Adopt

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to standardize the canine adoption process to ensure fair and equal access to all York County SPCA dogs.

Scope

This policy applies to members of the public and volunteers. This policy applies to all dogs. It does not apply to cats, rabbits, or other adoptable species.

Policy Elements

To ensure a manageable and consistent adoption process, the following procedure will apply for all canine adoptions.

General Interest in Adoption

Every dog at the York County SPCA is a wonderful pet that deserves a loving, permanent home. If you have made the lifesaving decision to adopt a pet, please complete the York County SPCA’s adoption application. Once a member of our team approves your adoption application, please visit our website to view all dogs that are available for adoption. Visit www.ycspca.org/adopt for more information.

Dog Specific Adoption

In order to adopt a specific animal from the York County SPCA, you must first be approved for adoption. Once your adoption application has been approved, you can select from one of the dogs that are currently available for adoption, or keep checking our website and social media pages until you see an animal that tugs at your heart strings. An approved adoption application will be valid for one year and will need to be renewed every year if your desire to adopt continues.

Approved adopters can indicate their interest in adopting a specific dog through the following channels of communication:

• If you are completing an adoption application online, you can indicate your interest in a specific dog on your adoption application. We will prioritize already approved applicants first.
• Email is our preferred method of contact. Submit an email to the York County SPCA. Be sure to include the specific name of the dog. Visit www.ycspca.org/about/contact.html to send us an email.
• Call and leave us a message. Our phone number is (717) 764-6109. Be sure to include the name of the dog. Due to high call volumes and limited staffing capabilities, we are not always able to answer the phone. We strongly encourage you to send us an email, especially if the dog you are interested in is in high demand.
• Send us a message through Facebook. Be sure to include the name of the dog. Again, we strongly encourage you to send us an email, especially if the dog you are interested in is in high demand. Please note that Facebook comments or posts are not accepted.
• In person notification. Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions, the York County SPCA is open by appointment only. In-person notification is not allowed at this time. When we reopen to the public, you can visit the shelter and asked to be placed on a specific dog adoption waiting list.

Dog Adoption Waiting List

Although every dog at the York County SPCA is amazing and deserves a loving permanent home, “highly adoptable” dogs often get multiple adoption inquiries. Highly adoptable dogs are typically younger, non-bully breeds, and smaller dogs. Demand for highly adoptable dogs increases when there is a limited number of available dogs in the shelter. To ensure a manageable and consistent adoption process, the following procedure will apply for all canine adoption inquiries.

Once a York County SPCA employee updates the status of a dog as available for adoption, the status change will appear in real time on the York County SPCA’s website. Staff also place an available sign on the dog’s kennel. Overtime, the available dog will also get posted on Petfinder and on our social media channels. We encourage eager adopters to check our website and social media regularly because new animals are posted frequently.

Newly posted dogs will remain available for a minimum of 24-hours. The York County SPCA WILL NOT hold dogs for any member of the public. We operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

During the first 24 hours of a dog becoming available for adoption, the York County SPCA will manage a list of people who have expressed interest in adopting a particular dog. After the dog has been available for 24 hours, an employee will review and sort the Dog Adoption Waiting List based on the date and time of an applicant’s pre-approval. People with pre-approved adoption applications who express an interest in a particular dog using one of the channels of communication listed above will be organized on the list from earliest pre-approved adoption application to newest.

If the York County SPCA receives multiple requests for a specific dog, after the 24-hour window of availability has lapsed, we will update the status of the dog to Not Available and the dog’s bio will be removed from our website. The York County SPCA will retain that dog’s Adoption Waiting List until the animal’s adoption process has been completed.

If no match is made from the dog’s initial Adoption Waiting List, the dog will be made available again, reposted on our channels of communication, and the first-come, first-approved process will resume.