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What's included in the pet adoption process at the Sacramento County animal shelters?

Some of our audience members had questions about our story about how Bradshaw Animal Shelter waived adoption fees. Here is what we learned.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

After a recent Memorial Day event where the Bradshaw Animal Shelter waived all fees in an effort to get more pets adopted, some people questioned whether that was safe for the animals. 

A few days after the move, the shelter announced that more than 100 animals were adopted

David Dickinson, director of the Sacramento County Department of Animal Care and Regulation, told ABC10 that he had not seen incidents of people adopting dogs for dog fighting. He added that the people who organize dog fighting rings do not generally go to animal shelters, but instead, go through classified ads.

Allison Harris, spokeswoman for Sacramento County's animal shelters, said the shelter does not have a process to screen applicants or a list of qualifications. Would be adopters do have to fill out a survey, however, it's designed to have the person think about what it would be like for them to take care of an animal and to help identify what kind of pet would be a good match for their home and lifestyle.

Dickinson added the shelter tries to determine if would-be adopters would have ill intentions for the animals by asking questions about their previous pets, the breed and quantity.

"The last thing they want to do is to come into contact with an animal control agency," Dickinson said, adding the shelter does have the ability to deny the applicant during the adoption process.

Other concerns that came up included adopting an animal during a free weekend and whether that adopter would actually be able to afford to care for that animal. 

Harris said she has not seen an influx of pets being returned since the special. The Bradshaw Animal Shelter waived the $25 adoption fee because they had more than 200 dogs and nearly 200 cats leading up to Memorial Day weekend.  

That $25 adoption fee typically covers the animal's microchip, neutering/spay and vaccines. If someone is having a hard time financially taking care of their pet, the shelter has resources like a pet food pantry to assist. 

If that isn't enough, there is a 30-day return policy if an adopter decides their new pet isn't a good fit. A surrender fee will be imposed if a pet is returned after the 30-day period. The shelter would then either refund the adoption fee or offer to use it to sponsor the animal for the next person who may want to adopt the animal. 

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