Please find the answers to some frequently asked questions about adoption below.
Where are you located? What are your adoption hours?
Our Adoption Centre is located at 462 Jefferson Street in Morden. Appointments are appreciated, to ensure that we can take the time needed to help you find the right pet for your family. To make an appointment to meet or adopt an animal, call 204-822-9413.
May I spend time with a prospective pet?
Of course! Our team will bring the animal into a room or yard where you can get to know them.
How long do you keep animals up for adoption?
The idea that there are “time limits” on an animal in adoption is a common misconception. There are no time limits on animals in adoption. They will remain available for adoption until they find a home barring a serious medical or behavioural issue arising. While we hope to find animals home quickly, sometimes they take a little longer waiting for the right person to come along. We will promote them during this time to encourage people to consider taking them home. No animal is euthanized for space, or because they have been here too long.
Do you require that all animals be fixed?
The Pembina Valley Humane Society is dedicated to ending pet overpopulation. All dogs and cats adopted from the Humane Society are spayed or neutered. While veterinarians used to believe that spay or neuter couldn’t be performed safely on young animals, it is now widely agreed that early spay and neuter is safe and often reduces recovery times.
I want to adopt a small dog/special breed. Can you call me when one comes available?
Unfortunately, we aren’t able to keep waiting lists for animals. These requests are normally for animals who are in high demand when they go up for adoption and we try to give everyone a fair chance. We suggest coming in to the shelter frequently as well as keeping an eye on our web site, Facebook page or Instagram, because new animals become available for adoption all the time and sometimes are adopted before they are even able to be posted online.
Can I adopt a pet as a gift?
The Humane Society discourages people from adopting pets as gifts for other adults. A pet is a long term commitment, and the pet you choose for someone may not be the pet they would choose for themselves. Parents are permitted to adopt a pet as a gift for children, although we still suggest that the pet meet the whole family as the best choice. If you are adopting a dog and your children don’t meet the dog first, we may have you sign a waiver before taking the dog home which promises to ensure that everyone is introduced carefully.
I already have a pet at home. How will I know if they will get along?
Sometimes we know that a dog or cat has lived with other animals and our team also tests them to see if they appear to do well with other animals. If you have a dog, we encourage you to bring him in to meet your potential new dog as the meeting often goes more smoothly in a controlled, neutral environment rather than in your living room. Of course, it is always important to monitor interactions carefully when you first bring your pet home.
The dog I’m looking at says “no kids”, but my kids have been around dogs and we’re sure it will be fine.
A dog can come into our care in a variety of ways. Depending on how the dog came to us we are sometimes able to obtain a full history of a dog’s life prior to arriving, but other times their history is unknown. For every dog that comes into our care, we have a very comprehensive assessment process to determine what type of home would be the best fit for each animal. Our age limits are in place for the benefit of your family and to ensure that the dog will be comfortable in its new home. Age limits can be placed for a variety of reasons:
- A known history that the dog is not comfortable with children
- The dog has displayed behaviours that would not be safe around children
- The dog has a boisterous personality and may be able to injure a small child
Even if your child has experience with dogs, not every child that will enter your home does and it is not fair for your family or the dog to be in a situation where it will be uncomfortable or feel unsafe. Please know that when making a decision for any requirements for a dog we take its history, assessment results, and any behaviour demonstrated at the shelter into consideration.
