How to Adopt a Dog or Cat

We know it's tempting—you probably want those snuggles right away!

If you're visiting one of our adoption events, you're welcome to say hello to dogs that are out walking with our volunteers and ask general questions about Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue.

However, if you're interested in meeting a specific dog or cat—whether you found them on our website or at an adoption event—you'll first need to submit an adoption application. Our adoption team will review your application, and if you successfully complete the adoption interview, we'll arrange a meet-and-greet with the animal you're interested in.

• Dogs: You'll meet the dog in one of our supervised visiting areas.
• Cats: You'll meet the cat at the adoption center or, if they're in foster care, by appointment with the foster family.

Please note that young puppies that haven't received all of their required vaccinations are not brought out to walk around adoption events. They remain in a protected area until they're ready for approved adopters to meet them.

This process helps protect our animals, minimizes unnecessary stress, and ensures they spend their time meeting qualified adopters who are ready to provide them with loving, permanent homes.

Adoption fees are non-refundable once an adoption has been finalized.

Your adoption fee helps cover the cost of veterinary care, food, transportation, and other expenses incurred while caring for rescue animals. It also allows us to continue rescuing and caring for more cats in need.

Please see our Illness Policy for information about the limited circumstances in which assistance or reimbursement may be available.

Our adoption fees are set to help cover the cost of veterinary care and other expenses associated with rescuing and caring for our animals, so we don't negotiate adoption fees for individual cats or dogs.

We offer a 10% discount to any adopter over 75 years of age and to active military personnel with proof of current service.

From time to time, Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue may offer special adoption promotions or reduced fees during approved events or for specific programs. Any promotions will be announced on our website and social media channels.

Yes. Spaying or neutering is included as part of the care we provide before our animals are adopted.

You'll receive your pet's medical records at adoption, along with any information about their veterinary care.

Yes. All of our dogs and cats receive age-appropriate vaccinations before they're adopted, following current veterinary recommendations.

Because vaccination schedules depend on an animal's age, your new pet may need additional booster vaccines after adoption. We'll provide their medical records, and we recommend scheduling a visit with your veterinarian to continue any remaining vaccinations and routine preventive care.

Yes. Every dog and cat adopted from Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue is microchipped before going to their new home.

A microchip is a permanent form of identification that can help reunite you with your pet if they ever become lost. After adoption, be sure to register the microchip and keep your contact information up to date so it can do its job if it's ever needed.

Yes. You'll receive all available medical records at the time of adoption.

Your pet's records include information about the veterinary care they received while in our care, such as vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, microchipping, and other treatments.

We encourage you to create a Wagtopia account, where your pet's medical records are stored electronically. From there, you can download or print copies of the records whenever you need them and share them directly with your veterinarian.

Because our team isn't always available to respond to requests from veterinary clinics, it's important for adopters to maintain access to their pet's records through Wagtopia.

If your newly adopted dog or cat becomes ill, please contact Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue as soon as possible.

Prompt communication allows us to provide guidance and determine whether your pet's condition may qualify under our 10-day illness policy. Be sure to review your adoption contract for the policy's reporting requirements and covered conditions.

Even if your pet's illness isn't covered by the policy, we're happy to answer questions and help point you toward the appropriate resources whenever we can.

Absolutely! Renters are welcome to adopt from Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue.

Before your adoption can be finalized, you'll need to make sure your lease or rental agreement allows dogs and that you comply with any pet policies established by your landlord or property management company. This may include breed restrictions, weight or size limits, limits on the number of pets, pet deposits, or monthly pet fees.

If your housing has breed or size restrictions, please discuss them with our staff. We'll do our best to help you find a dog that's a good fit for your home, but we can't guarantee how a landlord, homeowners association, or insurance company will classify a mixed-breed dog.

We strongly encourage you to confirm your housing's pet policy before submitting your adoption application. If your landlord or property manager later determines that you're not allowed to keep the dog, you'll be required to return the dog to Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue. Because adoption fees help cover the cost of veterinary care and rescue efforts, they are non-refundable.

Yes, in some cases. We do consider out-of-state adoption applications on a case-by-case basis, provided they meet Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue's adoption requirements.

Out-of-state adopters must travel to Colorado in person to complete the adoption and attend one of our adoption events. We do not ship or transport adopted animals, and exceptions are not made to this policy.

Once the adoption is finalized, the adopter is responsible for arranging and paying for their pet's transportation home.

If you live outside Colorado and are interested in adopting, we encourage you to contact us before submitting your application. We'll be happy to discuss whether an out-of-state adoption is a good fit for your situation.

Sometimes—but often we don't.

Many of our dogs and cats arrive with little or no background information.

If we know an animal's approximate birthday, previous history, or family information, we'll gladly share it. Otherwise, age and breed are estimated by our veterinary team and experienced rescue staff.

Bringing home a new pet is a big adjustment—for both your family and your new pet.

Many challenges during the first few weeks are completely normal, and we're happy to recommend trainers, behavior resources, and other support to help everyone settle in successfully.

If returning your pet truly becomes necessary, please contact us before making other arrangements.

Because we're a foster-based rescue rather than a shelter, we can't accept walk-in returns. We'll need to arrange an approved foster home, which may take time depending on foster availability.

Adoption fees are non-refundable.

We're sorry, but we aren't able to accept owner surrenders or rehome pets from the public.

Our rescue is dedicated to saving dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters where they're at immediate risk.

If you're trying to rehome your pet, we recommend contacting your veterinarian or another rescue organization that specializes in owner surrenders. They may be able to suggest resources that better fit your situation.

We understand this can be disappointing. Our adoption decisions are made with one goal in mind: finding the best possible match for both the dog/cat and the adopter.

If your application isn't approved for a particular pet, it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to adopt from Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue. Sometimes an animal's personality, energy level, training needs, or other requirements simply aren't the best fit for a particular household.

If appropriate, our adoption team will explain the reason for the decision and may recommend another dog or cat that's better suited to your home and lifestyle. You're always welcome to contact us if you have questions or are interested in another dog or cat.

Our goal isn't simply to approve adoptions—it's to create successful, lifelong matches that help both pets and families thrive.

There are lots of ways to make a difference!

If you're not ready to adopt, consider:

• Becoming a foster family
• Volunteering at our adoption events
• Donating supplies or funds
• Sharing adoptable animals on social media

Every volunteer, foster, donor, and adopter helps save more lives.