Steps to Adopting an Animal

EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 27: Expanded appointment options for in-person visits continues, and appointments to browse all available dogs, cats, or small animals prior to adoption! 

Now that vaccines are more widely available, we are pleased to begin offering increased in-person access to the Animal Shelter! We will not be open for unscheduled walk-in visits, though we are excited to begin offering more in-person visit appointments for potential adopters who wish to meet a specific pet, or who wish to browse available pets of some species. Please note that effective August 9, masks are required to be worn in all County facilities; visitors must wear a mask to enter.

Here's how the virtual adoption process works:

1. New pets will be made available for adoption between 10am-2pm each day, if there are any new pets to make available. All available pets can be viewed on our Petango page. 

2. Individuals who wish to adopt an available pet should email a completed adoption questionnaire to animalshelter@fairfaxcounty.gov to get in the virtual line for that pet. All who send in a questionnaire will receive a response from Shelter staff. (Please note that we can only accept questionnaires on pets who are officially available for adoption and on our Petango page; we are not able to hold questionnaires on pets still on their stray period or in advance of a pet becoming available for adoption.)

3. A completed adoption questionnaire is the most convenient way to express your interest in adopting; there is no need to follow up with a call, as our phone lines tend to be very busy! Once your email has been received, please be patient – we reply to all emails, whether your questionnaire is first in the ‘virtual queue’ for a pet or whether the pet has been adopted by someone else.

4. When a potential adopter’s questionnaire is first in the virtual queue, Shelter staff will reach out via email and phone call to share all the information about the pet, answer questions, provide adoption counseling, and if the pet is likely a good fit and you’re interested in proceeding, we’ll schedule an in-person visit!

How to Submit a Completed Adoption Questionnaire:

1. The adoption questionnaires are located: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/adopt/steps/forms
2. Make sure you save the completed version before emailing it to us!
3. Completed questionnaires should be emailed to: animalshelter@fairfaxcounty.gov
4. If these forms give you trouble, please email us and we will send it in a different format.