Frequently Asked Questions

How much are your adoption fees?

Our fees normally run anywhere from $250 per dog up to $450 per dog and $125 or less for cats,  depending on age, adopt-ability of the dog/cat and other factors such as medical/care expenses associated with the dog/cat.   All dogs are vaccinated (including bordetella), dewormed, heartworm tested, if positive, heartworm treated,  spayed or neutered and micro-chipped.  All cats are vaccinated, dewormed, Feline leukemia (FeLV) tested and feline immunodeficiency tested (FIV) and found negative, spayed or neutered and micro-chipped.  Also, some dogs /cats have had eye surgeries, dentals, and removal of dew claws (if needed) and various other surgeries.  Each adoption is a case by case basis.   We in turn take these monies to help another dog/cat in need.

Why do you ask for veterinarian references?

We check your vet reference to see how you have had past/current pets cared for in the past.  We ask if your pets have been kept up to date on all vaccines needed, and in the case of dogs if you have kept your dog up to date on heart-worm preventative.  In the case of cats, have you had them tested for Feline leukemia (FeLV) tested for feline immunodeficiency tested (FIV) and found negative.  We ask if all your pets have been spayed or neutered.  We can not approve an adoption application if no vet reference is provided or if proper vet care has not been provided in the applicants past.  We want only the best homes for our rescues and for them to get the best care possible.

Do you ship dogs or cats to adopters or adopt out of the state of GA? 

We NEVER ship dogs or cats to adopters.  We care deeply that our rescues get the best home possible and we always want to meet our potential adopters and have them meet the rescue dog or cat to see if they are compatible.  We try to adopt our rescue dogs and cats within close radius to us so we can be there if the adopter needs us for any reason.  On rare occasions we will adopt outside the state of GA, and only to surrounding states within a reasonable driving distance from our adoption events so the adopters can meet us and the dog or cat.

Is someone able to call me?

We are a group of volunteers who keep our fosters in our homes, providing them with a loving environment.  Most of our volunteers work full time jobs and we are unable to call the 100’s of call requests we get on a daily basis.  If you are interested in one of the pets on our website, please email us, our contact information can be found on our website under Contact Us.  Those serious inquiries about meeting our available animals can complete an online application, which does not obligate you to adopt, those applications which are approved will be contacted about meeting the desired dog or cat at one of our adoption events.

Do you take surrendered pets?

From time to time, we do take in a limited number of animals from people who choose to surrender their pets.  In Georgia, under the law, animals are considered property.  Therefore, we cannot accept stray animals from areas with animal control services available.  If you find an animal, please contact your local animal control as well as locally advertising any found animals.  We, like so many other rescues, are usually full.  We do not have a facility; all our pets are in foster homes and a few waiting in boardin until we adopt some pets out and make room for them.  We do try to help people fine a home for their pets, on a case by case consideration, by offering Courtesy Postings on our website.

Requirements are that your pet be fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered, tested negative for heart-worms and on heart-worm preventative if a dog, tested negative for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus if a cat.  The pet cannot have health problems or has shown aggression to people or other pets.  If all requirements are met, we will post on our website as a courtesy to you.  You would supply us with a copy of the vet records or the name and number of your vet so we can check the vet reference.  We would need at least 3 good pictures of the pet and for you to give us a good description of the pet to post on our site.  We will check the vet references on anyone who applies for the pet and will ask for an adoption fee from the adopters to help us to help other animals as we are a non-profit.  If you are interested, please complete the surrender a pet request form and we will be in touch.

Do you take lost or stray animals?

Alcovy Pets is unable to take in stray animals.  GA Dept of Agriculture forbids rescues from taking in strays as they may have owners looking for them.  Please contact your local animal shelter if you find a lost pet as their owner may be looking for them.  If you find a pet or you are missing a pet, please check out the these Public Facebook Groups and ask to post a picture of the pet with info.  These are wonderful ways to reunite pets with their owners.

Pet FBI Georgia 

Georgia’s Missing Pets

Lost Dogs Georgia

Also there are many Facebook pages run by volunteers for individual areas or counties such as:

Barrow County Lost and Found Pets

Lost and Found Pets of Gwinnett and Walton Counties

Lost & Found – North Georgia Pets

You can search Facebook for your location.

Do you have a low cost spay/neuter program?

No, but we do recommend you spay/neuter your pets. Your pets will be healthier and live longer and you will be doing your part by saving lives. Millions of pets are euthanized each year because of over population as strays in animal controls. Be a part of the solution.

To find a low cost spay or neuter program near you please visit:

http://www.gapetresources.com/p/spayneuter.html

ASPCA’s TOP 10 Reasons to Spay & Neuter Your Pet:

  1. Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life.
    Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
  2. Neutering provides major health benefits for your male.
    Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
  3. Your spayed female won’t go into heat.
    While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they’ll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house!
  4. Your male dog won’t want to roam away from home.
    An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
  5. Your neutered male will be much better behaved.
    Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
  6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
    Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
  7. It is highly cost-effective.
    The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
  8. Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community.
    Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
  9. Your pet doesn’t need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth.
    Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children—especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
  10. Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.
    Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

Volunteer & Foster Opportunities

We offer volunteer opportunities on Saturdays during PetSmart adoption events. You must be at least 16 years of age to volunteer.

Our volunteers help in a variety of ways from taking foster dogs/cats to the vet to picking up donated food to foster volunteers who are willing to have dogs or cats in their home to care for until we are able to find them a home.

Interested? Click to fill out our volunteer questionnaire or foster application.