Q: Can you tell me more about fostering?
- Fosters are essential to ARNO’s mission! Foster homes provide food, love and kindness. We provide all medical care. Foster homes are required to bring their foster pets to adoption events, provide photographs, and do write ups to help find them a forever home. There is no definitive time frame for fostering as sometimes it can be as short as a few weeks, or longer as needed. Foster applications go through the same processing that adoption applications do.
Q: How long does the adoption process take?
- Our adoption team is made up of volunteers and we try our best to do things efficiently, yet due to volume, our average approval process is 5-7 days.
Q: Why is the adoption process so detailed?
- Because rescue dogs and cats deserve the best! They have all come from different situations and should have wonderful forever homes moving forward. We also believe in matching animals with their best families, so it can take a little time.
- After an application is received, it is assigned to a processor and they will check the following:
- If you rent, check with your landlord about restrictions/fees
- If you own, we will confirm ownership of the property
- Call your vet to make sure your other animals are up to date on vaccinations, spay/neutered, etc.
- If you are a first-time dog/cat parent, we will ask you to request estimates from the vet office you intend to use so that you have a realistic understanding of the costs.
- If you are a first timer, we will also ask for a reference check
- Once the application has been approved, the application will go to home check. All dog home checks are done virtually and take less than 10 minutes. We will check the safety of the yard, look for poisonous plants and advise on getting the house ready for a new animal. For cat home checks, they are done in-person and the home checker will review indoor plants, window screens (if applicable), and discuss options for starter rooms to slowly introduce the cat into the home.
- Fully approved applications are then given to adoption counselors who will work with adopters on finding their best match!
Q: What are the adoption fees?
Dogs:
- Puppies under 1 year – $300-$350
- Adult dogs (1 year – 7 years) – $250
- Seniors (8 years and older) – $200
Cats:
- Adults (1 year and older) – 1 for $125 / 2 for $200
- Kittens (under 1 year) – 1 for $175 / 2 for $250
Q: What does the adoption fee cover?
- All necessary vaccinations prior to adoption, including puppy/kitten vaccinations
- Spay/Neuter Surgery
- Microchip and registration
- If the dog being adopted is heartworm positive at the time of adoption, treatment will be included through ARNO’s vets
- FIV/Felv testing for cats
- One month of preventatives (In alignment with the animal’s preventative history)
- A few days of food to help with the transition
Adoption fees are payable in cash, check, credit card or Venmo.
Q: What if I want to use my own vet for a spay/neuter or do not live close to the veterinarian used by ARNO?
- ARNO strives to make sure all animals are spayed/neutered prior to being adopted, however, sometimes that is not possible due to scheduling. Because ARNO is a rescue, we receive a special rate at our vet that is not transferable to other clinics and it is important that adopters keep the appointments that ARNO makes for them. For all animals that are not spayed/neutered at the time of adoption, there is an additional $100 deposit that is refunded once the animal has been spayed/neutered. Should an adopter choose to use their own vet for spay/neuter, they must provide proof to ARNO within one month of adoption.
Q: Where is your rescue located?
- 271 Plauche Street, New Orleans, LA 70123. Our rescue is not open to the public to view animals and we only make appointments with approved adopters.
Q: What is your phone number?
- We do not have a phone number as we are volunteer-based. Should you need to reach us, please email at [email protected] or [email protected]
Q: Where/when can I meet the dog or cat I’m interested in?
- Our adoptable dogs and cats are in the shelter and in foster homes. Once approved, your adoption counselor will set an appointment time/place for you to meet the animal you are interested in. ARNO is not open to the public and we require an appointment in advance for approved adopters.
Q: Are all adoptions first come first serve?
- Your application does not place a hold on the animal you are interested in. We process many applications to determine the best fit. We encourage potential adopters to get their application submitted so that when a specific type of dog or cat becomes available that they have been looking for, they are already approved. ARNO rescues on an ongoing basis, so we have a large turnover rate.
Q: Do you do same day adoptions?
- No, ARNO does not do same day adoptions – no exceptions. All applicants are required to go through the Adoption Process outlined above.
Q: Can I apply to gift a pet to someone else?
- No, ARNO does not believe in gifting an animal as it is a serious commitment to make. The adopter must be the person who fills out the application.
Q: What if I have not heard back from ARNO after I have submitted an application?
- It will take a minimum of 24-48 hours for a processor to be in touch via phone, text or email. We respond to each and every application. If you have not heard from us, please feel free to email – [email protected] or [email protected]
- ARNO only processes fully completed applications. If you are missing information, we will be in touch to complete it.
Q: Do you adopt to homes with small children (under age 5)?
- Yes, ARNO does adopt to families with children under the age of 5. Our adoption counselors will work with these adopters to find the best match for their home and ask them to be patient as it may take some time.
Q: Do you adopt to homes with other animals?
- Yes, ARNO does adopt to homes with other animals. We are able to cat and dog test our dogs, but do not have access to other types of animals. Should you have a dog at home already, we will require a meet and greet to ensure that it is a good match. If you already have a cat at home, we will guide you through the process of adding another cat. Cats typically need a slow introduction to each other, so a brief meet and greet would not be beneficial for either animal.
Q: I am looking for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)/Service Animals – does ARNO have them?
- ARNO does adopt out dogs and cats to become Emotional Support Animals/Service Animals, however we do not offer training at our rescue. It is the responsibility of the adopter. We ask that you have already been approved by a licensed mental health professional prior to applying at ARNO in order to speed up the process.
Q: Why do I have to be 21 years old to apply?
- Yes, adopters must be 21 years old to adopt. For those under 21, they need to have a co-adopter (who is over 21 years of age) fill out the application and co-sign with them.
Q: Do you do out of state adoptions?
- Out of state adoptions are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that ARNO does not arrange transport and requires adopters to pick up the animals in person. Animals considered for out of state adoptions must be fully vetted.
Q: Do you hold dogs/cats until I am ready to adopt?
- No, ARNO does not hold dogs or cats until an adopter is ready to adopt. Most of our animals are highly adoptable and we want them to get to their forever homes as quickly as possible.
Q: Will you adopt out 2 puppies from the same litter to a family?
- If you want to adopt 2 puppies, ARNO will work with the adopters to ensure that it is a good fit and the family is equipped to handle any issues related to littermate syndrome.
Q: Do you have a “foster to adopt” option? How can I test out a new pet?
ARNO does not have the option of “foster to adopt”. We do however have “trial adoptions”. Because our foster and adoption applications are different, if you are intending to adopt, it is best to fill out the adoption application. A trial adoption will allow you some time to see if the dog or cat is right for you. The length of the trial is dependent on the animal and will be determined by the adoption counselor.