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ADOPTION INFORMATION
*Important information regarding Covid-19 and pet adoption

Due to the current public health concerns, our animals are only available for private meetings in Murphysboro, Illinois, once you have an approved application on file with us). We are providing individual meetings with one staff member and the pet you are interested in, and asking that adopters bring as few people to the meeting as possible, for the health and safety of our staff and your family. Face coverings are required at meetings, and we will maintain social distancing during the meeting.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all work together to stay safe and healthy while finding loving homes for the animals in our program.

 

What is the adoption process?

  • Apply
  • Get your application's status via email within 1 business day
  • Request a meeting with an available animal.

Once you have completed an online adoption application, you will be emailed with its status within 1 business day. Once you have received your approval, you are eligible to "reserve" (put a hold on) one specific available animal for the upcoming adoption event. Reservation appointments can be requested by email. You will have the opportunity to meet the pet that you have reserved at the event, and if it is the right pet for you, you WILL be able to take them home with you THAT DAY!
You are also welcome to attend any of our events without a reservation for a specific pet, just to come and meet with available animals (pets that are not reserved for other adopters). We keep our website up to date with available animals and event attendance (reserved pets are removed immediately upon reservation).

Meetings between events: We are able to offer a meeting with an available animal in Murphysboro, IL, on weekdays before a scheduled event. We do not currently have a public shelter, so we offer meetings at Rural King. Because we are such a small shelter and we focus mainly on Moms with babies and young puppies, it would be detrimental to the health and safety of the animals in our program to have lots of others walking through and touching the young babies (diseases/bacteria/viruses can be easily brought in on shoes and clothing, especially if you have been to places with lots of other animals such as a dog park or other shelter, and then passed on to very young puppies that have not completed their vaccinations yet). Our 3 staff members and handful of volunteers are highly trained in animal health care in order to provide the very best to the animals in our program so they can make healthy and happy additions to families that love them.

As a NO-KILL, privately funded organization, we stretch our funding to its limit. After an animal is adopted, the adoption donation goes to cover all of the care that the pet has received, and allow us to accept other animals in need into our adoption program.

 

What does it take to get approved?

Ultimately, we are looking for these things in a potential new pet Family:

Financial capability of caring for a new pet.

Over its lifetime, a dog will cost anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000 to take care of, with the high-estimate yearly cost topping $2000 . The cost of a cat can also be quite high, ranging over its lifetime from $5,000 to $20,000.

Anyone adopting a dog or cat needs to be able to afford the cost of care for that animal. You'll have food, routine vet costs, unexpected vet costs, accessories, licensing fees, routine medications and much more that you'll have to pay for.

Basic Knowledge of Pet Care, or a Willingness to Learn.

Never owned a dog before? First kitty ever? That's okay! But, there are some things you need to know, and we'll help you. We try to frequently update our website with helpful hints and handy tips to help you care for your new pet. We just have to make sure that the animals coming through the M.A.R.S. adoption program get the best care they can. We know they'll be getting all the love they possibly can, and proper care is an extension of that love!

Adequate Housing.

This doesn't mean that you can't adopt if you don't live in the country! Dogs don't need "room to run", what they need is someone to take them running! However, if you live in an apartment, we'll need permission from your landlord. If you live in a condo, you have to be sure your association doesn't restrict your pets. If you own a house, you have to be sure your city ordinances don't restrict the number of pets you can have (this is sometimes based on square-footage, and if you can only have three dogs, we can't give you a fourth!).

TIME, TIME, TIME.

So many pets are given up because their guardians don't have time for them. A dog needs to be walked at least TWICE a day for an hour minimum! High energy dogs will need even longer, more vigorous walks. An
d that's just for exercise - you need to let a dog out to relieve himself every few hours.

Even if you have a big yard for your dog to play in, do you know what he will do? He will sit at the door, staring dolefully at you through the screen, or he will lie on the deck and sleep in the sun. Pack animals crave INTERACTION, and you need to be able to provide that. You need to get out there in the grass and fling that drool-soaked tennis ball!

Even cats need and crave attention, though they can be left alone for longer throughout the day. A single cat will get lonely and bored without regular interaction with her human companions. She needs toys, and she needs you to play with them WITH her!

Be honest with yourself as you make your adoption decision - do you have the time, money, and knowledge to really take care of the pet you want?

Go to the library and get a couple of dog-training books or a "Why does my Cat do that?" style book. Buy some magazines at the pet supply store. Read up and prepare. Make sure pet guardianship is a "head" decision as well as a "heart" decision. You won't regret it, and your pet will thank you for it!