Adoption Information

Why you have to qualify to adopt a KHS rescue:

I have come to realize over time that everyone has a different perspective on how animals and pets fit into their life, what responsibilities they have to that pet and how to resolve problems with pets. In the community where I grew up many dogs were tied to a tree in the yard with a dirty bowl of water. Many were scrawny with untreated heart worm. They were fed daily but not loved on, walked or enjoyed. Other dogs were left to run the neighborhoods- many of them limping from an unfortunate incident with a moving vehicle. I have a cousin who lives in Detroit. He bought a large Rottweiler, named him Justice and left him in his sports car while he worked and in the small yard behind his house when he was home. The dog was never socialized and ultimately bit his girlfriend when she came home from the hospital in a neck brace. The new sight and foreign smells scared him. He was euthanized. I still love my cousin, but I wouldn't give him one of my dogs.

At KHS we love our pets and rescues as family. Their safety and health are our primary concerns and it can be a lot of work cleaning kennels or litter boxes, exercising, disciplining, challenging and loving on a pet- and of course living the rest of your life. Like raising children, having pets is a lot of work but also a very rewarding experience.

We believe that if someone is not able to provide for and love their pet as they would a human member of the family it is too easy to neglect, abuse or abandon them in times of anger or frustration.

KHS focuses on rescuing the abandoned, the abused, the neglected and the injured that have been left to fend for themselves. We rehabilitate the animals with hours of attention, patience and love. After a rescue has been medically and emotionally rehabilitated and trained in the basics of pet life, it is their opportunity for a Forever Home.

Because we can, we have stringent standards for adoption of our rescues. Here are some things we take into consideration:

Pets are expensive. Puppies and kittens need extra shots and vet visits and a spay-neuter surgery so you can plan to spend at least $300 the first year for a puppy or kitten. For older pets annual vaccinations and health checks will run you $75 - $100. Boarding expense (or the souvenirs you must buy to placate your pet sitter) should be considered and the weekly purchase of a 40 lb bag of chow (the healthier brands are more expensive but can save on vet bills in the long run.) Depending on how bonding goes you may need to pay for nail clipping or grooming. Pets can have unexpected random health issues - just like people such as allergies, injuries, and disease. Flea Treatment can also be expensive depending on the size of your animal. We want to make sure you are prepared to handle these expenses.

Pets require a safe environment. Surprises happen. Pets need to be leashed or securely fenced at all times and kept away from dangerous trash (or yard art). We want to make sure you can provide a safe environment for a pet.

Dogs require exercise. Inadequately exercised dogs develop behavior problems that can be severe. Excessive barking, chewing and other destructive behavior due to boredom often results in animals being surrendered and euthanized. We don’t automatically decline applicants that don’t have a fenced in yard, but we do want to make sure you have a plan to provide adequate exercise for a pet.

Pets can live a long time. What might happen over the next ten years is a serious consideration. Are you renting? Are you in a temporary job? Is it possible your family situation may change dramatically in the next few years? We want to help you think through these questions prior to adopting a pet.

Your track record is important. If you have other animals in the home are they spayed or neutered? If not, why not? Are they current on vaccinations? We feel these are critical aspects to an animal’s overall health and wellbeing.

Our goal, as an animal rescue, is to send our much loved animals into loving homes that are equipped to handle the animal in all ways. We want to understand what life might be like in the new home. Most of the time we can find an animal that is best suited for an environment depending on the presence of children or other pets and how much time you have to dedicate to the animal. Our hope is that the animal is cherished and valued and treated with respect for the remainder of its life. We are not judging you. We are judging the overall situation and its ability to meet the needs of our animal to our standards. We are using our experience to make that call and every animal has different needs.

And sometimes we probably make the wrong decision but we try to be equitable and respectful and honest and the welfare of the animal is ALWAYS our primary concern. Sometimes we err on the side of caution. And frankly we are only representing a portion of the homeless animals in Ketchikan. If you are committed to and capable of caring for an animal responsibly and we were not able to give you one of our rescues, there are many other animals in our community that are in need of new homes.

If we do decline your application we won’t get into the specifics as we don’t want to argue or barter over potential concerns. It is not a negotiation.

Animals can't advocate for themselves so we advocate for them.