Adoption Process

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At Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS), we pride ourselves on providing a unique and customized adoption process, taking into consideration both the animal’s needs and yours. We are open for in-person adoptions Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. RCHS is closed for all major holidays.

RCHS Ground Breaking_01

Pardon our Dust!
We are currently undergoing a campus-wide construction project. While we try to keep the parking lot clear for shelter guests, there may be days when all guests need to park on Requeza St. and follow the marked paths to the front office. We ask that you please avoid entering any active construction zones and give any construction personnel and vehicles plenty of space.

Adoption Process

  1. View our Available Animals
    • Due to ongoing construction on our campus, there will be limited access to certain areas of our shelter until further notice. We will continue to be open from Friday to Monday 11:00AM to 4:00PM. We ask any potential adopters to please view our adoptable animals on our website before coming onsite as our kennels will not be accessible for general viewing by the public. Additionally, until further notice we will not have restrooms available to members of the public. We thank you for your understanding as we continue campus enhancements. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at (760) 753 – 6413 or info@sdpets.org

    • Some of our adoptable animals currently reside in a foster home. If that’s the case with the animal you are interested in please call our front office.
    • Although it doesn’t happen often, foster families sometimes fall in love with their foster animals and want to adopt. RCHS fosters have priority when it comes to adopting animals they have hosted in their homes. On occasion, you may see an animal on our website which is adopted shortly after being available.
  2. Fill out an Adoption Survey
  3. Visit RCHS In-Person
    • RCHS is open every Friday through Monday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Please read our construction notice above).

Our Adoptable Animals

FINDING YOUR “FUREVER” FRIEND

A customized adoption takes time. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. Your counselor will invite you to participate in an interaction with an appropriate animal, and you may be asked to return with additional household members or a resident dog to test compatibility. Written landlord approval may be required.  Follow-up appointments may be necessary, and some dog adoptions may require a behavioral consultation before going home.

We continue to respond to our shelter partners and the community, bringing new animals onsite on a weekly basis, so don’t give up!  Please check the website daily for updates on adoptable animals and recent adoptions. Alternatively, you can sign up for our weekly adoption updates email which will notify you of new arrivals every week. Adoption surveys will be kept on file for six (6) months.  Please come back to the shelter as soon as a new animal interests you.

Adoption Fees

Dogs $145
Puppies $245
Cats $100
Kittens $125
Rabbits $40
Senior Pets (7+) $75
RCHS Favorites $75

The adoption fee includes:

  • Up to date on vaccinations
  • Spay or Neuter
  • Deworming medication
  • Flea control medication
  • Microchip and registration

These items purchased through a veterinarian would cost more than $250!

Special Fee Programs

Ask your adoption counselor about these special fee programs.

  • Better with a Buddy – Adopt one cat, kitten, or dog and get the second one (within a year) for just $25. Does not apply to puppies.
  • Two Purr One – Adopt two kittens together (within two weeks) and pay for just one.
  • Senior-to-Senior – Any senior (60+) adopting a senior animal (7+) will have the adoption fee waived.
  • Pets for Patriots – Fees waived for San Diego veterans. To qualify, please apply before visiting the shelter. CLICK HERE
  • Training Incentive Rebate – Take your new puppy to an introductory training course focused on socialization and “puppy basics” and receive a rebate of $50.00 on the adoption fee.