Find Your New Best Friend
Ready to add a little more joy, companionship, and unconditional love to your life? Adopting a pet is a big decision, and one of the best ones you can make! Our adoptions team is here to help you find a companion who’s a great fit for your family, your lifestyle, and your home.
Every dog and cat in our care has their own personality, history, quirks, and needs. Our foster families get to know them in the real world, so we can help you look beyond a photo and find a match that has the potential to thrive with you.
The goal isn’t simply to get a pet adopted. It’s to create a lasting match and a family that works for everyone.
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Start Your Adoption Journey
Before you fall in love with a face on your screen, take a few minutes to think about what life with a new pet will look like.
Consider your:
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Daily schedule and activity level
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Home and living situation
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Other pets and family members
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Experience with dogs or cats
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Ability to provide ongoing veterinary care, food, training, and enrichment
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Plans for your pet when you travel or if your circumstances change
A little preparation now can make a big difference later.
Step 1: Tell Us About Yourself
The first step is our Adoption Interest Form. Think of it as the beginning of a conversation, not a test. The form helps us learn about your household, lifestyle, experience with pets, and what you’re hoping to find in your next companion. That information allows our adoption team to help connect you with animals who may be a great fit.
Before you apply, please make sure:
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Your current pets are up to date on vaccinations and monthly preventatives.
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If you rent, your landlord allows the type and number of pets you’re considering.
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Everyone in your household is ready to welcome a new family member.
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You’re prepared for the time, financial commitment, and responsibility that comes with caring for a pet.
Once your interest form is submitted, one of our volunteer adoption coordinators will review it and reach out to you. They’ll talk with you about what you’re looking for, answer questions, and help identify potential matches.
Most adoption counseling is completed within 1–2 days, depending on your availability.
Step 2: Get to Know Your Potential Match
Once you’re approved to adopt, the fun really begins!
We’ll connect you with the foster family caring for the dog or cat you’re interested in. Since our animals live in foster homes, their foster families get to know them as individual, and that means they can tell you things you won’t find in a pet profile.
They can share what they know about your potential new family member’s:
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Personality
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Energy level
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Training
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Favorite activities
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Relationships with people and other animals
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Daily routine
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Strengths, quirks, and areas where they may need continued support
Together, you and the foster family can decide whether it feels like the right match and arrange a meet-and-greet when appropriate.
Fosters Give You the Inside Scoop
Our dogs and cats live with foster families throughout Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, and southern Pennsylvania, and many also meet potential adopters at our adoption events.
Because our animals are adopted on a first-approved, first-available basis, we cannot place pets on hold before an application is approved. If the pet you were interested in finds their forever home while you’re completing the process, don't worry. There are always more wonderful animals waiting for their chance, and we will gladly help you find another match.
A Note About Breed Information
You may notice breed or breed-mix information on our dogs’ profiles. This information is our best estimate, based on information provided by shelter partners, veterinarians, and experienced volunteers based on visual identification.
OPH does not perform DNA testing on the dogs in our care, so we cannot guarantee breed or breed mix. More importantly, we encourage adopters to look beyond a breed label. Personality, behavior, energy level, history, and individual needs all play a much bigger role in finding the right match.
Adoption Fees
Your adoption fee helps offset a portion of the veterinary care and other expenses provided before your pet joins your family. At adoption, you’ll complete our Adoption Agreement, pay the applicable adoption fee, and receive your digital adoption pack with loads of important information including your new pet’s medical records.
Pet ............................... Adoption Fee*
Puppy .............................. $450
Adult Dog ..................... $375
Senior Dog ................... $275
Cat/Kitten ...................... $200
*These are our standard adoption fees. Some pets may have a different adoption fee because of special circumstances or additional care. Any variation will be clearly noted in the pet’s adoption profile. Your adoption fee is an investment in your new family member, and helps us continue saving the next one.
When Life Doesn't Go as Planned
We're Here for the Hard Stuff, Too.
Our hope is that every adoption lasts a lifetime. But we know life can change. Jobs change. Families grow. Housing situations shift. Pets develop new behaviors or medical needs. Sometimes, despite everyone's best efforts, keeping a pet is no longer possible.
If you’re struggling, please reach out before making a decision. Your first step should be our Rehoming a Pet page, where you’ll find resources, guidance, and options for addressing common challenges. Sometimes the right support can make it possible to keep your pet at home.
If, after exploring those options, you determine that you can no longer care for your adopted pet, please complete the appropriate Owner Surrender Form on our Rehoming a Pet page. This gives our team the information we need to understand your pet’s situation and begin planning for the next step.
One Important Thing to Know:
OPH is a foster-based rescue. We do not operate a shelter.
That means returning a pet to OPH depends on having an available foster home. Foster availability is determined by our incredible volunteer network, so we cannot guarantee immediate placement or placement in a particular location. We will always do our best to help you and your pet navigate the situation safely and responsibly.
