• Ask your landlord and everyone living in your household.

• It is a good idea to introduce the pet to family members or roommates before you adopt.

• Realize that adults, not children, must be responsible for the pet’s care.

• Make sure you can afford food, shelter, medical care for your pet, clean litter, emergency medical care, boarding or house-sitting when you travel, and/or obedience training.

• Realize you and your pet will need time to adjust to each other. • Make sure your family has plenty of time to spend with your pet.

• Educate yourself. Many animals are surrendered because owners didn’t understand the needs of the breed.

• Make sure the type of animal you are considering will be compatible with your life style.

• Make sure you can be responsible for keeping your pet enclosed, safe and warm, and out of danger.

• Be prepared to deal with behavior problems such as chewing or scratching.

Dogs and cats kept indoors live longer and make better pets. Outside pets should have an enclosed area, a warm, covered place to sleep, and plenty of food or water. Never keep your dog tied out in front of your home.

Puppies and young dogs must be housetrained. We will be glad to give you literature about training; however, you should expect accidents and be willing to clean them up. Dogs under two years old tend to chew. This is normal behavior. To prevent it, provide toys and crate your dog when you cannot supervise it. Dogs and cats are natural predators. They should always be introduced carefully and closely supervised around children, other dogs, livestock, and cats. ARF has literature about introducing multiple pets into your home.

Declawing is a painful operation that leaves your cat vulnerable. ARF and other humane societies strongly oppose declawing. Call Catman2 Shelter to ask about cats that are already declawed.

Your pet is already too old for this painful and unnecessary surgery. Luckily for your pet, it cannot be registered, bred, or shown professionally. ARF and other humane societies oppose such surgery for non-show dogs.

Your adoption fee covers part of the cost of your pet’s spay or neuter, vaccinations, and the care (sometimes extensive) it has already received. ARF loses money on every adoption, and we cannot pay for other medical costs. However, if your pet is examined by a veterinarian within two weeks and found to have a medical problem, ARF will allow you to exchange your pet for another or may help with costs consistent with those charged to ARF. by Sylva Animal Hospital.

No. ARF is funded by donations only. Its volunteers keep animals in their own homes and balance full-time jobs & families. They rescue from the shelter, which must euthanize more animals every year.

After the two-week trial, you are responsible for placing your pet. You are welcome to place your pet through us. However, be aware that placing any pet can take weeks or months.

Adopted pets are your responsibility. You should not adopt a pet if you are unwilling or unable to devote the time to find it another home.

The Animal Shelter is always full to capacity. If you surrender your dog to a shelter, it will probably be euthanized within 3-7 days. ARF volunteers keep pets in their homes. After they place pets, they rescue others. They are frequently unable to take your pet back for space reasons.

Abandoning animals anywhere is a crime. If ARF finds your abandoned pet, they will notify county authorities.

Your pet should be fixed before its first heat (females) or before it is 6 months old (males), or as soon afterwards as possible. ARF works through the Asheville Humane Alliance, who can spay or neuter pets when they weigh two pounds and are two months old. Early spay neuter is best for the pet’s health, and it is best for the community, which is overrun with unwanted animals.

Jackson County’s animal shelter must euthanize about 500 pets per year because they are unwanted. The most vulnerable are cats and big dogs (especially hounds and pits) because they have large or frequent litters and seldom get adopted. Fixing your pet means fewer deaths, and it prevents many dangerous health problems for your pet. It saves you money, too!

ARF has many grants from Two Mauds and PetSmart Charities to fix your pet for free. Call us and ask what you qualify for. Even if you don’t meet the requirements of one of these grants, we can still help. Call 877-273-5262 (877-ARF-JCNC) and ask!

• Donate (use credit cards at our web site: http://www.a-r-f.org)

• Educate. Tell friends that even one litter of puppies or kittens means at least that many others will be euthanized or abandoned. If they already have puppies or kittens, tell them placing them through us will ensure they are vaccinated and neutered. Encourage others to adopt homeless animals, and let them know the hidden costs of “free” animals. Alert authorities about animal cruelty (it’s often linked to other kinds of abuse). Spread the word about puppy mills, pet stores that sell pets, and irresponsible breeding practices.

• Fix your pet! Two unfixed cats can create millions of kittens in just a few years.

• Don’t buy or breed! Every pet you buy means another needless death.

• Volunteer. ARF always needs people who can foster, raise funds, transport animals, repair fences, help with our spay/neuter trips, & more.

Because we are a 501c3 organization, donations to ARF are tax-deductible.

Because we are committed to transparency,you can see how we spend our money by checking the link on our home page.

Because we have no paid employees, you know your money doesn’t pay salaries.

Because we have served this community since 1978, you know we have a proven track record.