What to Expect When You're Expecting to Adopt

The Winnipeg Humane Society helps provide shelter, welfare and dignity to thousands of animals each year, and many of these cats, dogs and critters proceed to our Adoptions Department where they wait to find loving homes. We get lots of questions about how to visit with or adopt an animal, so we thought we’d shed some light on the process for those who might be curious.

Visiting with the Animals

While anyone is welcome to walk around our facility and look through the windows at the animals in Adoptions, in order to visit with them we require some basic information. We ask visitors to fill out a form with their name, address, and phone number. We need this data in case any concerning incidents occur during the visit. While bites and scratches are not common, there is still a risk when dealing with animals who may be scared or stressed in the shelter environment. Thankfully, we have knowledgeable staff and dedicated volunteers to assist visitors who want to meet some of our furry friends.

At the WHS, we prioritize the safety and health of both the animals and the humans who interact with them. Certain animals may require experienced staff assistance and therefore we restrict visits to potential adopters only. We often get visitors who stop by and want to walk our shelter dogs, and while we try our best to accommodate such requests whenever possible, these visits require staff members to assist with each dog. Depending on how busy we are processing adoptions and making matches with potential adopters, we may not be able to entertain these requests. We like to encourage these visitors to apply to our Volunteer program.

Adopting an Animal

For those looking to adopt, we ask for details about the household in order to help match the right pet with you and your family.  Knowing how many other animals you have and the ages of children in the home can help us with this mission. Depending on the animal selected, we may require all family members meet the animal. Once you have provided this information and selected the animal(s) who interest you, we pair you with a staff member who will read you the history of the animal while in our care. From how they came to the shelter to their observed behaviours and medical files, we want to make sure you know as much as you can before making such an important decision.

Once you have chosen your new pet, you can either place a $25 non-refundable hold for approximately 24 hours or you can decide to take your new family member home right then and there (time permitting). The length of time an adoption takes truly depends on the amount of questions each adopter has for their counselor. While we strive to be as efficient as possible, we don’t want anyone to feel rushed nor do we want any questions to go unanswered.

If you or someone you know is looking to adopt, have them check out our adoptable animals online.