Everyone must fill out an adoption application. Please read it carefully. You must be at least 19 years old to adopt. If you rent or lease, please speak with your landlord before adopting and work out any requirements they set forth.   We reserve the right to refuse adoption to anyone if we feel potential adopter can’t meet the specific animal’s needs (examples include, but not limited to: Great Pyrenees in an apartment, a Chihuahua being in a house with young children knowing the dog is shy).

When visiting the shelter, please allow yourself plenty of time to meet the animals, complete the paperwork, and to ask questions. It can take 30-45 minutes to complete the process, longer if it is really busy, which happens often.  You can fill out an application online.  Simply click on the animal you are interested in and click on the "Apply" button.  This saves you time! 
 

The Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter Early Bird hold is a non-refundable $35 donation that gives you first right of adoption if a stray animal is not reclaimed. If you put an Early Bird Hold on a stray animal, you must complete the adoption process an hour before close on the day the animal becomes available for adoption or your hold will be forfeit. If an animal is reclaimed, the $35 donation will NOT be refunded nor will you be allowed to move that early bird hold to another animal. It does not go towards your adoption fee. An Early Bird Hold cannot be used in conjunction with a regular hold at the expiry time. The shelter reserves the right to decide whether an animal will be eligible for an Early Bird Hold or adoption. No single person is entitled to any animal in our facility. While we have an open and nonjudgmental adoption process, animal welfare and public safety will always be primary concerns in determining if animals are eligible for an Early Bird Hold or adoption. We reserve the right to remove any animal from an Early Bird Hold if it is determined that animal poses a threat to safety. That cannot always be determined upon intake. If this happens, we will refund the $35 donation.

We do allow "holds" to be placed on animals who are already available for adoption. A fee of $35 must be placed to hold an animal. This fee is non-refundable and does not go toward your adoption fee when you adopt.  We will only hold an animal for 24 hours.   If the animal is not adopted within the 24-hour window, the animal will go back up for adoption.  The $35, once forfeited due to lack of adoption, cannot be used toward another adoption or hold.  A hold does not guarantee adoption. The adoption will only be finalized when you fill out a completed adoption form that is approved by an adoption coordinator.  

All animals that come into the shelter are given basic vaccinations. This is to help prevent the spread of disease in the shelter. Before the animal is adopted out, it will also be microchipped using a microchip from Michelson Found Animals Foundation. The only animals we do not microchip are animals that fall in the other category (rabbit, guinea pigs, and etc…). If you are interested in adopting, you can click one of the button link above to view our animals available.  We have discounted adoption events each month.  Please view our Event Calendar to see upcoming adoption events.

If you can't adopt and wish to sponsor an animal to help get that animal adopted, please click the link below.