03/30/2025
❓Curious about our adoption process?
👋Adoptable good boy, Brisket, here with all the details!
Our dogs’ profiles are listed online on our website, adopt a pet, and our page. We do not have a public shelter or facility, as we are 100% foster-based – all of our foster dogs are in private homes with our dedicated volunteer fosters.
➡️Step 1
When you have found an animal you are interested in adopting, you need to complete an application on our website.👇
www.pawsitforward.org/adoption
The application asks you questions about your family’s situation, lifestyle and expectations. This questionnaire helps us see if your lifestyle and expectations are a good match with the dog you are applying for.
➡️Step 2
Once we have read through the application and we feel like it may be a match, an adoption coordinator will have a conversation with you to find out a little more about your lifestyle and what you are looking for in a companion animal.
We do not respond to every application.
We will also provide advice about care and behavior training at this time, as well as detailed information about the companion you are interested in. This conversation is a good opportunity for us to get a sense of whether the animal is a good match for you and to ensure that both yourself and the animal will be happy together.
This conversation may take place over the phone or through e-mail.
➡️Step 3
If the adoption coordinator feels that you are a good match, we will introduce you to them. Dogs can be taken for walks in order to allow the potential adopter to see how they are on a leash and for the adoption coordinator to observe the potential adopter’s handling of the dog.
The meet and greet will involve all members of the potential adopter’s household, as well as any currently owned dogs if applying for a second dog. It is important that everyone in the household is a good match for the animal, as well as any other current animals living in the home, to ensure that the adoption goes as smoothly as possible for everyone.
Please note: Paws It Forward only holds “Meet & Greets” by appointment when we have matched a dog with a person/family. We are 100% foster based and do not have a facility to meet our dogs.
➡️Step 4
If everything goes well at the meet and greet and both you and the adoption coordinator feel that the animal is a good match for your home, we will begin a trial adoption for seven days.
A ‘trial adoption’ is your opportunity to introduce your new addition to your life style. Before starting the adoption trial you will need to complete an adoption contract and pay the fee that applies to your dog. If during these 7 days we discover that it is not a match, we will refund the fee and place the dog back into our program.
After 7 days, if it is a great match, we finalize the adoption.
🥳Congratulations!
All medical records are released after the trial adoption*
Each potential adopter must undergo 4 stages of screening:
🐾Interview with adoption coordinator
🐾Meet and Greet
🐾Home Visit
🐾Reference check
You can also see our FAQ on our website.
https://pawsitforward.org/contact-us/faq/
