Canine Adoption Procedure

The following procedure will apply to all canine adoptions to ensure a manageable and consistent adoption process.

General Interest in Adoption

Every dog at the YCSPCA deserves a loving, permanent home. If you have made the lifesaving decision to adopt a pet, please complete the YCSPCA’s adoption questionnaire. Once a member of our team approves your adoption questionnaire, please visit our website to view all dogs that are available for adoption. Visit www.ycspca.org/adopt for more information.

Dog Specific Adoption

To adopt a specific animal from the York County SPCA, you must first be approved for adoption. Once approved, you can select from one of the dogs that are currently available for adoption or keep checking our website and social media pages until you see an animal that tugs at your heartstrings. An approved adoption questionnaire will be valid for one year and must be renewed yearly if your desire to adopt continues.

Approved adopters can indicate their interest in adopting a specific dog through the following communication channels:

• If you are completing an adoption application online, you can indicate your interest in a specific dog on your adoption application. We prioritize applicants who are already approved for adoption.
  
  
• Call and leave us a message. Our phone number is (717) 764-6109 ext 101. When you call, please include your name, phone number, and the dog you are interested in. Due to high call volumes and limited staffing capabilities, we cannot always answer the phone.
  
  
• In-person notification. The YCSPCA is open for public browsing Tuesday through Thursday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dog Adoption Waiting List

Although every dog at the York County SPCA is terrific and deserves a loving, permanent home, “highly adoptable” dogs often get multiple adoption inquiries.  Highly adoptable dogs are typically younger and smaller-breed dogs. Demand for highly adoptable dogs increases when there is a limited number of available dogs in the shelter.

Once the YCSPCA makes the dog available for adoption, the status change will appear on our website in real time.  Over time, the available dog will also be posted on Petfinder and our social media channels. We encourage eager adopters to regularly check our website and social media because new animals are posted frequently.

The York County SPCA WILL NOT hold dogs for any member of the public. We operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. We will place up to three adopters on each available dog before we update the dog’s status to not available, and the dog’s bio will be removed from our website. Only the first potential adopter will be scheduled to meet the dog.  If the first adopter withdraws interest, we will move on to the second.  If the second adopter withdraws interest, we will move on to the third. If no match is made from the dog’s initial adoption waiting list, the dog will be made available again and reposted to our communication channels, and the first-come, first-approved process will resume.