Guide to adopting a dog in Singapore

I totally get that the pet adoption process here in Singapore can be a bit difficult. Even though many people are keen to adopt, some are deterred by the occasional lack of transparency and clarity. Having gone through the process earlier this year, I thought I’d share my experience and some tips to help out anyone who is looking to adopt a pet.

Here are the steps I took:

1. Visiting the VFA FB page ——

We saw Juliet for the first time through the Voices for Animals Facebook page They were doing a livestream and showcasing the new batch of dogs and we and found her really adorable. Keep track of when each shelter conducts their adoption drive. They will usually post on their fb and ig channels.

2. Writing in ——

Derrick, the super nice but tough looking guy who runs the shelter linked a questionnaire after the livestream so we filled that up and sent an email to the VFA email he provided. I know the questionnaire can be a bit tedious but try to be as thorough as possible to show your sincerity and seriousness in adopting a dog as this is what they look out for.

3. Hearing back ——

After about a week, we heard back from the shelter who invited us to go down at a designated date and time over the weekend. Try to make time to accommodate the time slot if you are serious about adopting. We had to rearrange our sched due to a conflict in activities but it was no biggie.

4. Showing up at the shelter ——

We showed up at the shelter after our Sunday family lunch. We brought everybody down, including our existing dog so that we can all interact with the potential dogs and all be accountable for this decision.

5. Interacting with potential dogs ——

At the shelter, when your name is called, you get to go inside the room to select a dog you would like to try interacting with. We selected Juliet because she seemed like a really good natured pup and was standing quietly in the middle of the room. She was brought out to the lawn to get to know the family. If you don’t feel any connection with this dog, you can inform the volunteer to see another dog. We immediately liked Juliet and didn’t need to see another dog.

6. Signing the papers ——

You can decide to immediately adopt a dog or head home to reconsider. I would say that most people who end up adopting decide on the spot. We adopted Juliet immediately and we were directed to another section of the shelter with tables to sign the adoption papers. A nominal sum of 500 sgd is collected and it goes to taking care of future batches of rescue pups.

7. Bringing our doggie home ——

After signing the papers, we brought Juliet home on the same day and scheduled her necessary vet checkup appointment and spaying.

Hope this helps in providing more clarity on what the pet adoption process in Singapore is like. The tedious process is totally #WorthIt Do share your experience too if your pup is adopted like our Juliet!

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