Founded in 1959, for over 50 years the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) has been dedicated to advocating for and working towards a responsible and humane community. RCHS provides shelter and adoption opportunities for pets who are homeless and promotes animal welfare through community programs that benefit both animals and people. RCHS is a private, non-profit organization serving the communities of Rutland County, VT. RCHS receives no financial support from any national or local humane organization. Programs are supported solely by donations, memberships and fund raising events.
Adopting an animal from the RCHS is a simple process. After you see an animal on-line or in the newspaper, we invite you to visit with them in person and learn more about them through our Adoption Books and talking to staff members. After you select an animal whom you are interested in adopting, you will be asked to fill out our Adoption Questionnaire. Please be prepared to provide the following pieces of information: Your veterinarian's name; Evidence of homeownership (i.e. mortgage stub or tax bill) or your landlord’s name and phone number. For potential dog adopters, the interactions between dogs and cats are so frequently dependent on context that we feel placement recommendations such as "No Cats" may be unnecessarily restrictive and cause dogs at the shelter potentially to miss out on loving homes. We are therefore not advising potential adopters on the suitability of a shelter dog living with cats but rather will focus on giving you recommendations to make the introductions and adjustment period safe for all. In the event that we witness a dog displaying distinct and widespread fixation or aggression to cats or can confirm such behavior, we will not place that dog in a home with cats. For all other dogs, we will leave the choice and responsibility up to you. Please bear in mind that certain breeds are genetically programmed to have "high prey drives" and may be more likely to harass, chase and harm a cat. Do your homework! Similarly, the interactions between dogs and children are highly specific to the circumstances of any situation. The interactions often depend as much, or more, on the child's behavior and level of parental supervision. Because safety is a priority with us, occasionally a dog will be restricted to placement in a home with children of a certain age. Factors we take into consideration when making this decision include: a dog's tolerance to handling and interference with his own agenda, whether the dog has a "hard" or "soft" mouth, specific aggressive behaviors such as growling over food and toys, and any interactions with children we observe. The shelter staff will expect that you are informed of this restriction for any dog that you "see" online. If you are interested in adopting a dog from RCHS please know that we require all members of the household to come to RCHS and meet the dog. This includes your dog, too! It takes dogs a period of time to settle into their new homes and adjust to their new family and life. As a result, we will not adopt 2 dogs at the same time unless they lived together in a previous home. If you are interested in adopting a second dog from us it would need to be 3 months after bringing the first dog into your home. We will do our best to complete the adoption process of your new pet prior to our closing at 5 pm. We do want our adopters to have the time needed to get to know the animal, ask questions and get ready to take the new pet home. If we can't complete everything in one day we will work with the adopter to complete the adoption our next business day. The Rutland County Humane Society is responsible for placing our animals into the most appropriate homes possible. This responsibility may result in the denial of an adoption at the discretion of the Associate Director or the Executive Director.