Adoption
How do I apply to adopt from Friends of Pets?
The fastest method is to complete our online adoption application, which usually takes 15-30 minutes to complete. If you prefer, you can download a hard copy of our adoption application, complete it and send it in by regular mail. Or call our Information center and leave a message, and within 48 hours a volunteer will return your call within 48 hours to take your application over the phone.
- Adopt Online – click here to start
- Apply by mail – download a hard copy of the application
- Apply by phone – call our Info Center at 562-2535 and press 7 to leave a message, including your name and phone number. A volunteer will return your call to complete your application.
How much does adoption cost?
Cats – $100 / Dogs – $200
The adoption fee for cats is $100. The adoption fee for dogs is $200. This fee helps to subsidize a portion of the medical intervention and other care we invest to prepare animals for adoption. All pets are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and are microchipped for permanent identification. FOP pets have also received any needed medical treatment, with those costs (usually $400 – $800 minimum) paid by the generosity of our donors.
How will I know the status of my application?
When you apply online, you will see a confirmation response that your application has been received. We ask that you not also call or email only to confirm this.
Please be patient in awaiting a response, and allow at least 7 days for your application to be reviewed. The rescue and adoption process is handled entirely by volunteers with jobs, families, and pets of their own. A popular pet may get dozens of applications. We do much of our volunteer placement work in the evenings and on weekends.
Where possible, we make extensive use of email since it allows volunteers to respond to you at late hours. PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FILTERS OR JUNK MAIL FOLDERS!
What if I need to change information on my application?
If you have new information to add to your application, or a change in your contact info, we would appreciate a follow-up call or email. We cannot reach you without complete and correct information.
If you see another pet that interests you and your application info is still current, you don’t need to complete another one – just call or email us to let us know.
How can I tell the status of the pet I'm interested in?
Each pet’s status is labeled next to its photo. If the pet you are interested in shows as in trial adoption or already adopted, you will know that another family has been matched with that pet. In some cases you may see the animal return to the available list, if the trial adoption did not result in adoption.
If my application is a good match, what happens next?
If the pet is still available, we may contact you to meet the pet. After a successful meeting, we may discuss a home visit and potential trial adoption placement.
We may ask you to consider another pet instead, either because we have several good homes for the original pet, or because we believe another pet is better suited to your family.
You may be a successful applicant, but decide that the pet is not right for you. Withdrawing your application on this basis, or returning the pet during the trial adoption period, does not impact your ability to adopt at a later time. We appreciate your thoughtful consideration.
If my application is not a good match, what will happen?
If your application does not match specific criteria for the pet (such as the need for a fenced yard, the need for no other pets in the home, or other needs) that are in the pet’s adoption listing, we will not contact you for placement on this pet. We will keep your application in mind for other possible matches.
We may decide more applications before placing a pet for adoption. Some pets’ special needs require that we look further for the right match.
We may decline your application. This will be due to your pet history or your current circumstances for keeping a pet. While saying ‘no’ is difficult, sometimes it is in everyone’s best interest. You may wish to reapply if your circumstances change.
Can I adopt a pet as a surprise for a friend or family member?
No – we work directly with adopters to choose the right lifetime match. For gift-giving fun, we suggest a “shower gift” of pet supplies, toys, collar and leash, with an offer to pay for an FOP rescue or shelter adoption!
Adopting from Anchorage Animal Care & Control:
Consider adopting from the Anchorage Animal Care & Control Center, or the animal shelter in your area. Shelter adoption saves lives, and we believe these pets are truly grateful for your kindness. No matter where you adopt, Friends of Pets can offer you behavior information to help your new pet’s adjustment into your family. To Anchorage residents, we also offer assistance toward the cost of spay/neuter.
Anchorage Animal Care & Control Center
4711 Elmore Road, Anchorage
Monday thru Friday 12pm – 7pm
Saturday / Sunday 10am – 5pm
(907) 343-8118
Lost and Found, Available Animals, and more!
Help with Common Pet Problems
I have lost a pet.
Remember these ABC’s: Act quickly, Be organized, Contact as many people as possible, and Don’t give up! Download our LOST! brochure for a list of suggestions.
The Anchorage Daily News offers lost/found pet ads FREE OF CHARGE – place your ad online here, or call 257-4444.
Craigslist postings are also free, as are NextDoor posts to alert your neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Post flyers in the area where the pet was found, at vet clinics, pet supply stores and any other community bulletin boards. Make sure your own veterinarian knows your pet is lost, in case your pet’s ID information leads to your vet’s clinic.
Visit Anchorage Animal Care & Control at 4711 Elmore Road, Anchorage, to see whether anyone has reported finding a pet which matches this description. Use this link to review lost and found animals locally. Bring a clear photo of your pet. Visit in person, do NOT call – only you can be certain whether an individual pet is yours. Visit every day! Check the main kennel areas, the found pets book, the DOA book, and lists of animals who may be in a restricted area of the facility due to an injury or other circumstance.
Understanding animal behavior can help your search be more effective and successful. The Missing Pet Partnership offers the following resources to help:
Lost Cat Behavior and Recovery Tips
Lost Dog Behavior and Recovery Tips
I have found a stray pet.
If you are able to keep the pet with you safely while you are searching, make it easier for the owner to find you! Here are some suggestions:
The Anchorage Daily News offers lost/found pet ads FREE OF CHARGE – place your ad online here, or call 257-4444.
Craigslist postings are also free, as are NextDoor posts to alert your neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Post flyers in the area where the pet was found, at vet clinics, pet supply stores and any other community bulletin boards.
Contact Anchorage Animal Care & Control at 343-8122 to see whether anyone has reporting losing a pet which matches this description. Use this link to review lost and found animals locally.
If you cannot keep the pet at your home while searching for its owner, please take the animal to Anchorage Animal Care & Control at 4711 Elmore Road, Anchorage. This is the most likely place for the owner to check on its whereabouts. If you are interested in knowing whether the pet is claimed or adopted, ask Customer Service for the animal’s ID number. You can call or go online to check on its status as often as you like. AACCC can also send an officer to your home to get the animal if you cannot transport it yourself – call 343-8119 for assistance.
I need financial help to get my pet spayed or neutered.
FOP’s Spay/Neuter Assistance Program helps residents of the Municipality of Anchorage with the cost of having a pet spayed or neutered. Go to the Spay/Neuter section of this page for more information on how to submit your request.
I need financial help with veterinary costs.
Click the link to download a PDF copy of our Pet Owners Financial Assistance Guide – a list of resources in Alaska and elsewhere that may be able to help.
I need help getting food for my pet.
Friends of Pets sometimes has donated pet food available to share. We can also help point you to other resources. Call our main number at 562-2535 and leave a message (option #7).
I need help coping with grief after the death of my pet.
Friends of Pets offers a free grief information packet that can help address the common feelings associated with the death of a loved pet. Send an email request to Peg, or call her at 907-689-7787 to request a grief packet. Be sure to give your name (with proper spelling) and complete mailing address. Your packet will arrive in 7-14 days.
I am concerned about the welfare and treatment of a pet in my neighborhood.
If you are worried that a pet you know is being mistreated or neglected, it is vital that you take action – the animal cannot seek help on its own. Sometimes issues of neglect arise because a pet owner simply doesn’t know better, or is facing difficulties that impact human welfare too. If you can approach the owner kindly, you may be able to have a positive influence in the pet’s life. If you are concerned that the situation is too drastic or that an owner is purposely abusive, you can report the situation to Anchorage Animal Care & Control. Call 343-8118 and choose the option to “request a check of animal welfare.” You will be asked to provide some information, but you do not need to identify yourself if you prefer to remain anonymous. Please, do not leave an animal without hope of help because you are afraid to take action. Make the call today.
I need to find a rental that accepts pets.
Online resources for rental listings that accept pets include the Anchorage Daily News and other local newspapers, Craigslist, NextDoor, Facebook and more. An internet search is the easiest way to start. See the Renting with Pets section of this page for resources and suggestions, including a list of local apartment complexes which allow pets on approval. Remember, once you have found it, the best way to keep a pet-friendly rental is to be the kind of responsible renter and pet owner that landlords will appreciate.
I need help with pet behavior problems.
Pets are frequently surrendered to animal shelters due to behavior problems which could be solved. Call our main number at 562-2535 and leave a message in box #7 so a volunteer can call back to discuss your situation.
We’ve gathered a resource library on many topics that may help you keep your pet in your family by solving the real problem at hand. Our resource topics include:
Cats – Aggression to people – Aggression to other cats – Allergies in people – Babies & Children – Chewing – Counters, etc. – Fearfulness – Feral or orphaned cats – Household destruction – Hyperactivity – Indoors or Out? – Introducing cats – Litterbox blues and spraying – Moving and travel – Nocturnal behavior – Plants and yards – Scratching – Sharing the turf
Dogs – We recommend the resources on pet care and behavior information found at the following websites:
For a wide selection of books and resources, visit DogWise.
We can also provide referrals to local trainers and behavior consultants.
I need to rehome my pet.
If you need to rehome your pet, it’s important to understand that Friends of Pets is a group of volunteers who operate from their homes, and does not have a shelter facility to accept your pet. We are mandated to rescue at least 80% of our animals from Anchorage Animal Care & Control, so community rescues are rare except in critical circumstances like the owner’s death. We do have several suggestions for you as you seek to rehome your animal companion:
- Adopters generally are looking for healthy animals. Make sure your pet is spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations, and has any outstanding medical problems under treatment.
- Run an ad in the Anchorage Daily News (257-4444). We recommend that you ask a rehoming fee, to screen out people who may be irresponsible or unable to afford to keep a pet, and we also have a list of screening questions that can help identify a good home. Email us or call our main number (562-2535, message box #7) for this list.
- Place online ads on Craigslist, NextDoor, or other social media. Again, be thoughtful about the quality of responses you receive before you place your pet in someone else’s hands.
- Make notices with photos of your pet, and post them at veterinary clinics, grooming shops, pet supply stores. Let your vet’s office know you are seeking to rehome your pet.
- If you are thinking of rehoming your pet because of a behavior problem, please call us for possible solutions that may keep you from parting with your pet. Email us or call our main number (562-2535, message box #7) for information resources to address pet behavior problems.
- If you are thinking of leaving your pet behind when you move, we can also give you helpful tips and strategies that may allow you to relocate with your pet instead. Email us or call our main number (562-2535, message box #7) for information on moving and travel with pets.
If none of these options work, and you decide to take your pet to Anchorage Animal Care & Control, you can email us or call us (562-2535, message box #7) with the animal’s intake ID number and a description. We cannot promise to save your pet, but we will definitely look at it as a possible candidate for the rescue program.