Pet Sleepover

If the Sleepover goes well, all you need is the adoption paperwork to make it official!

You will need a collar and leash or pet carrier, plus any supplies you'd need to care for the pet you take home. For this time, act as if the pet is officially yours! See what living with them is really like, how they fit into your home, and how your lifestyle fits their needs. After spending a few days together, doing everything you would if you had adopted the dog/cat, an adopter can decide if the pet is the right fit.

If something isn’t broken, then there’s no need to fix it.

Regular adoptions will still continue normally! If you come to the SPCA, find a pet you want to adopt, and are ready to make it official, then congratulations! You don’t need a Pet Sleepover.

For those with reservations, you have another option.

Adoption is always the goal, but for those who want to give it a trial run first or who may be hesitant to make things official for one reason or another, the SPCA hopes Pet Sleepovers will ease your concerns.

The Fine Print

Technically, a Pet Sleepover is a short-term foster program (up to 5 days for dogs and up to 7 days for cats). After completing the adoption process to discuss all of the pet-in-question’s behavioral and medical information, the potential adopter will complete Pet Sleepover paperwork and begin the foster period.

Only pets 1 year and older are eligible for a Pet Sleepover.

There is a $250 fee for a Pet Sleepover due at the time the pet leaves the SPCA. Fifty dollars is a non-refundable service fee that is required to participate in the Pet Sleepover program. The remaining $200 is a refundable deposit that will be returned to the potential adopter at the conclusion of the Pet Sleepover, should they decide that they do not wish to adopt the pet. If they decide to adopt the pet at the conclusion of the Pet Sleepover, the $200 (minus any adoption fee) can be returned to them when they finalize the adoption. Of course, they are always welcome to leave the difference as a donation to save more pets.

Sleepover pets must leave on a harness/collar and leash or in an appropriate cat carrier. These are not provided by the SPCA. Purchases in the SPCA Retail Store are not refundable if the potential adopter does not keep the pet at the end of the Sleepover period.

The goal behind Pet Sleepovers is to encourage an adopter to take a chance on a pet they might otherwise have reservations about. Puppies and kittens are adopted so quickly, a Sleepover wouldn't aid their adoption. Therefore, puppies and kittens are not eligible for the Pet Sleepover Program.

For complete details about the program, stop by the Adoption Center or call 919-772-2326 to speak to an adoption counselor.