Adoption Process

Beginning in March of 2020, due to recommendations by metro government and CDC, Nashville Humane closed our doors for public operations. We reopened our facility by APPOINTMENT ONLY in June, and are excited to be still finding forever homes for our awesome shelter pets.

Here’s how it works:

To see the available pets for adoption, visit our ADOPT A DOG and ADOPT A CAT pages.

If you click on each pet’s page you can learn more about the individual pet. There are two options, based on whether the pet is currently in the shelter or in a foster home:

1. If the pet is currently IN SHELTER, then you’ll want to schedule a time to visit the shelter through our BOOKING APP.
2. If the pet is currently IN A FOSTER HOME, then you’ll need to email nashvillehumaneassociation213@gmail.com with the SUBJ “Interested in Meeting _____” and the Pet Services team will provide you more information about a virtual meet and greet.

If you’d just like to come visit the shelter, you can schedule an appointment through our BOOKING APP. Because of COVID19 we have established health and safety rules for visiting the shelter. You can find those on our booking page here: nashvillehumane.org/booking

Adoption FAQ

How can I view the adoptable pets?

Great! You can go here to view the animals that are currently available for adoption: nashvillehumane.org/adoption

Can I visit the shelter and meet the pets?

Yes. We are open by APPOINTMENT ONLY. You can schedule an appointment here: nashvillehumane.org/adoption

Is there anything I can do to change the process or skip ahead in line like call the shelter, or send a DM on Facebook?

No. We’re doing our best to serve a high volume of interest, and we appreciate your patience. Thank you!

I am searching for a specific ‘breed’ of pet. Do you have it?

Maybe? Your best bet is to watch our ADOPTION PAGE on our website, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can see our lineup of adoptable cuties there, but remember, to adopt you need to follow our adoption process. The most common way to adopt is by visiting the shelter. To visit the shelter you need to schedule and appointment through our BOOKING PAGE.

Lastly, due to the volume of inquiries and animals we care for at any given time, we do not have a “contact me list.”

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The adoption process at NHA is friendly, educational and rewarding!  Animals come to us looking for a forever home, and we make certain to give them their best shot.  All animals in our Adoption Program, while at NHA, receive spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, and veterinary treatment.  And of course, lots of love!

Now, it’s your turn to love them forever.  Noticing that we use the word “forever” a lot?  Well, it is really important to us that our pets find a permanent home!  Therefore, adoption applicants are carefully screened and must meet adoption requirements prior to taking your new furry friend home.

Now here comes the hard part – visit with our wonderful cats and dogs and try to pick just one!  NHA Pet Service Representatives are available to provide advice on selecting the best match for you and will schedule a Meet & Greet between family members (including those with four-legs) and your prospective pet to help you determine which animal will best accept your lifestyle.

At your convenience, you can fill out an Adoption Application. After the staff reviews and approves your application, then it’s on to signing the adoption contract, paying the fee, and taking your new lucky cat or dog home!  If you’d rather fill out your application during your visit to the shelter, you will have time to do that as well.

Adoption Fees

More than 4,000 animals come through Nashville Humane Association’s doors every year. Each has a different story to tell. Some are found as strays, while others are surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. Hundreds are rescued from animal cruelty cases, and even more have traveled hundreds of miles from under-resourced shelters for a second chance.

But no matter how they got here or where they came from, they’re provided with basic needs, individualized medical treatment, behavioral rehabilitation when necessary, protection, and most importantly love.

How are Adoption Fees Set?

We use a variable fee schedule to assign adoption fees. This fee schedule takes into account the animal’s age, breed, and size.

Some types of dogs and cats are less common and have a higher demand, so their fee might be higher. Other types of dogs and cats are more common, are older, or have special needs. A variable fee structure that assigns higher fees to certain high-demand animals ensures we have the funds to provide for other animals that have special needs and/or a more difficult time finding a new home.

Adoption Fees at Nashville Humane Association generally range from $85-$225 for dogs and puppies, and generally from $45-$175 for cats and kittens.

Scalable Pricing

There are, however, some special exceptions that are made from time to time regarding our general pricing structure detailed above. NHA will use a scalable pricing structure for these “outlyer” situations. As an example, some special needs or longer stay animals have reduced adoption fees. Because cost of stay and care can be expensive at the shelter, we want to encourage an expedited adoption for some pets. There are also pets that have had their adoption fee “sponsored” by a generous donor, so their adoption fee is basically “free” to the public.  Then there are also certain high-demand animals that have much higher adoption fees, this is a rare occurrence but it does happen from time to time. Because we anticipate that these “special” cases will be high-demand adoption animals, the adorable yorkie puppy who will be adopted in 5 minutes gets to help save the senior pibble who has been at the shelter for months. We use these higher fees to off-set the costs of care for all the animals at the shelter. Remember, NHA is an entirely gift-based not-for-profit we like to be creative from time-to-time when it comes to how we raise funds, and a scalable adoption fee is just one of those methods. Ultimately, these are all exceptions to the rule. For 99.9% of our animals at the shelter, Adoption Fees at Nashville Humane Association generally range from $90-$230 for dogs and puppies, and generally from $50-$180 for cats and kittens.