Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC was founded in 2016 by the historic merger of two iconic animal welfare organizations:
Both organizations have more than 100 years of experience protecting, rescuing, and caring for animals in the District of Columbia.
In 2019, Humane Rescue Alliance and St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center of Madison, New Jersey, merged to create the first regional, community-based, multi-state animal welfare organization in the nation.
Humane Rescue Alliance helps the people and pets in their community through several high-impact initiatives:
Considering adoption from Humane Rescue Alliance? Learn more about their adoption process and fees below.
Humane Rescue Alliance has a straightforward adoption process:
Adoption fees at Humane Rescue Alliance are as follows:
Your dog or cat adoption fee covers spay/neuter surgery, age-appropriate vaccinations, microchipping, and heartworm testing for dogs 6+ months old. As required by law, a $15 fee for a dog license will be added for dogs going to homes in the District of Columbia.
Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!
In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.
Because shelter dogs are full of love!
Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?
I can't say for certain, but yes.
Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:
Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:
These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.
You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.
Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.
If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!
If you're looking to adopt a new dog, our Dog Adoption Guide is a must-read. It has everything you need to know about bringing a shelter dog home:
And we're adding new guides all the time.