Adoption Requirements

• Adopters may be asked to provide non-family references and/or proof of employment or source of income.
• Adopters must be 21 years old with valid photo ID, or be 18 and have a cosigner.
• Adopters must not have a history of ordinance violations, losing, giving away, selling, or having animals injured or killed by moving vehicles.
• Adopters must provide proof of compliance with all applicable laws/regulations in their county of residence (e.g., Virginia residents must prove that their cats & dogs have rabies vaccinations and their dogs have licenses).
• All adults in the household must agree on the adoption (written consent is OK).
• Any application for an animal that will be kept outside or inside/outside will require a home inspection.
• Cats will not be adopted exclusively as mousers.
• Declawed cats may not be kept as outdoor or indoor/outdoor animals.
• If you do not own your home, you must provide written proof from your landlord that you have permission to bring the animal home and that you have paid any applicable fees/deposits.
• You must meet any applicable special needs requirements for the animal.

View the adoption application for cats/small animals. Please note that applications are only accepted in person at the Animal Shelter or on the mobile adoption vehicle. Applications cannot be accepted by fax or email.

Contact
For questions or more information about adopting a cat or small animal, please contact the Department of Animal Services at 703-777-0406 or via email at .