Homeward Trails Animal Rescue Pet Shelter in Fairfax Station VA

About

Homeward Trails Animal Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides pet adoption in Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland. We find homes for dogs and cats rescued from low-income, rural animal shelters or whose owners can no longer care for them; abandoned hunting dogs who are dumped in woods or left at shelters; owned pets whose owners can no longer care for them; and animals who have been injured, abused and neglected. We have helped internationally as well: we have rescued dogs from Thailand, China, Korea, Russia, Peru, Greece and Kuwait. And we have run a full-time program in Puerto Rico for 4 years, rescuing more than 450 dogs and providing Trap-Neuter-Return services for more than 500 cats. We actively seek to reduce the rate of euthanasia, support proactive spay/neuter practices, and educate the public about how to care for their animals in a humane way. We facilitate adoptions from local shelters and support a large network of foster care providers who take homeless dogs and cats into their homes, care for them, rehabilitate them when needed, and prepare them for their permanent adoptive homes.

Pets available

Dogs Cats

Adoption process

You will first be required to complete our Adoption Questionnaire through our ShlelterLuv system. Once received, an HT rep will contact you via phone or e-mail. If it seems you are a good fit for each other based on the info you provided, a phone interview will follow. If you are renting, we require proof that you are allowed to have a pet as well as any breed or size restrictions that may exist. If you have pets or did previously, we require your vet information and we will call them to verify that your pets are in good health, current on vaccines and spayed/neutered. We require that all pets in the home be spayed/neutered unless there are health reasons that can be verified with the vet. In our Adoption Agreement, we require that every animal be spayed/neutered (if not prior to adoption) by a specific date. This is VERY important as the overpopulation of dogs and cats in our country is a sad result of too many unplanned litters! If for any reason the match is not as perfect as we all had hoped, the dog or cat must be returned to Homeward Trails, not given away or turned in to a shelter. Serious fines apply to violators of the Homeward Trails Agreement to Adopt. So be clear about what you are signing and be prepared to abide by the contract. It is legally binding and we take it very seriously. Homeward Trails’ adoption fees range depending on type of animal, the originating shelter and the vetting the animal has received. Our adoption fees are set to allow us to cover our expenses as well as to help other animals in our program that require additional care. Our fees cover vetting costs, shelter fees, fuel for transport, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding, behavioral training and additional medical care. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our system do. Thus, any “extra” money from adoption fees goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Homeward Trails, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.