For over 25 years, Scituate Animal Shelter has been helping thousands of companion animals in Massachusetts. Their mission is to find homes for the hundreds of lost, abandoned, and stray animals that find their way to the shelter every year. They're continually working with and supporting the community they serve by providing education and humane animal care.
Scituate Animal Shelter also provides creative solutions to the over-population problem:
Thanks to the generosity of their kind donors, Scituate Animal Shelter continues to be able to find forever homes for almost every animal admitted. Euthanasia will never be used on a healthy animal to create more space. Instead, Scituate Animal Shelter strives to address issues within the community to deal with the root causes of pet homelessness.
The shelter pledges to be a life-long source of advice, information, and support to those who make the great decision to adopt. Every animal is given the best chance they can to stay in a new forever home and be showered with the love they deserve.
The adoption process can begin before you even visit the shelter by perusing the list of animals available for adoption on their website.
It's also recommended that you bring your current dog(s) to the shelter to meet their new buddy if you're considering adopting another dog.
A 7-day trial adoption period is also offered to ensure compatibility.
Adoption fees at Scituate Animal Shelter are as follows:
*$100 training deposit may be required for some dogs and will be reimbursed upon proof of completion of a positive-reinforcement training class
Your adoption fee for dogs and cats covers spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, and any other necessary veterinary care.
Fees are frequently reduced or waived completely for senior pets and for those with health conditions.
Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!
In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.
Because shelter dogs are full of love!
Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?
I can't say for certain, but yes.
Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:
Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:
These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.
You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.
Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.
If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!
If you're looking to adopt a new dog, our Dog Adoption Guide is a must-read. It has everything you need to know about bringing a shelter dog home:
And we're adding new guides all the time.
