All adoptions are done by appointment only. We are scheduling appointments for potential adopters to call and discuss the adoptable pet of interest with an adoption counselor. Please call 476-3811 and leave a message, or email [email protected]. You can email your completed Adoption survey (scroll down for link) also.
If you are interested in a kitten, please call or email to get on our waiting list. Kittens are in high demand and rarely make it onto our website. We do not place any sort of holds. We process our waiting list in order, so be sure to be on the wait list.
During the scheduled appointment call with an adoption counselor, you will discuss the needs of our pets, and compatibility with your lifestyle. If you are interested in a dog, we will schedule you for a time to meet the dog in our outside yards. For cats, if you choose, we can do a video chat so you can see the cat via video before deciding to adopt. For cat adoptions, please indicate if you will be bringing your own cat carrier, or will need to purchase one of our reusable cardboard carriers for $7.
If it’s a good match, we process the adoption that same day, and your new family member will go home with you at that time!
At this time, all feline adoptions are done curb-side. When you pick up your new family member, one of our staff members will be coming out to your car.
At CVHS, it’s all about making the right match between an animal and a potential adoptive person or family. We do not have applications to adopt our animals. We do collect some basic information about you, and we ask you to participate in a survey. The adoption process at CVHS is warm, positive, and informative. Our goal is to help you find a pet whose personality is a good match for your lifestyle, and find families for our animals whose lifestyles fit all of their needs.
We use the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program to help us learn more about you and our animals so you can meet your best match.
From an adopter about our process: “I was skeptical at first of the adoption process, however after talking with Shannon, she explained why you do it the way you do. I am happy to report our adoption could not have gone better. Shannon helped me pick our kitten based on personality and background. He could not be any more perfect. I am especially thankful for Shannon’s efforts in preparing him for adoption and the amazing foster care she gave him because he is so well adjusted and he is everything we hoped for. He has truly stolen our hearts and I hope we get to love him for many years to come! Many thanks.”
All adoptions are done by a phone appointment (no one is allowed in the building). To complete the survey, click one of the links below (will download a PDF).
Be sure to fill out both pages please and email back to [email protected].
Small Animal Adopter Survey (rabbits, Guinea Pigs etc) Survey
Email is best, but if you choose to mail your survey, please mail to CVHS, 1589 VT Rte 14S, East Montpelier, VT, 05651.
Meet Your Match (MYM)
You could be gazing at the animal of your dreams, but you just can’t tell what she’s thinking behind that furry face. What if you knew a little something about her personality and habits before you moved in together? The Meet Your Match program is the only method in existence today that evaluates an animal’s behavior and interests and matches them to an adopter’s preferences so that you take home a pet you can really click with.
Learn more about the program here: Meet Your Match
Don’t see an available pet on our website who looks like they might be a good fit? Fill out the Adoption Survey and email it to [email protected]. We will keep your survey on file for three months. We will not “approve” or “deny” your information; we will keep it on file for when you decide the time is right to adopt. Your form will have lots of information that will help us make a potential match, and we may reach out to you about an animal currently at the shelter or in foster care, or one that comes in while your information is on file with us.
A few notes about adoptions at CVHS:
- We do not put “holds” on animals or “take money down” on a pet, we do same-day adoptions.
- When an animal is adopted, s/he is removed from our website automatically at the time of the adoption.
- When an animal is adopted, s/he must go home immediately.
- Making matches takes time. We will talk to you for at least a half hour, maybe longer, to make the best match.
- Adopting a cat? Please bring a carrier with you. Cardboard and plastic carriers are each available for purchase at the time of adoption.
- Adopting a dog? Please bring a leash and collar with you. Leashes, collars, and harnesses are available for purchase at the time of adoption.
Remember, many of the animals available for adoption at CVHS come to us with very little history. It can be difficult to determine the age and/or breed of an animal. Many of our animals are mixed breed, or a veterinarian has estimated an age range for us. However, our animal listing system requires that we choose a date of birth as well as a breed. Please ask an Adoption Counselor for more information about the particular animal for which you have interest.