My name is BERNIE!

You must be at least 18 years old to adopt a pet.

We must be able to verify home ownership or verify that you are allowed to have pets by your landlord. Regardless of your age, if you live with a parent or guardian, they must be present at the point of adoption and will be asked to complete the adoption application.

You must have a personal phone number (e.g. home phone, personal cell phone), and a copy of your driver's license or State ID.

If you currently have a dog(s), we may require that you bring them in for an introduction before taking home your new family member. This is for dog adoptions only. If you’re driving a long distance to visit our shelter, it might be a good idea to bring your dog with you so you’ll be prepared should you decide to adopt a new pet. There is a play yard at the shelter that we use to help introduce pets for the first time. Staff members can help the family with this initial introduction, which makes everything smoother on the day your new pet comes home.

If you have children (under the age of 16), we require that they too be introduced to any prospective new pets to ensure compatibility. Some exceptions may apply for cat adoptions.

Due to the personal nature of choosing the right pet and the lifetime responsibility that follows, we do not allow pets to be purchased as gifts (unless it is for children living in your household—however introduction requirements above still apply). Gift certificates are available for purchase at the front desk.

We HIGHLY recommend that all pets in your home be spayed or neutered prior to adopting a new pet from our facility. If you need low-cost options please ask us!

Adoption Process:

After you have fallen in love with the animal you would like to make part of your family, you will go through the following steps:

Step 1: Fill out an application. If you'd like to fill out an application ahead of time, you can either email it or print it off and bring it with you.

Step 2: Your application will be processed by a staff member and you may take your pet home the same day upon approval of your application if all steps above have been completed.

If additional time is required to allow your family time to prepare for your new pet, you can place a pet on HOLD for 24 hours provided the adoption fee has been paid in full and all other requirements have been met.

Step 3: Once your application is approved you will pay the adoption fee for the animal you've selected. Adoption fees range between $0 (sponsored) and and $80 depending on the species, size and age. Please note we do offer discounts on our adoptions fees in many cases depending on how long the animal has been at the shelter, and we have occasional adoption promotions/specials.

NOTE: FCAC reserves the right to deny any application if it is deemed in the best interest of the animal and/or parties involved.

Adoption Program Benefits
All of the cats and dogs will be spayed/neutered prior to adoption.

All have received at least their first round of vaccines, have been dewormed and are flea-free. Most dogs will be heartworm tested as well.

All animals will receive a complimentary wellness exam which is redeemable with any participating veterinarian.

Please note that other treatments, medications or procedures your local vet may recommend are NOT included with our adoption fees and are the sole responsibility of the adopter. This includes a rabies vaccine and spay/neuter (if not already done) as well as antibiotics, booster shots, additional wormings, fecal examinations, and dental work. All adopters are required to take the adopted animal to a veterinarian within 7 business days for a wellness check.

We are located at 1540 Wentzel Street, Rochester Indiana 46975.
We are open Tues/Thurs/Fri 10-5, Wednesday 10-6:30pm and Saturday 10-4. Closed Sunday and Monday.