ASPCA Adoption Center in NYC

Come Prepared

When you are ready to visit the ASPCA Adoption Center on 92nd Street, please note the following to facilitate the adoption process:

• You must be 18 years of age or older to adopt.
• Adopters are required to provide a non-expired government issued photo ID with date of birth (e.g. Driver’s License, State Identification Card, Passport, etc.); in some cases, a separate proof of current address may be required (such as a lease or a telephone, utility or cable bill) and we recommend adopters bring this with them.  You will also be asked to provide the names for each member of the household over the age of 18.
• If you are interested in adopting a dog, all other residents of your household are welcome and encouraged to meet the dog during the adoption process, however, this is not a requirement. Only the person planning to adopt is required to come meet the dog.
• If you are interested in adopting a dog and already have a dog at home, you may wish to bring your dog for a meet-and-greet.  This is not required, but the staff will be happy to accommodate this request if you desire.  If you bring your resident dog with you, please also ask a trusted friend or family member to accompany you to wait with your resident dog while you tour the animals available for adoption.  Owned animals are not permitted on tours and staff cannot be responsible for pets owned by members of the public.
• If you have a resident cat, please leave them at home as we cannot perform any adoptions with resident cats present.
• You may be asked to provide one personal reference, reachable by phone.
• Be sure to check your building’s policy relevant to pet ownership to avoid any landlord concerns.
• If you have any questions, please call the Adoption Desk at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120.
• In most cases, you can take your new pet home on the same day. Prepare your home and check out our adoption tips before you pay us a visit.
• Please note that all of the cats available for adoption will be required to go home in a secure pet carrier; if you already own a secure pet carrier we encourage you to bring it with you when you come to adopt.  For your convenience, we have secure pet carriers available for purchase or rent for a fee of $35.

Download an Adopter Survey

You can get a head-start on the adoption process by downloading and printing a dog or cat adopter survey. Simply fill out the surveys and bring them to our Adoption Center staff when you visit the shelter.

Meet Your Match Cat Adopter Survey (pdf)
Meet Your Match Dog Adopter Survey (pdf)

Benefits and Adoption Fees

The ASPCA Adoption Center offers you and your new animal companion the following:

Benefits

• Spay/neuter surgery, up-to-date vaccinations, registered microchip, heartworm testing, FeLV/FIV testing for cats and an overview of your pet's medical care.
• Literature and information about animal behavior and what to expect from your new pet.
• A collar with personalized identification tag.

Adoption Fees

• Cats over three years of age: FREE*
• Cats age four months to three years: $75*
• Kittens up to four months: $125
• Dogs: $75 to $250** (smaller and younger dogs have higher adoption fees**)
• Please note that some of the cats available for adoption will be required to go home in a secure pet carrier, if you already own a secure pet carrier we encourage you to bring it with you when you come to adopt. We strongly urge all adopters, especially those adopting cats over nine months old, to invest in a secure pet carrier. For your convenience, we have secure pet carriers available for purchase or rent for a fee of $35.

*Some exceptions apply
**NYC residents will need to pay $8.50 for the DOH dog license.

Please note: Our "Cats Free Over Three" promotion is not applicable for pets adopted from our Mobile Adoption program.

Special Weekday Promotion: Cats one year and older: FREE (Monday through Thursday only)

The Gift-a-Pet Certificate allows you to pay the adoption fee of a cat or kitten for the giftee of your choice. The fee is $125.00 for kittens up to four months, $75.00 for cats aged 4 months to 3 years, and FREE for cats over three years of age. The recipient of the certificate may then come to our Adoption Center and, contingent on approval, select a cat or kitten to take home.

NOTE: At this time, we only offer Gift-a-Pet certificates for cat and kitten adoptions.

Before you purchase a Gift-a-Pet Certificate for someone, please take into consideration that adopting a companion animal is a big commitment. Answer these questions to help determine if your gift recipient is really ready for a new pet:

1. Has your friend or loved one expressed interest in adopting a cat or kitten?
2. Does this person or any member of their household have allergies to cats?
3. Is this person aware of the responsibility and care associated with being the guardian of a cat or kitten? Is he or she aware that a cat can live for 15-20 years?
4. Would you feel comfortable if this person gave you such a significant gift?
5. Is this person ready to deal with the late-night crazies and other high-energy antics of a kitten? Would an older cat be more appropriate?
6. Will he or she be bothered by having hair on everything—from clothes to toast?
7. Is he or she aware that cats need to scratch? The new pet will need appropriate surfaces such as scratching pads and posts.
8. Do you know if your friend’s landlord allows pets? Will everyone in the household be as happy to receive a new cat or kitten?
9. Are there other pets in the home? Will the current pets welcome a new addition?
10. Does this person understand the financial responsibility of caring for a cat or kitten (cost of food, vet visits, toys, etc.)?
11. Are there children in the household? How old are they? Consider that a rambunctious, teething kitten may not be a suitable pet for an infant or toddler.
12. Is the cat or kitten a gift for a child? Getting a pet is not the way to teach a child responsibility, and the animal may be harmed if the child fails to take care of the new pet.