FAQs

How do I adopt an animal?: After you have found an animal you’re interested in, either by visiting the shelter or through the website, you should then come into the shelter and meet them. You can bring family members at that time or they can come back at a later date to meet the animal. When you come to the shelter, one of our animal attendants will take the animal out for you. After spending time with and deciding you like the animal, you would go to the office and fill out an application.

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Animal Shelter Adoption Information

1. Can the shelter have animals available for adoption at Farm Fairs, Pet Expos and other events?: At the Farm Fair(s), Burlington County Animal Shelter (BCAS) has tables staffed each day, and we showcase dogs and cats except in cases of inclement weather. Many staff members participate (2 at a time) and these events are successful by spreading public awareness of BCAS. We do not adopt out animals directly from an event, but take applications that can be screened by our Adoption Advocates the next day.

2. Can the shelter promote its adoption services more?: We are always working to promote our adoption services and we are interested in doing more at pet stores and high traffic areas in this regard. We are open to new ideas, please contact us with new ways to find our furry friends new homes!

3. How do I adopt an animal?: After you have found an animal you’re interested in, either by visiting the shelter or through the website, you should then come into the shelter and meet them. You can bring family members at that time or they can come back at a later date to meet the animal. When you come to the shelter, one of our animal attendants will take the animal out for you. After spending time with and deciding you like the animal, you would go to the office and fill out an application.

4. How long does it take to adopt an animal?: This varies and depends on if the animals came in as a stray or surrender and if it came in already spayed / neutered.

Strays have to be held 7 days by law, giving the owner time to find and reclaim their pet. During those 7 days we take applications on the animals and begin processing them by calling landlords and doing veterinarian checks. That way, after the required holding time is up the animal can go into our next available clinic to be spayed / neutered and adopted the following day. This could take 10 days or sometimes more depending on when the next clinic is scheduled.

If the animal is surrendered and is already spayed / neutered, it could be ready as soon as the following day. This is the case as long as our Adoption Advocates are able to make all the appropriate calls and the animal has been checked out by the Veterinarian Technician and given vaccinations.

5. What is being done to increase adoptions for cats and dogs?: BCAS works with 70+ rescue and foster groups. Several animals, both cats and dogs, are featured as pets of the week on the Burlington County Facebook page. We continue to promote already low adoption fees and will be offering discounted adoption fee promotions throughout the year. We continue to promote our shelter and work on a model of repeat customers, referrals, rescues and fostering. BCAS also has a cat or dog on display the last Friday of every month at the County Corner Store in the Moorestown Mall!

6. Why do you spay / neuter all the adopted animals?: With the expansion and modernization of our animal shelter, the county was committed to doing its part in the issue of pet overpopulation. With our spay / neuter program for adoptable pets, we are now part of the solution versus a contributor to the problem. Pet overpopulation is a problem that stems from the failure of owners to have their pets spayed or neutered

7. Why doesn't the shelter approve or disapprove of an applicant "one time" for current and future adoptions?: People’s situations change with regards to living arrangements, other animals that are in the house and most importantly it depends on the animal they are applying for.

8. Is there a 3 application policy and why does the shelter take 3 applications?: The shelter takes as many as 3 applications on an animal. For an animal to be adopted, it does not require 3 applications

9. What happens when my application is not picked?: We keep all applications attached to the animal’s paperwork that you applied for. If you are interested in another animal you can reapply or have the office staff copy your application and place it on your new choice.

10. Why not take the first qualified applicant as soon as possible?: We do if the animal is ready to go, as many often are. However, if an animal is still on required holding time or awaiting its turn in the spay / neuter clinic, we will take as many as 3 applications and place the animal with the BEST qualified applicant (the applicant that best meets the needs of that particular animal), which significantly lowers the return rate.