Before you leave for the adoption, fill out a Pet Information Sheet and prepare two copies of a Re-Home Contract to take with you. Also, take your pet’s bed, toys, food, medicines, etc. as well as a copy of his medical records. And make sure your pet has proper identification on his collar, including a rabies tag, an ID tag with your information, and a microchip tag (if your pet is micro-chipped). He will need to be wearing proper identification, just in case he should run away from his new home. You should ask the adopter to keep these tags on your pet at all times, especially until he feels very secure with his new family.
Trust your instincts! If that day you find you have any nagging feeling that your pet and the applicant are not a match, you can say so tactfully and return home with your pet.
If you do feel comfortable with the prospective adoptive family and their home, and you are prepared to leave your pet with them, make sure that they fill out the Re-Home Contract before you leave. (You should have two copies: one for you and one for them to keep.) The contract you ask the adopter to sign should state that, if for any reason they can no longer keep your pet, they will contact you and the pet will be returned to you. Make sure the adopter is aware of this important point. Offer the adopter a trial period of three weeks, if possible, in order to make absolutely sure the placement is a good match for both your pet and for the new family.
Remember to give the adopter your Pet Information Sheet, as well as your pet’s bed, food, medicines, medical records, and favorite toys. This will help make your pet feel more comfortable during the transition.
Collect the re-homing fee before you leave.
After the adoption, check in with your pet’s new family after about 48 hours, and then weekly for three weeks to get updates on how your pet is coping in his new home environment — and how his new family is doing with him! Ask them to call or email you with an update from time to time, and ask for photos, too! Remember, your pet is counting on you to provide him the best home possible…whether that is with you or with someone else.
Also, when your pet has been successfully re-homed, please remember to log in to your account and delete your pet’s profile.