Thank you for your interest in adopting an animal from RESCUE!

This page acquaints you with RESCUE's MatchMaker Adoption Service, designed to create matches between people and animals resulting in loving lifetime relationships. We want to do everything  in our power to set you and your new pet up for success and happiness - and that necessitates a detailed understanding of your ideal pet, your lifestyle, as well as your needs and expectations

Three Steps to Adoption - The MatchMaker Service
Step 1 - Fill out MatchMaker Information Form  
Step 2 - Discuss Expectations with a MatchMaker
Step 3 - Meet Animal and Assess Match

This process intentionally has several steps and cannot be completed in one day. After many years of rescuing abandoned animals from euthanasia lists and talking to thousands of current and former pet owners it is clear there are two common threads:

• Impulse adoptions based on "falling in love with a cute face" often lead to a failure
• In the excitement that comes with the thought of acquiring a pet, many people do not stop to ask themselves some very basic questions about caring for an animal that lives between 10 and 20 years. Neglecting to ask and answer these questions up front often results in pet relinquishment down the road.

You may find that RESCUE's MatchMaking Service requires a bit more of you than expected. Good! . . . good for you, good for our animals. We want our adopters to think this decision through and be fully aware of the challenges that come with pet ownership. Like our Vision Statement says - We want to change the way our society "acquires animals and how they commit to those animals they choose to make a part of their family." Perhaps one day RESCUE will no longer have to worry about the cycle of abandonment in this county. Perhaps there will be a day when the kennels at the pound are empty because matches between people and animals have resulted in loving lifetime relationships.

Thank you for your interest, and we appreciate your support.

The Three Steps to Adoption - The Details...

Step 1 - Fill out MatchMaker Information Form

You complete our on line MatchMaker Information Form. Thoughtfully filling out this form enables us to gather information on what you are looking for in a new pet and understanding the particular concerns your family has about integrating a new pet into your household. It is also vital for us to obtain your contact information so that one of our MatchMakers can telephone you.:

Step 2 - Discuss Expectations with a MatchMaker

Within three days you will receive a call from a RESCUE MatchMaker. Our MatchMakers conduct hundreds of these discussions every month and many of our animals receive interest from dozens of families at a time. The level of detail you give us coupled with your availability to talk with our MatchMaker during the day or in the evening will impact how quickly this process moves forward. The information you provide in Step One will serve as the foundation for your discussion with our MatchMaker. A face-to-face meeting between your family and the animal that seems to be the best match will then be scheduled if all parties agree to move forward.

Step 3 - Meet Animal and Assess Match

The time has arrived! You and your family meet your potential new pet and assess the match. Successful lifetime matches are decisions of the head and the heart. We have put a lot of logic into the process up until this moment. Now is the time to assess first hand - is that magic there? You and the Adoption Counselor will be watching to see if personalities click. You'll be looking to see how the pet gets along with all of your family members including current pets. You'll discuss face-to-face with our counselor any issues and concerns and how you are feeling about adding this pet to your family. If everyone decides the match is there, the adoption will be finalized.

It is important to note that there is never an obligation to adopt any animals we show you. Even if they aren't a fit for you we will find them a fantastic family where they are the perfect match. RESCUE makes a lifetime commitment to every animal we rescue.

MatchMaker Information Form

Now that you are familiar with our MatchMaker Adoption Service, we invite you to visit our Dog Adoption Center and our Cat Adoption Center where we have general information regarding our animals and our Adoption Services Fee. And, don't forget to check out our very special Spotlighted Cat and Dog!If you are ready to see our animals, please visit our Search for a Cat and Search for a Dog pages.

Thank you for your interest in RESCUE and our animals. We look forward to working with you!