Main Line Animal Rescue is dedicated to finding the right home for each and every dog, cat, and critter that ends up in their shelter. They're a privately run and funded animal shelter that takes in hundreds of lost, neglected, and abandoned animals every year. Their mission is to be an innovative animal shelter that leads the country and paves the way to increased welfare for all animals. Through continued advocacy, they've been tirelessly fighting to put a stop to puppy mills and improve the general well-being of all animals. Through these activities they've received a lot of media attention, which has gone a long way in furthering their cause.
Located on the 60-acre Pickering Meade Farm, they have state-of-the-art veterinary facilities, comfortable kennels with air conditioning and heated flooring, and 3 free-roam cat rooms. They also offer training and welfare classes for puppies and dogs to help them develop good behavior and socialization skills. This increases their chances of being successfully placed in a loving forever home. At any given time, there are 120 dogs and 50 cats at the shelter, and as soon as one of these joyful souls is placed, another takes their spot.
Main Line Animal Rescue considers your lifestyle as well as the personality of the animal when making adoption decisions. All those who want to adopt must be able to provide vet references, unless they're adopting their very first pet. Applicants must also be at least 21 years old.
To adopt a dog or cat from Main Line Animal Rescue, you must complete their online adoption application, after which a shelter volunteer will contact you to schedule an appointment. This generally happens within 72 hours.
You'll meet with an adoption counselor to determine the right pet for you and ensure that you have all the tools and resources required to provide the animal with a safe, loving home. You may have to undergo a home visit, especially if you're looking to adopt a dog that'll need a suitable fenced-in yard.
Main Line Animal Rescue doesn't have set adoption fees for any of their dogs or cats, but appreciates a donation in honor of your adoption. This donation will serve to help them fund the treatment and care of other animals in need. The recommended donation is $250 for dogs and $125 for cats.
All pets receive quality veterinary services including spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, deworming, and microchipping. Dogs will also be sent home with a new Martingale collar and ID tag.
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.
