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How to Adopt
Important Information
We are currently operating adoptions through an appointment based system in Boston and the Cape. Our Methuen Adoption Center has open adoption hours listed on the main location page.
View our current list of adoptable animals on our Animal Search Page to see if there is an animal or two who might be a good fit for you.
Tips for your Search
Click on the “Inquire” button in blue on the animal’s profile page in order to inquire about adopting an animal.
We ask on the inquiry form if there are more animals that are of interest to you. Please include any animals you might be interested in potentially adopting.
Make sure to read their adoption descriptions to learn more about the available animals. Keep in mind, we will have more information for animals who came to us from a previous home in comparison to animals who were strays, or came from another shelter, their history may be limited (how they are with kids, other animals, house training, etc).
Given the high demand for adoption, we ask that you be in a position to adopt within a few days of inquiring about an animal. Our goal with adoption is to find a great match and have the animal stay in care for the least amount of time possible.
If an animal is on our website, we are accepting inquiries.
If you saw an animal on the website, in a news article, or on social media and it is no longer listed, the animal has either been adopted or we received multiple inquiries and we are processing those inquiries.
After You Submit an Inquiry
Submitting an inquiry is not a hold, reservation, or guarantee on an animal adoption.
Once we have received your inquiry, you will receive an email response which outlines next steps.
For animals without special adoption needs, we tend to receive a lot of inquiries, in most cases the first good match will adopt the animal.
Adopting animals in high demand can be a frustrating process. We do our best to maintain as fair of a process as possible. While we receive many inquiries on available animals, the animal can only be adopted to one home, which means all other interested households will unfortunately be disappointed. We thank you for your patience and encourage you to submit an inquiry for a different animal if the first animal you inquired about was adopted to another family.
Please note – the dog adoption floors are closed to walk through traffic. Why? When the pandemic hit and our adoption centers was closed to visitors, we saw a shift in our dogs behavior. The rooms which were previously loud and stressful become calm and quiet. Not having people regularly walking through the room during the day made for a much calmer, happier dog population. We also have seen post COVID a decrease in length of stay and in an increase in adoption and a sense that we are making good matches for families and for dogs. We ensure the dogs still receive lots of attention from staff and volunteers and they are happy to come out of their kennels to meet prospective adopters. We know that you want to come see them but being in the adoption center is already a stressful transition for all dogs and we must prioritize their need for a quiet predictable environment. Thank you for your understanding.
Don’t See the Type of Animal You Are Interested In?
Keep checking! Our available animals change quickly.
We do not have an adoption wait list and are unable to notify you when a particular type of animal becomes available.
Purebred Animals: We rarely receive purebred cats, and almost never receive purebred kittens or puppies. We very rarely receive hypoallergenic dogs. Most of our dogs are mixed breed.
Kittens: We receive kittens most often in the warmer months – June through October. Kittens are rarely available other times of the year.
Puppies: We very rarely receive puppies under 5 months of age.
All adoptions include adoption counseling and take home care information in addition to the below. Please note that adoption fees for individual animals may vary depending on the needs of the animals.
Adolescent Dogs (under 1 year of age): $595 adoption fee Adult Dog (1 year – 9 years): $500 adoption fee Senior Dog (10 years and older): $350 adoption fee
Spay/Neuter Surgery
Rabies Vaccine
DHPP (Distemper/Parvo) Vaccine
Bordetella Vaccination (Kennel Cough)
Initial General Deworming
Heartworm Test
Microchip Implantation & Registration
Identification Tag
Flea & Tick Treatment or Preventive
Initial treatment for Ear Mites as Needed
Training classes may be included for individual dogs that we believe will benefit from training post adoption.
You can purchase a leash and collar for your adopted dog at the Adoption Center or you can bring one with you.
Special Note – Please Read: Many housing units sold in pet stores are too small for the specific species behavioral and medical needs. If you looking to purchase housing, visit our web page for recommendations on the best housing for small animals and the best housing for birds. We ask that you have a housing unit purchased before coming in for an adoption appointment.
Animal Supplies: We have most animal supplies available for sale on site. We carry an extensive line of pet food, treats, toys, collars and leashes, pet beds, and crates. Please consider shopping with us for your supplies, as 100% of the proceeds benefits the adoption center.
MSPCA Adoption Philosophy
The MSPCA believes the human-animal bond is important to promote and preserve. We seek to help potential adopters form new bonds that bring the joy and comfort of companionship for both pet and human guardian.
Our adoption program is designed to be welcoming, nonjudgmental, and free of lengthy applications. We strive to engage all prospective adopters in a conversation aimed at matching an adopter’s lifestyle, interests and home environment with an animal’s personality, medical and behavioral needs. Adopting an animal is an extraordinary opportunity to choose your newest family member. At the MSPCA it is a great privilege for our staff and volunteers to guide that journey for adopters and animals.
As we help to build life-long relationships between adopters and the animals in our care, we also hope to build a life-long relationship between adopters and the MSPCA. We consider our adopters to be a part of the MSPCA Family; our staff is available to offer guidance and suggestions during the pet’s transition to his or her new home and throughout the pet’s lifetime.
Browse our adoptable animal listings from all MSPCA shelters to get an idea of which animals are currently waiting for a new home, and to learn more about them.