We require a waiting period to be determined before adoptions are finalized.
The required Pre-Adoption Information is reviewed and the prospective owners are given time to rethink their commitment, a commitment that may last 10 to 15 years.

Pennsylvania Law now requires all animals adopted from a Humane Society to be spayed or neutered before adoptions are complete. 
Each year over 12 million animals are euthanized in the United States, and another 10 million abandoned animals died from starvation, disease, and accidents. 

We require a verbal agreement from the landlord if the pet owner is a renter. 
One of our goals is to work closely with the community and ensure the pet is welcomed in the rental property. We are looking for permanent, established homes for our animals.

We require the pet to be an integral part of the family with the opportunity to live inside the home. 
We do not adopt our pets to outside only situations, isolated from family. This policy is designed so the pets adopted from the Society are welcomed and cared for additions to the home. Outside pets often become forgotten and neglected. Our staff spends many hours educating pet owners and offering training to make the transition from shelter pet to house pet.

You are adopting a life, not a gift. 
The potential owners must select their own pet; the pet that appeals to one might not appeal to another. It is a matter of chemistry like love at first sight.

We require potential owners to be physically and financially able to care for a pet. 
Pennsylvania law gives all animals the right to food, water, clean and sanitary living conditions, veterinary care, and adequate shelter. It is our responsibility to ensure that our pets are provided with these basic rights. Pets currently in the home must be spayed/neutered as not to add to pet overpopulation in our community or others.

We reserve the right to decide who adopts from the Paws Along the River Humane Society. 
The stray and unwanted pets we take in are the responsibility and property of Paws Along the River Humane Society. We take our job seriously. We choose homes based on the needs of each animal.

*Paws Along the River reserves the right to make home visitations by staff before an adoption.