Answers to Questions About

For instructions on how to adopt; our adoption fees and what is included with those fees; and post-adoption instructions and requirements, see How to Adopt a Cat.

In most cases, yes. We actually prefer for you to take your new cat home so that he/she can get started being a part of your family. If you know you are in the market for a cat, it is a good idea to have some things ready for then such as bedding, food, bowls, and toys. That way, when you fall in love with the right one, you both will be ready.

Yes, your new cat will have had all of the vaccinations he/she needs up until the point of adoption. This means that you may have to get more vaccines as they become due but we will have taken care of what they need up until the date of adoption.

Yes, every cat in our program will have had the spay/neuter surgery prior to adoption. On very rare occasions, we will have kittens for adoption that have not been spayed or neutered but we will not release them to you until they have had their surgery (in general that means you pick them up directly from the vet) within a day or two of adoption.

No, see answer for “Has my new cat already been spayed/neutered?”

We do trial adoptions in certain situations, usually just for our adult pets. If you are interested in a trial adoption, speak with the counselor at the adoption event about your situation. You will be required to do all of the adoption paperwork and pay the adoption fee, but your contract will have a stipulation that entitles you to a full refund if you return the cat to us within a certain time frame.

Every cat leaves our care with health insurance from ShelterCare. You can use the insurance at any vet clinic (you have to file all the paperwork). It will cover your cat for 30 days and up to $750 per incident (after a $75 deductible).

Please read your insurance information carefully and be sure to activate it. This pet insurance only covers problems that have come up after adoption; it does not cover preexisting conditions.  The coverage begins 48 hours after adoption.

If your cat becomes ill within 48 hours of adoption, please contact us so that we can help you find low-cost solutions.

We try to set the right expectations about anything that we know about the cat before you adopt, but if you are experiencing a problem, we want to help you fix it.

We have volunteer trainers willing to help with behavioral issues and we have veterinarians that can offer advice on what to do with medical problems. We also send home every pet with 30 days of free health insurance that comes in handy should a medical problem develop after adoption. We want every adoption to be successful.

We will follow up with you after you adopt from us, to ensure that you have the support that you need. If you need to contact us before that, please email us at Adoptions@ClermontPetsAlive.org or give us a call at 513-279-2276. If you do not reach a live person, leave a message and we will get back to you within 24 hours.

CPA! will take back any adopted cat if the adoption does not work out for any reason. Please e-mail us at Adoptions@ClermontPetsAlive.org to start the return process. Please specify the problem you are having with your cat so we can assist you quickly.

Absolutely! CPA! is funded entirely through the generosity of concerned citizens and progressive business owners throughout the community. The money received from animal adoption fees barely covers the cost of providing basic veterinary care and the spay/neuter surgery.

We need donations to assist in the medical workup of each animal.  We need supplies like food, water, toys, and towels.  We need volunteers and fosters to save more animals, and we need the community to be aware of what we are doing.

Your generous donation will be used to support all the activities necessary to save more animals in Clermont County. Donations not designated for a specific program can be used for everything from providing veterinary care for an animal to purchasing a booth at a local event to provide visibility to the animals ready for adoption. Your donation will be used to serve the animals, we have no paid staff at CPA!.

Yes, Clermont Pets Alive! operates as a program of Pet Alliance, Inc., a 501(c) (3) organization created in 2006 and recognized as a charity by the IRS.  Our tax ID is 14-1966759.

Yes, the Donate Now form allows you to make a repetitive monthly donation.

In general, no. We want potential pet owners to be sure they are ready to adopt. We would rather you think about it before you adopt rather than after. We are willing to work through any issues that arise and depending on the situation, we may be able to offer an exchange or a partial refund.

Volunteer opportunities are constantly changing as we grow and develop new programs. Below is an alphabetical listing of current opportunities, but you will get more details and learn about the latest needs and options when you attend orientation.

Adoption

Assist adoption staff at CPA! offsite locations by answering questions from the public and facilitating introductions between potential adopters and our animals. Follow up with clients after adoption to check in and answer any questions or concerns.

Behavior

Work with our highest need dogs on manners, socialization, and basic obedience to make them more adoptable. Dog Behavior volunteers are eligible to take dogs on field trips and participate in training opportunities.

Data Entry/Office Work

Enter data to keep our processes running smoothly.

Events

Promote CPA!’s mission and recruit volunteers, fosters, adopters, and donors at special events around town. Work at info tables and booths, and hang out with adoptable animals while representing Clermont Pets Alive!.

Foster, Foster Coordination

Provide temporary care for cats or dogs in your home until they can be adopted.  You must be the owner/renter of home and fill out a Foster Care Volunteer Application.  See our Foster page for more information.

You can also assist in this effort by becoming a Foster Coordinator.  Foster Coordinators coordinate between different departments to keep our foster program running smoothly.

Fundraising

Our organization is completely dependent on donations.  This committee assists in finding individual and business sponsors; researching and writing grants; overseeing donor recognition; develop and assist with fundraising events.

Intake Coordination

Work with the Clermont Count Humane Society (CCHS) to determine which animals to bring into program based upon available space, coordinate incoming animals with Foster Coordinator, input new animal info into database, arrange/provide for transport to foster home.  Qualifications: Computer skills/internet access, highly organized, ability to remain level headed when faced with emotional decisions.

Medical Coordination

Ensure pets are up to date on all medical requirements prior to attending adoption events; ensure medical information is in database; help fosters with medical questions; coordinate medical needs with veterinarians.

Photography

Take and post digital photos of shelter and foster animals for marketing materials. Experience and DSLR camera strongly preferred.

Marketing/PR/Graphic Design

Help educate the public about CPA! and our mission.  Seek out public speaking opportunities; presentations at local fairs, farmers’ markets and other events; distribute PR materials at events and local businesses. Create a variety of promotional materials including brochures, ads, posters and flyers.

Transport

Transport dogs from CCHS and other locations to adoption sites and back via your own vehicle.

Volunteer Coordination

Assist in all aspects of recruiting, orienting, determining placement of, and coordinating volunteers for APA! departments.

Website/Other Tech Support

Design or program our website, support our databases, provide media/tech support for conferences, new facilities, etc.

Writing/Editing

Write a variety of different marketing materials; create animal biographies; edit publications like the No Kill Handbill.

Complete the Volunteer Application

The first step to becoming a volunteer is to fill out our online Volunteer Application.

A common reason that an application fails to submit is required fields left blank. All items with a red asterisk must be completed. Also, each application must have a unique email address, so duplicate applications from the same email address (shared by family members, for example) will not submit.

The email you receive after completing the application is verification that we received your application, but if you don’t receive the email that doesn’t mean the application wasn’t received. In most cases, if you don’t find the email in your regular inbox, it will be in your spam filter or junk mail folder because your email settings are not allowing email from Clermont Pets Alive!.

If you continue to have problems submitting your application or finding the email confirming your application, please let us know by emailing Volunteer@ClermontPetsAlive.org.