Shelter FAQ

A veteran wants to adopt a pet from us who has not yet applied to Pets for Patriots. What do we do?

You can put the dog or cat on a three-day hold, or offer a short (e.g., seven-day) foster-to-adopt to give the veteran time to apply to Pets for Patriots. Our usual turnaround is no more than two business days from the time we receive both a veteran’s online application and eligibility documents. Veterans will forfeit all benefits of our program if they adopt a pet prior to being approved by us unless they adopt on a weekend or federal holiday. In those circumstances we give the veteran til the end of the business week to apply and be approved into our program.

Can a veteran adopt more than one pet?

Pets for Patriots members may have up to two program-eligible pets per person/per household at any time. Each pet must still meet our eligibility criteria, which you can learn more about here. The veteran may adopt both pets either simultaneously, or over time. Each eligible pet would receive all Pets for Patriots benefits.

Can we help a veteran complete the online application to Pets for Patriots?

While we realize you want to help, our applications are legal documents between Pets for Patriots and the veteran. If someone does not have internet access please ask them to call our toll-free number, and a member of our team will be delighted to help: 877-473-8223.

Do we have to change our adoption criteria?

Absolutely not. We respect your work and will never ask you to change the criteria you use to evaluate potential adopters.

Does Pets for Patriots pay the adoption fee?

The adoption fee is the responsibility of the veteran because we believe it’s important for adopters to understand that a companion pet is a financial commitment. We do encourage our shelter/rescue partners to offer adoption fee discounts as their member patriot special whenever possible; learn more here.

Do you notify us when a veteran is approved in our community?

If you’re a new partner or one that hasn’t had an adoption with us in a while, we’ll send you an email to let you know that a veteran in our program may be coming to your shelter/rescue to adopt. Due to privacy reasons, we cannot provide the veteran’s name without permission.

Can we ask for military ID or discharge papers?

No. If someone is approved by Pets for Patriots, we have already validated that veteran’s military credentials. Further, those documents contain confidential and highly sensitive information. You may ask for any other type of ID that is part of your own application process, e.g., driver’s license, rental agreement, utility bill, etc.

There are no veterinary partners in our community; can we still apply?

Yes! We no longer require shelter applicants have proximity to one of our veterinary partners since we have multiple resources to give veterans access to affordable pet healthcare.