How to Adopt from Best Friends Animal Society

Cat |

Dog |

Horse |

Parrot |

Pig |

Rabbit |

Wild Friends

How to Adopt a Cat

The first step is to complete our cat adoption application.

Which one do I choose?

You can find a terrific selection of cats waiting to meet someone just like you right here. If you find one you love, please put his or her name in your application.

Or, if you still aren't sure which cat is right for you, our adoption specialists love playing matchmaker! They’d be delighted to hear from you at catadoptions@bestfriends.org.

What happens after I apply?

After we look over your application, we will talk to you on the phone about the cat you'd like to adopt, and tell you more about any of his or her special needs. Then, we will do a home check. A home check is done by a Best Friends Animal Society member in your area; it helps ensure that the cat you’re selecting is the right fit for you.

The fun part: How do I get my new cat?

Although we are located in southern Utah, people from all over the country adopt our cats. We encourage adopters to come to Kanab to meet the cats, especially if their new cat has special needs, but it is not always necessary.

Best Friends can assist in arranging transportation. The average cost of flying a cat to his or her new home is $150 to $200; there is also a crate fee of $25. We do ask for a $65 adoption donation as well, since all of our cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. We also test for FIV and feline leukemia.

How to Adopt a Dog

The first step is to fill out an online adoption application.

Which one do I choose?

You can find a terrific selection of dogs waiting to meet someone just like you right here. If you find one you love, please put his or her name in your application.

Or, if you still aren't sure which dog is right for you, our adoption specialists love playing matchmaker! They’d be delighted to hear from you at dogadoptions@bestfriends.org.

What happens after I apply?

After we look over your application, we will talk to you on the phone about the dog you'd like to adopt, and tell you more about any of his or her special needs. Then, we will do a home check. A home check is done by a Best Friends Animal Society member in your area; it helps ensure that the dog you’re selecting is the right fit for you.

The fun part: How do I get my new dog?

Although we are located in southern Utah, people from all over the country adopt our dogs. We encourage adopters to come to Kanab to meet the dogs, especially if their new dog has special needs, but it is not always necessary.

Best Friends can assist in arranging transportation. The average cost of flying a dog to his or her new home is $250 to $350; there is also a crate fee of $50. We do ask for a $100 adoption donation as well ($125 for puppies), since all of our dogs are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. We also test for heartworm, Lyme disease and ehrlichia.

How to Adopt a Horse

It all begins when you fill out your application. Once we receive it, you’ll get a phone call from our adoption coordinator. After she goes over your application with you and discusses the horses, we’ll set up a home visit.

The home visit is an opportunity to show off your place and all your four-legged friends. A Best Friends staff member or representative will come over at your convenience to see whether your setup meets the needs of the particular horse you’re interested in adopting. We also recommend that you come meet your new horse to make sure he or she is just the animal you want.

Finally, it’s time to sign the adoption contract. We’ve made a lifetime commitment to every animal who comes to the sanctuary, so when you sign the contract, you agree to return the horse to Best Friends if, for any reason, you can no longer take care of him or her. Of course, we hope this won’t happen! But if it does, we want to ensure that the horse comes back to safety here at the sanctuary. Remember, though, that an adoption is an adoption for life. And by signing our contract, you’re also agreeing to do everything in your power to keep and take care of your new horse even after he or she is older and/or no longer ride-able.

What is the adoption fee?

All of the Best Friends horses have been vaccinated and wormed, and have had all of their needed dental and medical care. We ask for a $500 adoption donation to help recoup some of our costs.

The fun part: How do I get my new horse?

Once the adoption process is over, it’s time for the fun part – bringing home your new family member! The easiest way to do this is to come pick him or her up at the sanctuary. But if that’s not possible, we can give your new horse a ride, for a per-mile charge. Or, we can recommend reliable companies that will do it for reasonable rates.

Other options?

Please take a look at some of the horses waiting here at Best Friends to meet you! If you don’t find the right one, or if you’d rather adopt closer to home, we can refer you to horse rescues in your area. Contact us at horses@bestfriends.org to learn more.

How to Adopt a Parrot

What does it mean to adopt a parrot?

Adopting a parrot is very different from adopting a cat or dog. Most of the parrots at Best Friends’ Parrot Garden arrived here from less-than-ideal circumstances. We work diligently to help them overcome any emotional and/or physical hurdles they may have from their previous experiences. Some birds were so bonded to their previous persons that it sometimes takes a while to help them get their "social wings" back and be ready for adoption. Some adjust easily to a new home and others require a patient, consistent, loving hand (that’s you!). Once this amazingly intelligent creature has adapted to his new home, you will become that parrot’s devoted caregiver for the rest of his life.

At Best Friends, we advocate for improving the well-being of all captive parrots and we also raise awareness about conservation for parrots who live in the wild. You are always welcome to join us in this most worthy cause.

How do I prepare for adoption?

Before you adopt a parrot, Best Friends requires you to have knowledge of basic parrot care, handling and behavior. We invite you to do your homework: There are magazines, websites and books available to learn about living with parrots. Check out Best Friends’ parrot care articles. Also, you should be aware that information on living with parrots is always evolving, so keeping up on the latest in parrot care is part of your commitment when sharing your life with one of these long-lived birds.

Are there any restrictions to adoption?

We do not permit breeding of our birds and will not adopt to anyone who intends to breed them.

What are the necessary qualities of a parrot adopter?

To find the best home for each bird, we screen our adopters fairly rigorously. These are some of the qualities we look for:

A loving, compassionate person who is devoted to working with a rescued parrot and understands the bird’s ongoing emotional and physical needs.
A person who is committed to giving quality time and attention to every bird and companion animal that he/she has.
Someone who is over 21 years old and has a stable home environment and employment situation.
A person who will treat the parrot as a family member.
Someone who understands that having a parrot is a long-term commitment (parrots live 20 to 80 years, depending on the species) and who commits to a contingency plan in the event that he/she can no longer care for the parrot.

What is the process for adopting a parrot?

Fill out and return the adoption application.
Arrange a time with a parrot staff member to give you a tour and discuss the individual parrots who might fit with your lifestyle. Please call ahead and make an appointment, so a staff member can set aside a block of time for you
You will be asked to spend three days as a volunteer so that the staff can help you learn about the routine and the quality of life that the parrot you are adopting is accustomed to
Spend time getting to know the parrot that you are considering adopting. Discuss the adoption fees for the parrot. You will also need to speak to other caregivers on the adoption committee.
When you return your application, you will receive a packet of information (or be directed to our website) that you will be expected to read and understand. You will complete a quiz based on the educational information that we provide.
A member of our staff will schedule a home visit. If you live outside the Kanab area, we will ask one of our Best Friends Network members who lives in your area to do the home visit.
The adoption committee will meet and discuss your application. If you are approved for the adoption, you will be asked to sign the adoption contract, pay the adoption fee and arrange to take the parrot home.
If you have other birds in your home, you must provide medical documentation that they have been tested for specific diseases and have received routine medical care from an avian veterinarian.

Are there any requirements after the adoption?

Parrot Garden staff will do follow-up, via telephone or e-mail, on the adoption after 24 hours, one month, three months, and yearly. You will be expected to check in according to this schedule.
Best Friends is the ultimate safe haven for every parrot adopted from the Parrot Garden, so you must make arrangements to have the parrot returned to Best Friends in the unfortunate event that the parrot outlives you.

How to Adopt a Pig

Thank you for your interest in adopting a potbellied pig from Best Friends! Our adoption coordinator is here to help make sure a potbellied pig is the right pet for you.

How do I get started?

First, complete an adoption application, and we will send you some information about what it’s like to live with a potbellied pig, and how to keep your new friend healthy and happy. Next, our adoption coordinator will contact you to set up a home visit. The home visit will be done by either a Best Friends staff member or one of our representatives, and helps ensure that your home and/or yard are set up just right for a pig or two.

We always encourage you to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to meet the pig (or pigs) you are thinking about adopting. It gives you a chance to interact with them and make sure that they are a good fit for you and your family. But it isn’t always required.

How do I make it official?

Once the home visit has been done and you know which pig or pigs you’d like to adopt, it’s time to sign the adoption contract.

By signing this contract, you agree to provide good care to your new oinky family member for the remainder of his or her life. You also agree to return the pig to Best Friends if, for any reason, you are unable to take care of your pig.

All Best Friends pigs arrive spayed or neutered, to make them healthy and happy and to prevent more pigs from ending up unwanted. Pigs are vaccinated, have trimmed hooves and have had dental check-ups. For this reason, we ask for a $100 adoption donation.

The fun part: How do I get my new pig?

Congratulations! You have a darling new pig. Now, how do you get him or her home?

The easiest way is for you to come and pick him or her up. However, if you live near Best Friends, we may be able to offer a ride.

Pigs don’t enjoy traveling very long distances, so if you live too terribly far away, you may even want to consider adopting a pig closer to home. We can offer you a referral!

How to Adopt a Rabbit

Thanks for your interest in adopting a rabbit from Best Friends. We want this to be a great and lasting experience for both you and the rabbits. To be sure adopting a rabbit is right for you, we strongly suggest that you read our rabbit care articles and/or read a rabbit care book, such as House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman..

I have done my "homework" and I want to proceed with adopting a rabbit. What is the next step?

You will need to fill out an adoption application and submit it electronically. We ask that one of your references be from your veterinarian or animal care provider.

What happens after I apply?

We will look carefully at your application and call your references. You will then receive a phone call from us so that we can talk about the adoption and answer any questions you might have. After this, we will do a home check. The home visit is done by a Best Friends Animal Society member in your area. The purpose of the home check is to ensure that you and the rabbit will be comfortable and happy living in your home together.

Which rabbits do I choose?

We have many deserving and adorable rabbits, each with his/her own unique personality. Some of our rabbits can be seen on our Adorable Adoptables page. We will also be happy to talk with you by phone or e-mail to help match you with the right rabbits. Please note that most of our rabbits have a rabbit friend they are bonded to. We do not break up these bonded pairs; they must be adopted together.

How do I get my new rabbit/s?

We encourage adopters to come to Best Friends to meet their new rabbits and take them to their new homes. It can be very stressful for rabbits to fly in the cargo area on an airplane, so we prefer that adopters fly with their rabbits in the cabin. Please check with your airline of choice regarding transport of rabbits. Best Friends can help in arranging transportation and we have some limited ground transport, but the transport costs are the responsibility of the adopter. The adoption fee for a pair of rabbits is $60; it’s $35 for a single rabbit. All rabbits are spayed or neutered.

How to Adopt from Wild Friends

It’s called Wild Friends, but there are all kinds of domestic animals up for adoption here, too. If you see a duck or other domestic animal living at Wild Friends on our website, and you’d like to know more about bringing him or her home, please contact us. Our email is wild@bestfriends.org and we are always excited to talk about our adoptable animals!

If you are interested in adopting from Wild Friends, please complete an application and submit it to: wild@bestfriends.org