run by volunteers, most of whom work full time jobs. Because of this we ask your patience when you are calling or visiting our shelter. If you call and do not get an immediate response, please don’t lose patience. Our animals and their care come first. Also, we may have emergencies involving injured or very ill animals which have been found. We will try to get back to you as soon as we can. Additionally, many people call and forget to give names, area codes, etc. If you do not hear from us, PLEASE call again and remind us that you—a wonderful, potential adopter – have not heard from us! We will be glad that you have taken the time to remind us and to wait till we care for our animals.
Since our animals are rescues, many have come from very bad situations or have been ill, injured, or emotionally traumatized. There are some animals which will not do well in certain homes. If you are turned down for an animal, it does not mean that we do not think you would be great animal owners. It may be we do not feel that that particular animal would be right for you and your family and current pets. Also, we may have many applications for the same dog and we try to go in the order received. Please understand if this happens…it is not personal and is merely us trying to do the best for our animals while trying to be fair to all of you who are good enough to adopt. Please work with us to help you find the perfect dog or cat—there are so many out there who need homes!
We also require the following from all adopters:
1) You must be at least 21 years of age. Younger individuals must have parents or guardians adopt the animal.
2) You must own your own home or, if you rent, you must have permission from your landlord to have an animal.
3) You must be able to provide for the care of the animal. Unfortunately, animal care is expensive. At the same time, there are so many more things which must be done for animals such as monthly heartworm pills, shots, and other things. Accepting an animal into your life means many years of care and food and vet expense. One of the major reasons an animal is placed in a shelter is that the owners cannot afford medicine, spay/neuter, or other expenses. Please make sure you are able to take care of this animal which we know you will love and will return that love to you a hundredfold.
4) You need to provide a safe environment for the animal. Some animals may require a fence. Others may do well if kept inside and walked on a leash. We would like for all our animals to be inside and be part of the family. In today’s society, an animal left in a yard unattended may escape and be hit by a car; or may be stolen and sold to a laboratory or some other person, or group; or may just be taken by an uncaring person who will allow the dog or cat to become injured or killed. It is much safer to keep an animal inside!!
5) You must be able to provide a vet reference or—if you have never had a pet—other references.
How Do I Meet a Dog or Cat?
Dogs
Our shelter hours for adoptions and donations are 10:00 am to 4:00 pm seven days a week.. If you have looked on the website and want to see a particular animal or just want to talk to someone, then please dial the Little Victories number at 304-743-5802. You can also email
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Since some of our animals are in foster homes, we will arrange for you to see those by appointment. (We hope to have our new shelter open soon).
Cats
All of our cats are in foster care at this point. Again, look on the site and see if you are interested in a particular cat of if you have questions. Then call or email and we will be glad to talk to you or set up an appointment for you to meet one of our beautiful cats or kittens. Email
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
with questions about cats.
What is the Adoption Policy?
All of our animals are rescues or animals which have been given up by their owners. Because of this, our main goal is to first find the perfect home for our animals in which they will be safe and loved. Our concerns will be explained to you when you call. We hope we can help you and your family find the perfect pet.
What is the Adoption Procedure?
After you have chosen an animal, you will be asked to fill out an adoption application which you can download from this site. We require this for many reasons. One, we want to review everything about a family to see if that family and that particular animal are a perfect fit. Two, we require the paperwork to show which dogs we have had and where they were placed. Three, we do this for financial reasons. We pay expenses for these animals which must always be documented: medical, grooming, boarding, etc., and there fore it is necessary to keep records. Finally, we feel that people who are willing to fill out paperwork, have home visits, and have the patience required for this process will make wonderful adoptive parents.
So, please be willing to fill out the application and be patient!! You will be rewarded with a wonderful, healthy companion...
If you would like to go ahead and fill this out an application before you decide on an animal, we can keep it on file till you find the perfect pet. That way you can be first in line.
Once we go over your application, we will do a Home Visit. A LV volunteer will come to your home just to meet your family, your other pets, and to see where your new friend will live. While this may make some people feel uncomfortable, please understand that we are following the procedures used nationally in no kill shelters.
After your home visit, you will be notified about whether or not this animal is suitable for you. Please do not give up if the visit does not work out. As we stated previously, it may simply be that we feel you would be better suited with a different animal.
If you are approved for the animal, you will be asked to sign an Adoption Contract. This contract merely reiterates what you have read here and what you agree to do—i.e., to love and to care for this animal throughout its entire life.
Little Victories would also like for every adopter to understand that if you ever, for any reason, decide to give up your pet, it is to come back to Little Victories. This is true no matter how long you have the animal and is stated in the contract.
We would like to remind you that this animal’s life will literally be in your hands and to think seriously and plan how you will bring an animal into your lives. When that is done, enjoy!!
Is there an Adoption Fee?
Yes, the fee is put into our medical fund to allow us to continue rescuing!! The adoption is necessary to defray the cost of medical care. It also insures that when you take your new pet home, that animal will be healthy and also will never produce unwanted puppies or kittens. This only continues the cycle of homeless animals. Please remember we only exist because of donations and endless hours of fundraising. The fees can in no way cover our costs but simply help us continue our rescue work.
Our fees are as follows:
- Dogs $100
- Purebred Dogs $150
- Older Dogs $75
What about the Health of the Animal?
The adoption fee only partially covers the medical cost for getting your animal ready to come home to you! This is what we do for the animals:
Dogs
- General Vet check
- Spay or Neuter
- Worming
- Combo shots
- Rabies vaccination
- Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine
- Heartworm test
- Fecal exam
- On Frontline and Heartworm preventive
Cats
- General Vet Check
- Feline Leukemia Test
- 2 Feline Leukemia shots
- Rabies vaccination
- Worming
- 2 Combo shots
Of course, we cannot guarantee the health of an animal but Little Victories will do everything in its power to assure that you have a wonderful, healthy pet!
How do I Prepare to Bring my Pet Home?
1) We recommend you buy a collar and get a tag which has the pet’s name and your telephone number with area code. Bring the collar, leash and tag with you when you pick up your pet.
2) Ask about your pet’s food and treats and stock those at home, along with leashes, toys, feeding pans and other items which you feel necessary. Cats need litter, a litter box, food and treats.
3) If an animal is not house trained, we will be glad to tell you how to do this. Often having a crate helps in this, especially if the animal is young.
4) Make sure your home is safe for animals, especially kittens and puppies. Move all electrical cords so they cannot be chewed. Put all chemicals including ant traps, etc., to very high areas. Keep trash out of rooms so the pet will not get into it. Keep dogs leashed at all times when they are outside except when they are in a fenced yard. Keep your cats inside the house.
5) Love your pet and give it attention. Like children, animals thrive on attention and will become depressed and unhealthy if they are put away and given no love, exercise, or attention.
|
