How to Adopt

Please see our ‘Contact Us’ page for Shelter location and opening hours

If You Rent

If you rent your living quarters (apartment, house, duplex, etc.) and are interested in adopting or fostering, we will need written consent from your landlord giving permission to keep pets before any of our animals may go home with you.  Landlord/Tenant Agreement consent forms are available at the Shelter or can be downloaded here: https://spcaswiftcurrent.com/downloadable-files/ .  Once completed and signed, the form can be emailed in advance of your appointment to infospcaswiftcurrent@gmail.com or you can bring it with you to our appointment.

Identification

Government -issued photo ID is also a requirement for any adoptions. We do take other forms of identification as well; current passports and health cards are also accepted. All information is confidential and only used for SPCA adoption records. You must be at least 18 years of age or have parental consent if under 18 to adopt an animal through the SPCA.

Feline Adoption (Cats)

The feline adoption process is a little different from the canine adoption process. For cats, we will require you to call the Shelter and talk with staff about what feline(s) you may be interested in and from there we’ll do a phone interview to get a feel for what it is you are looking for in your feline friend and suggest who we think may be a good fit for you. If you don’t have a specific feline in mind, we do still require you to call and make an appointment to meet the felines available for adoption. The SPCA requires all felines to be in a cat carrier to leave the building. If you plan on taking home your forever friend, please bring your cat carrier with you.

Canine Adoption (Dogs)

An application process is required for canine adoptions. Download the canine adoption application here:  https://spcaswiftcurrent.com/downloadable-files/ .  Please complete the form and email it back to infospcaswiftcurrent@gmail.com to  to ensure you are reviewed for the canine(s) you are interested in adopting. Applications for puppies (8 weeks- 1 year) will have an application deadline posted when the pups are put up for adoption on our website. Once all applications have been reviewed by staff, the successful candidates will be contacted. Not all applicants will be contacted.  Due to our Test Drive process, we will keep all applications on hand until an adoption has been finalized but after that applications will not be kept on file. We will require you to resubmit a new application when another canine/litter of your choice is posted for adoption.

Adoption Contract

Once you have found the right animal for you and your family, we will require you to review and sign the adoption contract. In this contract it states that you will provide food, water, shelter and all other necessities required to have a happy, healthy animal. The Swift Current SPCA contract states it is mandatory for all animals to be spayed or neutered.  If the animal has not yet been spayed or neutered, a deposit is required at the time of adoption until that surgery has taken place. Animals must be a minimum of 6 months old before they can be altered, so in cases of kittens or puppies adoptions we will hold that deposit until surgery has taken place. We do work with specific vet clinics in and around Swift Current. We keep track of all the animals not yet altered and once the time comes, we will book your surgery for you. We will contact you to let you know the animal is due to be spayed or neutered and we will work with you to find an appointment that works. You will then be required to get the animal to and from its appointment and we will cover the cost of surgery. If you choose to do additional blood work or have dewclaws removed, those fees will not be covered by the SPCA. The adopter will be required to pay for any extras they request including cones required after surgery. In the event the adopter lives out of Swift Current and wants to use a vet closer to their home, we will still require proof of surgery and then we will return your deposit to you. Please note, using a clinic outside the SPCA area will require the adopter to pay the spay/neuter fees. The SPCA will only cover fees from vet clinics the SPCA works with in Swift Current and surrounding area.

Once the animal is altered and proof of surgery has been provided, we will refund your deposit by mail. For this reason, it is very important to make sure the SPCA has your correct mailing address. If you move, please make us aware as soon as possible as this address is also where your pet’s microchip is registered.

Test Drive

A test drive is when an animal, canine or feline, is starting their adoption process. The test drive starts when the animals goes home. The adopter(s) will then have 14 days to decide if the animal is the right fit for the individual and/or family. Test drives can be lengthened or shortened upon request, as we understand all animals adjust differently and we want to be sure this is the right fit for everyone. If in that time you find the animal is just not right for you, please call the Shelter and we will make arrangements for the animal(s) to come back. At this point you may speak with staff and decide if we can find you a better fit or if you would like to take more time before moving forward with a different animal. In the case of returning a pet, all adoption fees minus a $20 handling fee for canines and a $10 handling fee for felines will be reimbursed. You will be issued a cheque that will be sent by mail (unless other arrangements have been made.)

If you decide to move forward with finalizing the adoption, the Shelter will mail you your portion of the contract, microchip information and the animal’s vaccination records.

The adoption fees for all animals includes the following:

  • Spay/Neuter (mandatory)
  • Primary course of vaccinations
  • Deworming (2 rounds)
  • Rabies (1yr) vaccination
  • If the animal needs to see a vet while on test drive for minor issues, we will cover the appointment. Anything larger scale will need to be approved by our management before moving forward.
  • Microchip and its registration
  • The animal will also be sent home with enough food to transition them to a new food if you wish.

See Fee Schedule https://spcaswiftcurrent.com/fee-schedule/  for all fee details.