Adoption Criteria

The following criteria apply to all NACC adoptions:

• Adopters must be at least 18 years of age.
• Adopters must show proof of home ownership or rental agreement allowing pets.
• Adopters must provide proof of rabies vaccine for all currently owned dogs and cats.
• Adopters must have at least one interaction with the chosen NACC animal before adopting. All household members should be present for the interaction.
• Adopters with dogs are required to bring their dog for a meet-and-greet with the chosen NACC dog.
• People wishing to adopt a pit bull or pit mix must consent to a criminal background check.
• The adopted animal is spayed or neutered before leaving NACC custody.
• NACC reserves the right to deny any adoption. All denials will be explained in full.

PUPPY ADOPTIONS.  Anyone wishing to adopt a puppy under 6 months old must complete a "Puppy Packet" in addition to the standard adoption paperwork. The packet is designed to briefly educate you about the responsibilities of properly raising a puppy so that we can do our best to ensure adopters are prepared for the fun and work involved in this very special event. Final adoption approvals or denials are at the discretion of the reviewing caretaker.

Adopting Your New Best Friend

If you are looking to add a four-legged friend to your family, here are a few things to help you understand the shelter’s policies:

Animal Availability.  Animals surrendered by their owner are available for adoption the day they arrive at the shelter. Stray animals found with no collar are held for 5 days before they may be adopted; stray animals found with a collar are held for 10 days before they may be adopted. During the hold period, up to three choices can be placed on the animal for adoption. On the day the animal becomes available, the adoption paperwork can be finalized. Please note that NAMC cannot put holds on animals and adoptions and choices can only be done by visiting the shelter in person.

Learning About the Animals.  Most of what is known about each animal can be found on the clipboard attached to the cage. Every animal has a cage card, which displays an 8-digit code that is unique to that animal and must be referenced when inquiring about the animal, placing your name as a choice and for adopting. The cage card will also include whether the animal was surrendered by owner (RBO), found as a stray, or perhaps seized from the owner. The animal’s sex, age, breed, weight and neuter status are also listed on the card. Unless the animal was an owner-surrender, age and breed are unknown and can only be estimated by the staff. Some owner-surrendered animals also have an information sheet that was filled out by the owner. This includes whether housebroken, good with cats, other dogs or kids, why the animal was surrendered, and some information on their former care and living conditions.

Viewing the Animals.  When visiting the animals, please do not put your fingers inside the cages! A nervous animal may be startled, and react by snapping or scratching and if the animal you touch is sick, and you then touch another animal, you have most likely spread the disease to the second animal. The best way to know if an animal is right for you is to spend some time with him/her. We know first impressions count to some degree, but please don't just judge a dog or cat by how they seem in their cage. You may not take animals out yourself, but a staff member or volunteer will assist you. Remember that you cannot know an animal's personality until you have interacted with him/her. Be fair to yourself and the animal, and give them time to get to know you before making a decision about whether or not they're right for you.

"Meet and Greet".  If you are seeking to adopt a dog and currently have one or more, we ask that you make arrangements to bring in your resident dogs for an introduction to the dog you would like to adopt. A trained staff member will oversee the introduction to ensure that signs indicate the new dog will be accepted into the home. If you have cats and would like to adopt a dog, we can have that dog interact with one of our dog-friendly shelter cats to see if the dog is likely to accept having a feline sibling.

Health of Shelter Animals.  The shelter environment can be very stressful for the animals who reside there. Additionally, some of the animals may not have received high quality care before coming to the shelter. NACC is very fortunate to have a veterinary technician on staff, as well as the services of the Norfolk SPCA clinic on-site at our facility. Knowing that, you can be sure that medical issues are treated promptly.

Adoption Fees

The adoption fee is $75 for all cats/kittens and dogs/puppies, and includes the spay/neuter surgery, heartworm test (dogs), FIV/Leukemia test (cats), primary vaccinations (including Rabies vaccine), deworming, application of Advantage flea preventive and a microchip implant and registration.

Small Animals

Rabbits - $15, Snakes - $15, Ferrets - $15, Guinea Pigs - $15,
Hamsters - $15, Birds - varies depending on type of bird.