Adopting a dog or cat responsibly
Adopting gives a second chance. The process usually includes meeting the animal, an application and transferring its history. We explain how to do it well and where to find pets for adoption.
Adopting a dog or cat responsibly means choosing an animal that fits your life, knowing its health status (vaccines, deworming, microchip and neutering) and committing for the long term. Shelters make adoption easier and usually hand over the animal identified and with its veterinary record up to date.
Key facts
- Choose based on your space, time and experience, not just looks.
- Ask about vaccines, microchip, neutering and the animal's temperament.
- Adoption usually includes a contract and later follow-up.
- Adopting prevents abandonment and gives homeless animals a chance.
- Keep its record from day one to continue its care.
From the shelter to your home
Who this guide is for
If you are thinking of adding a dog or a cat to your life, here you will find how to do it responsibly and through adoption channels.
You want to adopt for the first time
You have never been through an adoption process and need to know what shelters ask for, what documents you will sign and how to prepare for the first few days at home.
Unsure whether to buy or adopt
You are weighing up whether a shelter or rescue is a good option compared with a breeder or shop. Here you will see what each route involves and why adoption is usually the most responsible.
You already have an animal and want to grow the family
You live with a dog or cat and are considering adding another. You are interested in coexistence, the adjustment period and how to introduce the newcomer without conflict.
Common situations
Adopting a puppy
You are looking for a young animal and accept that it will need training, full vaccination and a lot of dedication during its first months of life.
Adopting an adult or senior animal
You prefer a dog or cat that is already grown, with a defined character and often neutered and identified. Seniors are the most overlooked at shelters.
Foster care
You cannot commit to a permanent adoption, but you want to help by providing a temporary home while the animal waits for a family.
Adopting with children or other animals
You have a family with minors or already live with pets and need a sociable animal, with a good coexistence assessment carried out by the shelter.
Why adopt responsibly
You give a second chance
In Spain thousands of dogs and cats wait for a home each year in shelters and rescues. Adopting frees up a place to rescue another animal.
The animal arrives checked over
Most shelters hand over the animal dewormed, vaccinated, neutered and identified with a microchip, depending on its age and condition.
Guidance included
The organisations know each animal's character and advise you on feeding, coexistence and adjustment, also after the handover.
You know the character beforehand
Unlike a bought puppy, with an adult in foster care it has already been observed how it behaves with people, children and other animals.
Lower and transparent cost
The adoption fee covers veterinary costs already incurred and is usually far lower than the purchase price, with no later surprises.
You fight abandonment
Adopting instead of buying reduces the demand that fuels uncontrolled breeding and abandonment, one of the major animal welfare problems in Spain.
Adoption stories
From the pound to the sofa
A five-year-old dog had spent months in a rescue. After a trial pre-adoption, the family confirmed the adoption and its health history was recorded in the digital record from day one.
A litter rescued from the street
A kitten rescued with her siblings was neutered and identified by the shelter. Her new owners received all the veterinary information centralised so as not to miss any guideline.
A peaceful retirement
An older dog with a chronic treatment found a family thanks to the adoption directory. The digital record let them keep track of its medication without loose papers.
What the adoption process is like
Search for and contact the shelter
Explore the directory of animals up for adoption at shelters and rescues, filter by species, size or location, and write to the organisation to meet the candidate that fits your life.
Questionnaire and meeting the animal
The organisation usually asks for a form about your home, schedule and experience. Afterwards you will arrange a visit or a pre-adoption period to check there is a good connection.
Adoption contract and handover
You will sign an adoption contract that sets out your care commitments. The animal is handed over identified with a microchip in your name and with its health documentation up to date.
The animal's record comes with you
Transfer the history the shelter gives you to the free digital record: vaccines, dewormings, neutering and microchip. That way you will have everything to hand at every vet visit.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Adoption FAQ
Each shelter has its own, but an application, an interview and a commitment to responsible care are common.
The history belongs to the pet: when the adoption is finalised, its record and history transfer to your account.
Adopting fights abandonment and gives a chance to animals that need it; they are also usually handed over vaccinated, dewormed and identified.
It is usual to be of legal age, present an identity document, fill in a questionnaire about your situation and sign an adoption contract. Some organisations carry out an interview or home visit and ask for a neutering commitment if the animal is not yet neutered.
Adoption is not free but it is much more economical than buying. A fee is requested that covers the veterinary costs already incurred, such as vaccines, deworming, neutering and microchip implantation. The amount varies by organisation and species.
In most cases yes. Shelters hand over the animal with a microchip and, when its age allows, neutered. If it is a puppy that is too young, a commitment to neuter later is usually signed. Remember to register the microchip in your name.
Every animal goes at its own pace, but as a reference there is the rule of three days, three weeks and three months: in the first days the animal is cautious, in a few weeks it begins to trust, and by around three months it feels fully at home. Respect its timing and offer stable routines.
The adoption contract usually allows for returning the animal to the shelter itself if the coexistence does not work out, since the organisation remains responsible for the animal. You must not give it away or sell it on your own. Before returning it, consult the shelter, which can help you resolve the problem.
Have ready a quiet space, suitable food, water, a bed, a carrier or litter tray depending on the species, and remove hazards from the home. Find a nearby vet for a first check-up and open its profile in the digital record with the details the shelter provides.
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