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Pet Adoption 
Contract

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Prepared for:
[Adopter Name]

Prepared by:
[Adoption Center Name]

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Pet Adoption Contract

The Pet Adoption Contract (hereinafter referred to as "Contract") is made and entered on [Date] 

By and Between

[Adoption Center Name] (hereinafter referred to as the “Adoption Center”), with its registered office at [Adoption Center Address], and;

[Adopter's Name] (hereinafter referred to as the “Adopter”), residing at [Adopter's Address].

The Adoption Center and the Adopter are collectively referred to as “Parties” and individually as "Party". 

WHEREAS the Adoption Center agrees to give the ownership of the pet to the Adopter; and 

WHEREAS the Adopter agrees to adopt the pet as per the terms and conditions as laid down in this Contract. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, the contract shall remain in effect for the pet's lifetime or until the pet returns to the Adoption Center.

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Terms and Conditions 

1. Pet Description

Pet Type:	[Dog/ Cat/ Others]
Pet's Name:	[Add Pet Name]
Breed:	[Add Pet Breed]
Sex	[Male/Female]
Pet's Description:	[Add Description of Pet]
Medical Description:	[Add Medical Description of Pet]
[Additional Information]	[Additional Information]

2. Adoption Fee

The Adopter shall pay a non-refundable Adoption fee of $[0.00] at the time of Adoption. If the pet is Microchipped, the Adopter shall contact the Microchip registry service to transfer ownership.

3. Identification and License

The Adopter agrees that the pet shall wear a collar with an identification tag at all times. The Adopter shall maintain a proper municipal license under the local law and comply with all statutes and ordinances that apply to the pet.

4. Veterinary Care

The Adopter shall provide the pet with the necessary vaccination as advised by the pet's veterinarian. When the pet becomes sick or injured, immediate medical care shall be provided, and the Adopter shall take full responsibility for the veterinary expenses.

5. In-house Treatment

The Adopter agrees to provide the pet with humane treatment at all times and shall provide the pet with proper food, freshwater, shelter, and exercise, and shall allow the pet a reasonable amount of time to adjust to the surrounding.

6. Representation or Guarantee

The Adoption center employees or agents make no representation or guarantee, either implicitly or explicitly, for the health, training, temperamental, mental disposition, or age of the pet. 

7. Return Policy

If the Adopter wishes to return the pet, the Adopter shall provide prior written notice to the Adoption Center. After the approval from the Adoption Center, the Adopter shall make necessary arrangements for a return. Until the pet is returned to the Adoption Center, the Adopter is responsible for providing proper care.

8. Alternate Home

In the event the Adopter finds a suitable Alternate Home for the pet, the Adopter must contact [Adoption Center Name] and provide the name, address, and contact details of the proposed alternate Adopter. 

9. Neuter/ Spay

In the event the pet has not been sterilized prior to the contract, then the Adopter agrees to Spay/ Neuter the pet within [Number of Months] months of adoption.

10. Release of Liability

The Adopter agrees never to file a claim or suit against the [Adoption Center Name]. The Adopter releases [Adoption Center Name] and its founders, employees, agents, representation, volunteers, and assigns from any liability arising from the pet's adoption.

11. Indemnity

The Adopter agrees to indemnify and hold the [Adoption Center Name] harmless for any injury, illness, amputation, scarring, death, damages, or other losses to the pet, arising out as a result of the Adopter's negligence or liability.

12. Miscellaneous

Assignment: No party may assign any of its rights or obligations or assign any of its terms of this Contract without the prior written consent of the other party, except where otherwise stated.
Modification: No modification of this Contract shall be made unless in writing, signed by both parties.
Governing Law: This Contract shall be construed by and in accordance with the laws of [State].
Legal and Binding Contract: This Contract is legal and binding between the Parties as stated above. This Contract may be entered into and is legal and binding in the [Region/State/Country]. The Parties each represent that they have the authority to enter into this Contract.
Entire Agreement: This Contract constitutes the entire Contract of the parties. No representations, promises, terms, conditions, obligations, or warranties whatsoever referring to the subject matter hereof, other than those expressly set forth herein, shall be of binding legal force or effect.

Acceptance and Signature

The parties hereby agree to the terms and conditions of the contract and provide their acceptance by signing below:

[Adopter Name]

[Adoption Center Name]

Signature

Assign signer 1

Name

Assign signer 1

Date

Assign signer 1

Signature

Assign signer 2

Name

Assign signer 2

Date

Assign signer 2

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THANK YOU

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DISCLAIMER: Revvsales, Inc is not a law firm. The content provided herein is for general information purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice. Revvsales, Inc and its partners make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information mentioned hereunder. The use or reliance of any information contained herein is for your personal use and solely at your own risk. You agree to fully release and indemnify Revvsales, Inc from any liability associated with the use of this content. You are advised to obtain independent legal advice before taking or refraining from any action on the basis of the content provided here.

Free Pet Adoption Contract Template

Rehoming a pet to another family from the adoption center? Use our legally vetted Pet Adoption Contract, which is easy to customize according to your preferences, and comes with a one-click e-sign.

Get started with this template

Pet Care Business

Services

Why is it important to have a Pet Adoption Contract?

Pet adoption is a wonderful way in which animals get a home. It also stops breeders from misusing animals and helps protect the shelter animals. But pet adoption organizations need contracts to seal the deal. These contracts are not often legally binding, leading to litigations and liabilities and causing unnecessary stress to the animals, owners, and the organization itself.

What is a pet adoption contract?

A pet adoption contract is an agreement signed between two parties where they provide details regarding the standard of care that the adopter should provide to the pet. The contract also includes information about the current health status of the said pet. This contract mutually binds both parties by law.

Are pet adoption contracts legally binding?

Rescuers and pet adoption organizations want to ensure that the animals go to appropriate homes and that the pet owner understands their new pets’ responsibility. This is why they ask adopters to sign a pet adoption contract.

The benefits of the contracts are as follows:

It makes the owner aware of the current health status of the animal
It outlines the standard of care that the new owner must provide to the pet
It helps legally transfer the ownership

Since both parties come to terms and sign the contract, these contracts are legally binding.

Essential terms to be included in the pet adoption contract

Pet adoption has always been more about snuggles, plays, and treats. The pet adoption contract ensures that that animal is well taken care of and is not abandoned or even mistreated. However, since most available pet adoption contract templates available online are ambiguous in their language, it is always good to have a checklist of the right terms. This will help remove misunderstandings and tentative risks in the adoption process.

Parties of the contract: It includes information about the parties getting into this contract, such as the adoption center name, the adopter’s name, their respective address with the PO box, and contact information.
Recitals: These includes all the necessary information, such as the date of commencement of the contract, the adoption center’s willingness to let the pet get adopted.
Terms and conditions: Any pet contract or agreement between two or more parties include specific terms and conditions to be followed by both parties. This has all the information about the pet, its medical history, and other policies. A pet adoption contract should include the following terms, clauses, or provisions to make the process seamless:
- Pet description: In this section, the adoption center provides all the pet’s details, such as its breed, name, age, and medical care required for health conditions such as heartworm or leptospirosis.
- Adoption fee: Most of the adoption centers charge a small amount which is a non-refundable adoption fee. This section includes details about the adoption fee, like how much to be paid and when to be paid.
- Identification and license: This talks about the identification tags and licenses the adopter should get for the pet after adoption, under the law.
- Veterinary care: This section describes the veterinary care the pet should be provided with when it is sick, injured, or has any behavioral issues. It also talks in detail about the vaccinations given to the pet along with its warranties. Some contracts include the details about the licensed veterinarian the pet should be taken to for a consultation.
- In-house treatment: It talks about the adopter’s behavior towards the pet after they have adopted it like, providing the pet with a friendly environment at the new home. It also explains whether the adopter has to register the pet to a kennel or club.
- Representation and guarantee: This talks about the representation and guarantees the adoption center is liable for after the pet is adopted.
- Return policy: If an adopter wants to return their pet to a foster home, this section talks about the return policy, such as circumstances under which the pet can be returned and how it can be done smoothly.
- Alternate home: If the adopter wants to give away the pet to another party or a new owner, this clause will explain how to rehome a pet.
- Spay/Neuter: This clause includes the pet’s sterilization and the time frame under which the pet should be sterilized.
- Release of liability: This clause declares that the adopter can’t hold the adoption center responsible for anything that happens to the pet after adoption.
- Indemnity: In this clause, either party indemnifies the other party of any potential claims or causes of action.
- Miscellaneous: It includes all other essential clauses important for the contract, such as governing law, assignment, and modification.
Acceptance and signature: This is a significant section of the entire contract. When both parties agree to the contract’s terms and conditions, they can seal this deal with their eSignatures.

Why use a pet adoption contract template from Revv?

If a pet adoption contract is drafted wrong, it can risk the welfare of the pet. This is why the pet adoption contract template from Revv is legally vetted and includes all the necessary details like eSignature, an activity tracker to track the status of the document, etc. so that the adoption process is pain-free for both the pet and the new owner.

Start using Revv’s pre-drafted contract templates and make pet adoption documentation easy!

Looking for some more pet-related contracts? Click here.