Adoption Procedures

Are you interested in adopting a pet from our shelter? It all starts by completing an adoption application.

Application Linked here:

Once you have completed the application, you can either bring it in to the shelter, fax it to us, or scan it and email it to the shelter. You must be at least 18 years of age to adopt a pet.

What do we check on your application?

Criminal Background Check. Why? To make sure there is no history of dog abuse, dog fighting, failing to license your pets, battery and abuse.
Do you own or rent your home? If you own, we ask for proof of ownership (property tax statement, deed, bank payment slip, homeowner's insurance statement). We just need to visually verify the form you bring. If you rent, we will need to contact your landlord, to make sure they are aware and okay with you having a pet on their property. Please make sure your landlord knows we will be calling, as we only call once.
Shelter Check. Why? To review your history of adoption and surrendering pets to the shelter.

Please note, the Shawano County Humane Society reserves the right to deny an adoption application if it feels the home/ adoptor would not be appropriate. Applications are processed in a first come first serve order. This means that we do take multiple applications on pets, however, the first application will have a hold on the animal until it is either approved or denied. We will then move on to the second application and so on. We do not hold a specific pet for more than 3 days before moving on to the next application. Once an application is approved it is good for 3 months, so if you do not see the pet you are looking for, your application will be kept on hand until you either find a pet or the 3 months is up.

Once your application is approved, you will be contacted by the shelter. We will schedule a date for spay or neuter and you will be able to formally adopt the pet the day after surgery. Please see the fee page for adoption costs (cash or credit card only). When you pick up your pet, you will sign an adoption agreement. Per this agreement you will have 7 days to return the pet and have your money refunded. This agreement also states that if for some reason in the future, you can no longer keep the pet, you must return the pet to the Shawano County Humane Society.