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Pet Adoption Agreement Template

Rehome a dog, cat or other pet with a clear adoption contract. It covers the fee, what you know about its health, the care you expect, spay/neuter, returns and follow-up.

Use This Template — Free See the Agreement Signers don’t need an account
Pet adoption agreement
The blanks in brackets are what you fill in. VergeHR adds each signer’s signature and date boxes.
Pet adoption agreement — page 1 of 2
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Pet adoption agreement — page 2 of 2
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Use This Template Fill in the blanks, name who signs, and send — from VergeHR eSignature.

What is a pet adoption agreement?

A pet adoption agreement is the contract signed when a rescue, shelter or current owner hands a pet to a new home. It records the pet's details and health history, any adoption fee, the standard of care the adopter promises, and what happens if the adoption doesn't work out. For small rescues and individuals rehoming a pet, it protects the animal. It also makes clear to the adopter that the pet should come back to you rather than being passed on or sold.

This template covers the pet's description and microchip, vaccinations and treatment given, any known health or behaviour issues, the adoption fee and when ownership passes, care promises (vet care, safety, local licensing, no breeding or fighting, no resale), spay or neuter (already done, by a set date, or not required), a settling-in period with a fee refund option, a lifetime promise to contact you first if the adopter can't keep the pet, follow-up updates or a home visit, and the governing law. Both parties initial each page and sign.

Best for
Small rescues, foster networks and individuals rehoming a dog, cat, rabbit or other pet
Signed by
The rescue or current owner and the adopter
Returns
Optional settling-in period with a full, partial or no fee refund, plus a lifetime come-back-to-us promise
Length
About 2 pages, initialled on every page

When to Use a pet adoption agreement

  • A volunteer-run rescue placing a dog or cat with a new family
  • Rehoming your own pet after a move, allergy or change in circumstances
  • A foster carer handing a pet over to its permanent home
  • Rehoming a pet from a litter you didn't plan, with a spay/neuter condition
  • Adding follow-up checks for a pet with special needs

What You Fill In

21 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: rehoming party, adopter.

1 Rehoming party

  • Rescue, shelter or current owner*
  • Rehoming party's address, phone or email

2 Adopter

  • Adopter's full name*
  • Adopter's home address*
  • Adopter's phone

3 The pet

  • Adoption date*
  • Pet's name*
  • Species, breed, sex, age and colour*
  • Microchip number
  • Vaccinations and treatment given*
  • Known health or behaviour issues
  • Spay / neuter* The pet has already been spayed or neutered · The Adopter will have the pet spayed or neutered by the date below · Spaying or neutering is not required
  • Spay / neuter by

4 Fee and conditions

  • Currency*
  • Adoption fee
  • The fee helps cover
  • Special conditions

5 Returns and follow-up

  • Settling-in period (days)
  • Fee refund within the settling-in period* refunded in full · refunded, less reasonable costs · not refunded
  • Follow-up* The Adopter will send updates and photos when asked during the first six months · The Rehoming party may arrange a home visit, by appointment, during the first six months · No follow-up is required
  • Governing law*

6 Who signs

  • Rehoming party signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The rescue, shelter or current owner. For an organisation, the person signing on its behalf.
  • Adopter signature and date, initials on every page

What the pet adoption agreement Covers

  1. The pet
  2. Adoption fee and ownership
  3. Care of the pet
  4. Spay / neuter
  5. If the adoption doesn't work out
  6. Follow-up
  7. Responsibility
  8. General

Using the pet adoption agreement, step by step

1 Describe the pet honestly

Enter the pet's name, species, breed, sex, age and colour, and its microchip number. List the vaccinations and treatment it has had, with dates. Write down every known health or behaviour issue, such as nervousness around children or a condition needing ongoing care. The agreement records that the adopter has been told.

2 Set the fee and conditions

Enter the adoption fee, if any, and what it helps cover. If there is no fee, the agreement says so. Add special conditions, such as indoor-only for a cat or a secure garden for a dog. Choose the spay/neuter position: already done, to be done by a date you set, or not required.

3 Decide on returns and follow-up

Set a settling-in period (14 days is a common starting point) and whether the fee is refunded in full, less costs, or not at all if the pet comes back in that time. The adopter always promises to contact you first if they can't keep the pet later. Choose follow-up: updates and photos, a home visit by appointment, or none.

4 Send and hand over

Enter the adopter's details and the governing law, tick "This is me" for your side and add the adopter. Both of you initial each page and sign. Hand over the health records and help the adopter move the microchip into their name.

Tips Before You Send It

  • Disclose everything you know about health and behaviour. It protects you, and it means the adopter chose the pet knowing its needs.
  • Take the adopter's full address. The pet will live there, and you'll need it for any follow-up.
  • Remind the adopter to update the microchip registration straight away. Many lost pets are never returned because the details are out of date.
  • If you set a spay/neuter date, ask for the vet's confirmation. The agreement requires the adopter to send proof.
  • Some places regulate rescues, animal sales or rehoming fees. Check local rules if you rehome animals regularly.

Sign It Online In Minutes

  1. Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
  2. Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
  3. Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Use the pet adoption agreement Template — It’s Free

Pet adoption agreement: frequently asked questions

Can I make the adopter give the pet back if they don't look after it?

The agreement records the adopter's care promises and their promise to contact you first before passing the pet on. It doesn't give you a right to take the pet back by force. If you believe an animal is being seriously neglected or mistreated, report it to the local animal welfare authority, as the agreement says.

Is the adoption fee refundable?

Only if you choose so. You can set a settling-in period in which the fee is refunded in full, refunded less reasonable costs, or not refunded if the pet comes back. After that period, fees are not refunded.

Can a private owner use this, or only a rescue?

Both. The rehoming party can be a registered rescue, a shelter, a foster carer or an individual rehoming their own pet. For an organisation, the person signing adds their job title.

Is a pet adoption agreement signed online valid?

Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary agreements like this in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as a record of who signed and when.

Is this template free?

Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and the people you send it to don't need a VergeHR login to sign.

Use This Template — Free