Thank you for making pet adoption your first option. Adopting a pet is not only a great way to help an animal in need — It can also improve the quality of your life.

Some of our dogs and cats can be seen on-line (Dogs | Cats) but many of the pets at the shelter are not listed on the internet due to time restraint. We can receive as many as 50 new animals a day. While strays, lost pets and confiscated animals are kept on hold for 5 to 10 days, dogs and cats surrendered by their owner are available for adoption right away, provided they are good candidates for adoption.

We encourage anyone who is considering adding a new companion to their family to visit our facility and not rely solely on the internet listings.

When visiting our shelter, ask our staff or volunteers to help you find the perfect match for your lifestyle. Spend some time with a potential new companion to get to know him or her better. We invite you to take a few dogs for a walk or to spend time with a favorite in one of our consultation rooms.

When a decision is reached our staff or volunteer will retrieve the kennel card and proceed to the reception area to fill out the application. There may be a short consultation session.

In most cases, your new pet can go home the following day. Pets that were already spayed or neutered when arriving at the shelter may be able to go home the same day.

Adoption Fee
Our adoption fees vary and are adjusted according to each pet's adoptability. The minimum adoption fee is $45.00 for pets that have been at the shelter too long and are at risk of being euthanized. Adoption fee includes vaccinations and spay/neutering.

Early-Bird Adoption fee: We now offer an early adoption fee of $150.00 for any pet at the shelter the day prior to their date of availability.

Adoption Policy
Anyone interested in adopting a pet from Halfway Home will be asked to fill out an application and undergo a short interview with one of our adoption Counselors. Our goal is to maximize the chance for a long term placement by assuring a good match between pet and potential owner.

Spay/Neuter Surgery
All dogs and cats, eight weeks of age or older, adopted from Halfway Home Pet Adoptions are surgically sterilized prior to their release to new home. We have licensed veterinarians on location to perform the procedure.

Myths and Facts About Spaying and Neutering

Microchip Identification
Halfway Home Pet Adoptions offers microchip implant for an additional fee of $20.00.

City License
City licence is required for Kansas City residents and can be obtained at the shelter for $12.00

Halfway Home Pet Adoptions provides the following vaccinations, included in the adoption fee.

• Puppies/dogs receive DA2PP-Parvo and Bordetella vaccines.
• Kittens/cats receive the first FVRCP vaccination.
• Dogs four months +/Cats three months + receive a rabies vaccine. Proof of a current rabies vaccination is required to license your dog.  Missouri state law requires that all dogs be inoculated against rabies.  Rabies vaccinations for cats are recommended by the Department of Public Health. A rabies licenses for your cat is voluntary.

Puppies and kittens require booster vaccinations in three-week intervals.

Internal and External Parasites

Puppies and kittens are automatically de-wormed at the shelter for roundworms and hookworms. Older animals are de-wormed on an as needed basis. Once you have adopted your dog or cat, we advise that you take a sample of your animal's stool to your veterinarian for a fecal examination and internal parasite control program. Many dogs and cats that come into our shelters bring fleas and ticks into the kennels. Animals that are infested with external parasites are treated with topical medications. We recommend that you consult your veterinarian regarding an external parasite control program.

Please note: certain animal diseases (parasites, fungal infections, bacteria, viruses, etc.) are transmissible to humans. It is imperative that your dog or cat follow a health program prescribed by your veterinarian.

Medical Support for Ill or Injured Animals

If the dog or cat you adopted from Halfway Home is currently ill or injured and under treatment, you will receive a summary of the treatment your dog or cat has received during its kenneled stay in our animal shelter. Follow up visits will be suggested.

If you choose any further treatment for your newly adopted animal, please remember that any diagnostics, hospitalizations, injections or additional vaccinations must be at your expense.

Your adopted dog or cat may have behavioral problems that may or may not have been evident during its stay with us. These problems may make it unsuitable for human companionship. If you elect to keep the animal, any treatment or training to correct the animal's behavioral problems is the responsibility of its new owner/guardian.

Additionally, due to the incubation period of certain diseases, it is strongly advised that you keep any newly adopted dog or cat away from and all other animals for a period up to two weeks. Do not take your new dog or cat to any public place for at least a two-week period.

With your agreement to an adoption and signed adoption contract, you thereby release Halfway Home Pet Adoptions, its employees and agents from any liability and claim that you have, whether known or unknown, now or in the future, in connection with your adoption, ownership and disposal of any animal adopted from the shelter.