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In response to COVID-19, please check out our facility updates, bit.ly/OCASCOVID-19.

Adoption Process

Thank you for considering pet adoption from a shelter! It is the goal of Animal Services to match homeless shelter pets with loving, forever homes.

OCAS has hundreds of adoptable pets at any given time. The shelter operates on a first come, first serve basis in order to give each person an equal opportunity.

Animal Services strives to place every pet in a forever home, which is why the first step toward adoption is visiting the shelter in person to interact with the pet of choice. Adoption applications are filled out at the shelter following interaction and are not available online.

Once the interaction has been completed, with the assistance of a volunteer or staff member, the prospective adopter is to visit the shelter’s front lobby area where an adoption application is completed. Fees are processed at time of application. After the pet has satisfied the mandatory hold requirements and is processed through the Animal Services clinic, the adopter will be notified.

Adopters must arrive prepared with a valid photo identification and a form of payment in either cash, credit/debit card or check.

Animal Services welcomes adopters from out of county and state, but does not transport animals. The interested adopter is required to visit the shelter in person.

Search Adoptable Pets

Interaction Yards

To ensure all end of day tasks, including animal feeding, are completed on time, Animal Services Interaction Yards shall be vacated no later than 15 minutes prior to closing.

Meet & Greets

A "meet and greet" is the term for when prospective dog adopters bring their resident dog to meet their possible new dog. Due to the high volume of animals the shelter is currently caring for, coupled with the increase of daily impounds, shelter staff are not able to conduct meet and greets.  This is a service that is currently suspended.

Please be advised that meet and greets in general are an inaccurate indicator of how two pets will react when introduced in a home environment. Animal Services recommends slow and monitored introductions when pets are introduced for best results.

Adoption Fees

Standard adoption fees are $55 for dogs and $40 for cats. This fee includes the following services:

  • Spay/Neuter
  • Initial vaccinations, including rabies vaccine and tag
  • Microchip identification
  • First de-worming
  • Heartworm test for dogs six months and older
  • Feline leukemia and FIV test for cats

Pet Sleepover

The Pet Sleepover program gives Orange County residents, who are looking to adopt, an opportunity to spend up to 14 days with an animal before submitting an adoption application. Sleepover pets are preselected by Animal Services, and are already, spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped.

Participants will pay the adoption fee upon sleepover pickup. Once the sleepover is finished, and participants want to proceed with the adoption, adopters must return in person, to fill out an application.

After the sleepover, if the adopter decided not to adopt, and returned the animal, participants will receive a 50% refund. Refund will only be honored, if the animal is returned.

Taking a pet for a sleepover is a great opportunity to spend some quality time to get to know the animal's personality. Even if the pet isn't adopted after the sleepover, it's a great opportunity for the pet to spend a few days in a home environment, and get plenty of TLC.

If you're interested in giving a shelter pet quality time in your home, stop by the shelter to meet the available sleepover pets!

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