How to Adopt

Two ways to Make an Adoption Matchmaking Appointment

1) 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. On the pet’s bio page,  click on the inquire button for a pet you wish to meet.

2) Send an adoption inquiry by clicking on the link below for the location you are interested in visiting. We suggest you still view our adoptable animals before you submit an inquiry!

Boston Adoption Center
Methuen Adoption Center 
Cape Adoption Center

Tips for your Search!

• Make sure to read their adoption descriptions to learn more about the available animals.
• All the information we have about an animal will be included on their animal profile. For animals who came to us from a previous home, we’ll have more information. For 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.
• Click on the “Inquire” button in blue on the animal’s profile page in order to ask questions about an animal available for adoption or 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.

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. Inquiries are generally processed in the order they are received and in most cases the first good match will adopt the animal.
• For animals with special adoption needs, we review several inquiries and interview potential adopters to find the best match to meet the particular needs of 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.
• If the animal is a match for your home and your inquiry was received early on, we will contact you by phone to share any additional information we have about the animal, answer all your questions, and if it sounds like a good match we will schedule a time for you to meet the animal. 
• Please be available by phone between 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in order for us to reach you in case we have questions or to schedule a time for you to come in to meet adoptable animals.

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.
• If you are looking for a kitten or puppy or a specific dog or cat breed, you may want to look into finding a responsible breeder. We have put together a list of things to look for when working with a breeder as well as things to look for when working with a rescue or animal welfare agency for adoption.

Estimated Adoption Fees (and what’s included)

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.

Equine and Farm Animals

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.