Adoption & Fostering Pets

Make Adoption a Lifelong Promise!

Bringing a pet into your home is a joyful and life-changing decision. To ensure your furry friend truly finds their furever home, consider these important factors before adopting.

• Commitment & Choosing the Right Pet
  Adoption is more than a moment; it’s a lifelong bond built on love, care and devotion. Your fur-ever friend will fill your life with unconditional love, and in return, deserve a lifetime of commitment. Choose a pet whose energy level, personality and needs align with your lifestyle to create a rewarding and lasting companionship.
• Setting Up Your Home & Understanding Pet Policies
  Before bringing your pet home, ensure your space is safe and welcoming. Pet-proof and have essentials ready, including food, water bowls, a bed, a litter box (for cats) and toys. If you rent, check pet policies with your landlord to confirm any breed, size, or number restrictions.
• Time, Attention & Training
  Every moment you invest in your pet through care, training, and love strengthens your bond. Pets thrive on daily exercise, socialization and companionship. Be prepared to dedicate the time, patience and consistency they need to adjust, learn and grow into happy, confident companions who feel secure and loved in their new home.
• Financial Responsibility
  A loving home means meeting all of your pet’s needs, including food, grooming, vet care and unexpected medical expenses. Ensuring their well-being helps them thrive. A healthy pet is a happy pet.
• Future Planning
  Life changes, but your pet’s love is unwavering. They’ll always be there for you, so commit to being there for them through every stage of life. Consider how job changes, moves, or family adjustments may impact your ability to provide lifelong care. Planning ensures your pet’s fur-ever home truly lasts forever.

When you adopt, your pet become family, bound by love, loyalty and unwavering support. Be their fur-ever home, and they’ll be your fur-ever friend.

Adopting a Cat?

Welcome your new feline friend with tips to help them adjust to life in your home.
Explore The New Cat Checklist

Bringing Home a New Dog?

Make the transition as smooth as possible for both you and your pet.
Get Tips on Preparations for a New Dog

Giving Pets the Best Start for Their Forever Home

All adopted pets are spayed or neutered before going to their new homes. Every pet must be altered before going to their new home. If the procedure hasn’t been completed at adoption, we’ll take care of it before you bring them home. Adoption fees include this service along with age-appropriate vaccinations, microchipping, FIV/FeIV testing (cats) and deworming to keep them healthy.

• Cats (Includes Spay/Neuter): $95.00
• Dogs (Includes Spay/Neuter): $135.00

Become a Foster Hero in Pitt County

The Pitt County Animal Center Foster Program is a rewarding way to help animals in need. When you foster a pet, you’re giving one animal a temporary home and opening space at the Animal Center for another. That means you're helping two animals at once!

Foster families provide care, love and socialization to animals until they’re ready for adoption. Whether you have a few weeks or a few months to spare, we need your help.

Our Greatest Needs

• Kittens (must be at least 2 pounds and 8 weeks old before adoption)
• Large dogs and Pit Bull-type dogs
• Small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and ferrets

Why Animals Need Fostering

• They are underweight
• They need time to recover from a treatable illness
• They need minor behavior help or extra socialization

Foster Parent Requirements

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a valid driver’s license
• Have proof of medical, auto and homeowner’s or renter’s insurance
• If renting, provide landlord approval for pets
• Be able to separate foster pets from your own pets for 10–14 days
• Live in Pitt County or be willing to transport foster pets to and from the Animal Center
• Current pets must be up to date on vaccinations and spayed or neutered

Please note: We only provide foster care for animals in the care of the Pitt County Animal Center. We do not foster privately owned pets.

Do you have the time and space to help a homeless pet? We need you! Learn more about how to become a foster parent and help give these animals a second chance. Call 252.902.1725 today!