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Click on Find Cats or Find Dogs to view all available animals. When you find an animal you’re interested in, you can click the “apply for adoption” button on that animal’s individual page, or complete the general cat application or general dog application. We will contact you within 24-48 hours of receiving your application. Once your application is approved, our team will set up a meet and greet with you and your new potential pet. If it’s the right fit, you’ll sign the adoption contract, pay the adoption fee, and have a new furry family member!

Yes! We love sending you and your new furever family member off into the sunset after you’ve completed the adoption. It’s always a good idea to be prepared with pet supplies like food, bedding, toys, and bowls before adopting so that you’re ready when you go home with your new best furiend.

Yes, your pet will be up to date on all appropriate vaccinations at the time of the adoption. After you have adopted them, you will be responsible for their future vaccinations.

Yes! Every HPA! animal is spayed/neutered before becoming available for adoption.

It can be possible; you may complete the application process prior to your pet being available for adoption, but adoptions are not finalized until after a pet is spayed/neutered.

Houston Pets Alive! Return Policy

Houston Pets Alive! (HPA!) is dedicated to ensuring your new pet is a great fit for your lifestyle and family. It typically takes approximately three months for a new pet to feel fully comfortable in a new home. These initial weeks are often filled with ups and downs, requiring patience and understanding. Puppies, in particular, need routine and structure. Most times, a new pet will settle in easily and become your life-long friend!

Support and Resources

HPA! can offer various resources to help with behavior training, potty training, crate training, and more to ensure a smooth transition for your new pet. 

Rehoming Your Pet

We understand that changes in your life may make it challenging to keep your pet. In such cases, we ask that you make every effort to safely rehome your pet. HPA! can recommend numerous free rehoming resources to assist you.

Returning Your Pet to HPA!

If rehoming is not an option, HPA! will accept the pet back into our program under certain conditions. 

Please note:

  • Taking back an adopted pet affects our ability to save at-risk pets in local shelters due to limited space, funding, and other resources.
  • Intake of adopted pets is not automatic. We can only accept animals when we have the necessary space, available foster homes, and funding for their care. Please plan in advance for a possible return.
  • The adoption fee is non-refundable.
  • All adopted pets must be up to date on the following before they are returned:
    • Dogs:  DHPP, Bordetella, Rabies and proof of negative heartworm test within the last 6 months. 
    • Cats:   FVRCP, Rabies
  • To request the return of your HPA! adopted pet, please email: intake@houstonpetsalive.org.
    We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to save as many at-risk pets as possible.
  • Can I get my adoption fee refunded if I need to return my new pet?
    Unfortunately, we are not able to refund adoption fees as the funds have already gone to saving more at-risk lives. Our adoption team is trained to help you find the best fit in a forever friend based on your current lifestyle, other pets in the home, etc.; however we understand that sometimes things just don’t work out.
  • I found a pet that I want to adopt but am not sure if they will get along with my other pets. Can I do a trial adoption?
    Yes! During the adoption process we can set up a meet and greet for your potential new pet and your current pet to meet to see how they get along. Additionally, you can foster-to-adopt, which means that you can foster the animal at home for a temporary amount of time to make sure it’s a good fit.
  • What do I do with my new pet if he/she gets sick after I adopt him/her?
    Once you have adopted your new pet, you are responsible for their medical care and should seek the services of a licensed vet. However, it occasionally happens that an animal has not been in our care long enough for a health issue to become apparent. If you believe your recent adoptee is sick, please contact our medical team within two weeks of adoption to let us know and we will see how we can best support you.
  • What if I’m having problems with the pet I adopted from HPA! and need help?
    We will give you all of the information we have about a pet to you during the adoption process and try to set appropriate expectations for what they are like. If you are experiencing a problem, we want to help you fix it to make sure that there is a happy ending for you and your new best friend. If you have concerns with your HPA! animal, please reach out to our team at adopt@houstonpetsalive.org.
  • How do I know which cat is best for me?
    You can view all of the available cats on our website here or go to one of our partner pet stores to meet them in person!

Our Promise to You

We do our best to find the perfect pet for your family.

We assess each animal’s temperament to the best of our ability and provide as much information as possible regarding the animal’s behavior and personality. That said, sometimes animal behavior may differ from home to home, especially as it gets used to new surroundings and routines.


Each pet you adopt from HPA! is:

  • Current on vaccinations
  • Spayed or neutered
  • De-wormed
  • Microchipped