Animal Return Policy

Thank you for considering the adoption of one of the London Humane Society's many animals. Before you make your final decision to adopt, we want to assure you that all of our animals have been checked by our shelter veterinarian before being placed for adoption. They have also been vaccinated and our cats and dogs have been spayed or neutered, and minor health conditions have been treated. It is only when they are considered physically healthy and exhibit acceptable behaviour, that we place them for adoption. An occasional exception to this practice is the placement of an animal with a special medical condition for adoption. In this case, the condition will be noted in the animal's record, and one of our veterinary technicians will discuss it with you. By far, however, the large majority of our animals are healthy and highly adoptable, and we are confident they will give you many years of love and devotion.

At the same time, we want all new adopters to understand that, while every attempt is made to verify the health and behavioural characteristics of our animals before they are adopted, there are occasions when a particular animal may appear healthy while in the shelter but may, in fact, be incubating a disease. Also, we do not always know the complete medical or behavioural background of our animals.

Before the adoption process is complete, therefore, we want you to be aware of the possibility your new animal companion may be incubating a disease or may have behavioural problems which appear only after it has gone home with you. When making the decision to adopt, it is important that you acknowledge the above possibilities and, in so doing, agree to take full responsibility for any medical or behavioural needs.

While the London Humane Society would like to assist you with any unexpected costs with your new pet animal, because we are a charitable organization operating with very limited funds, we are not able to do so. Many people are unaware that we receive no government funding at either local, provincial or federal levels to assist with our costs. Therefore, if your pet should become sick requiring medical attention, it must be taken to a veterinarian at your own expense, or, if you notice that your animal exhibits behavioural problems, the cost of behavioural assessment must be handled at your own expense.

If your new pet animal becomes sick or exhibits behavioural problems within the first fourteen (14) days following adoption, and you are not prepared to take responsibility for associated costs, you may return the animal to us for a refund of the adoption fee. Once the animal has been returned to us, you must understand that we are not at liberty to provide you with further information about the animal. If you wish to adopt another animal, you may discuss this possibility with our staff following the return of the first animal.

We must emphasize, however, that at no time is the London Humane Society able to accept responsibility for expenses incurred should you take your new pet to a veterinarian for assessment or treatment of any condition at any time, or should you engage an animal behaviourist.

Before you adopt your new animal companion, you must sign and date a printed copy of this form indicating that you have read, and agree to abide by, the Animal Return Policy of the London Humane Society.