PAWS' Adoption Process

Thank you for considering adopting a homeless companion animal from PAWS. Our goal is to help you find a companion that suits your household, lifestyle and personality.

Visit the Animals in Person

Once you have checked out the animals on our web site, we welcome and encourage your personal visit. Before heading out, view the hours of and directions to the PAWS' shelter in Lynnwood or to Cat City in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood.

What to Expect when you Arrive

PAWS participates in the ASPCA® Meet Your Match™ program, which is designed to help you find the companion that's right for you, by matching your expectations to a dog or cat's personality and behavior.

The survey: Before viewing the animals, you'll be asked to complete a survey designed to give us more information about you and the type of companion animal you are looking for. After completing the survey, the front counter staff will tally the results and hand you a colored Guest Pass that represents the dogs or cats who may fit best with your lifestyle and expectations.

You can download, print and complete the appropriate survey below to save you time during your visit to PAWS or Cat City. Printed surveys are also available at both locations.

Download and view the Dog Adopter Survey [PDF 156 KB]

Download and view the Cat Adopter Survey [PDF 219 KB]

Note: The surveys above are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, and you will need the Acrobat program to view them. Download a free copy from Adobe.

Take a look: Animals available for adoption are color coded to correspond to the Guest Passes. While the color indicated on your Guest Pass represents the type of dog/cat that may best suit your family, it does not exclude you from considering an animal whose color does not match your Guest Pass. Please keep these general guidelines in mind while viewing the animals for adoption:

• Some animals will not yet be color coded but may still be available for adoption.
• Some animals may not yet be available for adoption and therefore cannot be visited with. This information will be noted on their paperwork.
• For health and safety reasons please do not touch the cats or dogs before they are brought to a visitation area.

The paperwork: Once you've narrowed down who you are interested in visiting, please bring the animal's paperwork from the front of the cage back to the main lobby counter. Additional information about the dog or cat may also be available at the counter.

The conversation: Using the survey you completed earlier, we will review with you the information about the selected animal and discuss their behavior and needs. If it seems like a good fit we'll set you up with a visit. During the conversation, we may suggest other animals who might be a better match for your preferences and experience.

The visit: After that conversation, we'll escort you to a visitation area where you and your family can spend time getting acquainted with the cat or dog. Please note that all dogs must also be introduced to any resident dogs prior to adoption.

PAWS reserves the right to approve all adoptions, as we are committed to the welfare of the animals in our care as well as meeting your personal needs.

Adoption Fees

• Adult dogs: $100 (over 6 months)
• Puppies: $140 (6 months and under)
• Adult cats: $90 (over 6 months)
• Kittens: $110 (6 months and under)
• Senior cats/dogs: $75 (7 years and older)
• 2 adult cats: $135 (adopted on the same day)
• 2 kittens: $200 (adopted on the same day)
• 1 cat and 1 kitten: $150 (adopted on the same day)

Adoption fees for individual animals can sometimes vary.

The PAWS "Seniors for Seniors" program offers a special reduced adoption fee of $35 to help seniors who are living on a fixed income. The program places senior cats and dogs (typically over 7 years of age) with qualified senior citizens who are 60 years of age or older.

The adoption fee includes:

• Neuter/spay surgery and a microchip
• Testing for feline leukemia for cats; de-worming and first set of vaccinations for cats and dogs
• Free health exam certificate for a local veterinarian
• Collar and leash for dogs; collar and carrier for cats
• Educational materials and access to our FREE behavior helpline

PAWS cannot be responsible for veterinary bills or treatment of an animal after leaving our shelter. Washington State law restricts shelters from providing general veterinary services to privately owned animals.

Placement Program for High-interest Animals

Certain animals generate a high amount of interest from many qualified adopters. To manage this, PAWS only accepts the first six surveys received from potential adopters who want to adopt a high-interest animal. With the help of PAWS' staff, you can determine if a high-interest animal is a good fit for you using the Meet Your Match parameters described above. You should also be sure you can fulfill the guidelines listed below before submitting your adopter survey for a high-interest animal. Otherwise, we encourage you to consider one of the many other wonderful animals awaiting a new home.

1. Adoption surveys must be submitted in person and approved by a PAWS adoption counselor prior to the time the animal becomes available for adoption.
2. After the six surveys are reviewed, the selected applicant will be contacted to come back for a visit. The visit must occur on the day the animal becomes available during normal adoption hours.
3. The selected applicant must be able to come to the shelter along with all members of the household, including all canines in residence if adopting another dog.
4. If the selected applicant is unable to comply with these guidelines, or decides not to adopt the animal, another approved applicant will be selected and invited to come in for a visit.

Interested parties will not be contacted if the animal is returned to his/her original guardian, if the animal is deemed unadoptable, or if their application is not selected.