Here is how our process works:

We are not a shelter.  We do not have a facility you can visit. We are a foster care network and animals and prospective adopters meet by appointment after an adoption application has been reviewed and approved. Therefore, the first step in the process is to fill out an application for the animal you are interested in.

Do not call us on the phone, we do not conduct any business on the phone, nor do we have any additional information to provide above and beyond that which is contained in the pet's online biography. Applicants will be contacted within two to three days of application approval and are expected to meet the pet within two days of being contacted.

All members of the household, including any dogs, must come and meet the animal to be adopted and you are expected to adopt the animal if all goes well. We do not meet adopters for a second time due to time constraints of our all volunteer foster parents. Therefore, please do not apply for this animal if you are going on vacation or a business trip, if your entire family will not be available to meet the pet within a few days, or if you are otherwise unable to adopt an animal within the four days after you submit your application.

We adopt an average of 10 animals per week and we never, ever "hold" animals. Therefore, you and your entire household must be able to adjust your schedule to meet at Dogs and Cats Rule (pet food store) in Pennington NJ within a few days of your application.

Or, we can meet you during daytime or evening hours. We do not hold animals until the weekend. If you file your application on Monday, please be ready to meet the pet Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. If you are unable to come meet the pet, we move immediately on to the next applicant.

Please be ready to come meet the pet you are interested in, or do not apply for them.

If all goes well at the meeting with you and the pet you wish to adopt, you will be expected to take it home that same day. We cannot meet adopters multiple times due to the time constraints of running an all-volunteer organization with no free-standing shelter facility and a high weekly placement rate of animals. Therefore, please do not apply for any pet if you:

• are going on vacation in the short term;
• if your house isn't ready for a new pet;
• if your kids/spouse/roommate will not be available to meet the pet,
• or if you live too far to realistically be available to meet the pet within a few days of filing your application.

In order for your application to be speedily processed, all information, especially the phone number for your veterinary and/or personal reference, must be included. Incomplete applications will be discarded.

Animal Alliance prides itself on facilitating a good match between our foster pets and prospective adopters. We consider the personality traits, habits, and needs of the animal and carefully evaluate how it might fit into the lifestyle of the prospective adopter.

Animal Alliance requires that all family members meet any dog being considered for adoption by the family. If there are any dogs or cats already in your household , they must also meet the dog to be adopted.

As a general rule, there are no same-day adoptions. No one applying at our Adoption Days will be approved to adopt on-the-spot unless we are able to check both your veterinary and personal references, Although this situation is unlikely, it can happen depending on the level of activity at an Adoption Day.

The average wait time is two days. This is an average, not an absolute. It gives us time to check your references and also allows you time to think about the life-altering decision of adopting a pet.

Please Take a Moment to Read Our Adoption Policy

Now that you have read about the adoption process, the next step is to take a few moments and go over our adoption policy.  Virtually any questions you might have will be answered.  Please be sure you have read and understand our adoption policy prior to applying to adopt a pet.