Learn about the process of adopting an animal from our shelter. This page will walk you through the steps of our adoption process. Our Adoption Process Shelter animals are often special needs cases. We very rarely have “perfect” animals. Due to the needs of our available pets, not all adoptions can be same day adoptions. Taking the time to get to know the pet is key to a successful adoption. Our adoption process is aimed at matching you, your family, and your current pets with our available animals. If you have any questions about our adoption process, please give us a call at (208) 883-1166 . Adoption Requirements Pet Supply Checklists Once you have met the companion animal you would like to adopt, the staff member assisting you will share any information about the animal's history, behavior, and needs. After you have had a conversation about the animal, a staff member will walk you through the following steps: Step 1: Screening Application ***Completing an application DOES NOT guarantee an approved adoption.*** Upon completion, a staff member will confirm that you are in good standing with the Humane Society of the Palouse, and that the provided housing information is correct. If applicable, a staff member will call your landlord to confirm the animal is being adopted into a welcoming environment. If you are a homeowner, the staff member will request to see proof of homeownership. This can be provided easily with a copy of a water or sewer bill. The screening process includes: Completed Application Proof of Address Legal Form of ID Rental Agreement or Proof of Homeownership If there is already a canine in your home, we require an introduction between your current dog and any dog(s) you are interested in adopting prior to approving your application. Step 2: Adoption Contract Once your information has been confirmed and your application is approved, the staff member will have you fill out our adoption contract. We will also have you fill out the microchip registration form for your pet. Each adoption comes with one year of free registration. HSoP uses Home Again microchips for all of our animals. You do not need to re-register after the free year is over, your pet's information can still be accessed with a microchip scanner when needed. Step 3: Review Medical History Next, staff will review your pet’s current health history and discuss proper care, along with any special needs. Each pet adopted from HSoP receives the following care prior to adoption: Spay or Neuter Microchip Implantation and Registration Rabies Vaccine (if old enough to receive) Dewormer (Strongid) DAPPVL Vaccine (for canines) Bronchicine Vaccine (for canines) FVRCP Vaccine (for felines) *Effective 2/23/2024, HSoP will only test felines for FeLV or FIV when warranted by symptoms. We recommend working with your veterinarian to determine necessary testing and vaccinations for your newly adopted cat. Step 4: Pay Adoption Fee Adoption fees vary by type of animal. Our adoption fees include immunization, microchipping, deworming, sterilization, and any other medical care required prior to adoption. Below are our current adoption fees: Feline Adoption Fee (0-5 years old): Feline Adoption Fee (6+ years old): Second Feline Adoption within 6 Months: Canine Adoption Fee (0-5 years old): Canine Adoption Fee (6+ years old): Second Canine Adoption within 6 Months: Small Animal Adoption Fee: $100.00 $50.00 $50.00 $135.00 $67.50 $67.50 $50.00 Adoption Fees Step 5: Take Your New Pet Home! Bring your furry friend home with you! We offer a seven-day foster period with all new adoptions to ensure they're a great fit at home. These seven days also act as a health guarantee. If any veterinary concerns come up during the first week, please give us a call at (208) 883-1166 before seeking vet care so we can assist you. After seven days, we'll mail you your pets’ rabies certificate, rabies tag, and microchip tag. If you have any questions or concerns during this foster period, please do not hesitate to call. We're here to help! Requirements Our Adoption Requirements HSoP reserves the right to refuse adoption to anyone and for any reason. Adoptions are based on a “best match” basis, not first come first serve. Adopters must have a completed and approved application. Adopters must be 18 years of age or older. If the adopter still lives at home, they must have permission from the homeowner (parents, etc.) in order to be approved for adoption. Adopters must provide government-issued identification. Adopters must provide proof of address. All adoptions must take place in person. All cats and kittens must go home in a secure pet carrier. Adopters are welcome to bring their own or borrow an HSoP carrier for a small fee. HSoP will not approve an adoption until receiving confirmation from the adopter’s landlord. HSoP will not adopt out pets who will be “outdoor-only”. HSoP will not adopt pets out as “gifts” for friends or family members who have not met the animal in person. We do offer gift certificates which can be purchased in any amount and applied toward the fees of future HSoP-approved adoptions. HSoP reserves the right to deny adoption if the adopter plans to declaw an adopted feline. HSoP will only place an animal on “hold” for up to 24 hours if there is an approved application on file. We will not place animals on "hold" if they are less than one year of age. HSoP encourages all members of the household to interact with the pet before adoption is finalized. Pet Supply Checklists Checklist Recommended items for dogs: Food and water bowls Food (wet and/or dry) ID tag with phone number Hard plastic carrier or metal crate Nail clippers Dog bed Brush or comb Poop baggies/pooper scooper Doggy Shampoo and conditioner Variety of treats Small biscuits, milkbones, etc. Variety of toys A ball, rope, chew toys, puzzle feeders, etc. Owned dogs in the city of Moscow are required to have a City License. We recommend licensing your dog at HSoP or the Moscow Police Department after your seven day foster period. Recommended items for cats: Food and water bowls Food (wet and/or dry) ID tag with phone number Hard plastic carrier Nail clippers Cat bed Brush or comb Litter box and scooper Kitty litter Variety of treats Variety of toys Crinkles, stuffed toys, bells, wand toys, cat nip, etc.

Have you found a tiny kitten? Look no further! Visit this page for helpful information on what to do now. Found Tiny Kitten(s) Neonatal Kittens (1-day to 5-weeks old) best chance at survival is with their mom. If you find a kitten or litter of kittens under 6 weeks of age, watch from afar to see if mom comes back. Chances are mom is off hunting for food. Do not move or relocate the kittens until you know if there is a mom. If mom comes back, see if she is friendly. Will she let you pet her or feed her? If so, attempt to gather mom and babies into carriers. Call HSoP, so we can get them all in safely! If mom is not friendly, the best option is to wait until kittens are roughly eight weeks old. Kittens can be brought to HSoP to help socialize them and get them ready for adoption. Mom should be Trapped, fixed, and released. Unfortunately, at this time we cannot accept feral cats. We do offer a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program specifically for feral cats. This program provides the cage to trap feral cats, and HSoP will pay the full amount to have these cats vaccinated and sterilized to prevent more unwanted litters in the future. If you need help feeding mom or kittens, please call us to get some assistance with pet food. Visit our Food Pantry page for more information. If mom does not come back after five hours, it is safe to assume she is not coming back. Gather the kittens in a carrier or box, and give them a heating pad (always wrap the heating pad in a towel or blanket to avoid burning their delicate skin). Call HSoP immediately, and bring them to us as soon as possible. HSoP is always looking for new foster families. If you are interested in fostering the litter of kittens you found, or any kittens we have, check out our Foster page for more information!

December 1977 The need for a humane society in Latah County On December 13th, 1977, The Idahoan published an article titled "The Man Who Kills Dogs". The author, David Johnson, wrote a gritty and detailed account of the euthanasia taking place every day at what was once the Moscow Pound. The response to Johnson's article was swift and substantial. Within days of being published, the Idahoan received several letters to the editor. Some of the titles included "Do Something", "Don't Dump Them", and "Form Humane Society". The people of Moscow were moved by Johnson's article, and soon the idea of a humane society seemed both possible and necessary. January 1978 The first steps Following the cries for a Humane Society to be formed, a group of Latah County residents took it upon themselves to make it happen. Lorin Roberts and J.D. Farrar led the march when it came to getting a humane society up and running. In 1978, a yearly membership with the humane society costed individuals $5. There was no building, or even real plans for it. But there were plenty of people who cared enough to get organized.

Learn about microchipping services offered by our shelter. It is so important to microchip your pet, and we want everyone to be able to do just that! Microchipping Importance of pet identification: Each year, hundreds of lost or abandoned animals are sheltered by the Humane Society of the Palouse. Many of these companion animals are reunited with their loved ones. Some however, an owner is never found. Those who arrive without identification are less likely to be reunited with their owner. We recommend having a collar with up to date identification tags as well as a registered and up to date Microchip. Even though collars can come off, there is a good chance that they won’t. Having up to date and legible identification tags on your pet will help aid in getting your pet home faster. Avoiding the stress of a visit to our shelter is what is best for you pet. We do love making new furry friends, and we do our best to keep them as comfortable as possible during their stay, but at home with you is where they would much rather be. Using a collar with tags in addition to a microchip just further ensures their and your comfort in being reunited. Microchipping is your pets permanent form of identification. Every companion animal that arrives as a stray to any humane society or vet clinic is scanned for a microchip. Microchipping offers pet owners the security and peace of mind that comes from the only permanent pet identification technology. Microchips are a safe, secure and permanent way to reunite you and your pet. What is a Microchip? A microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is a radio-frequency identification transponder made up of just a few components encased within a slender capsule of bioglass, which is used extensively for implants in both humans and animals. Microchips are the only form of identification that cannot fall off, be taken off, or become illegible and it lasts your pets entire lifetime. The microchip comes preloaded in a sterile applicator and is injected under the loose skin between the shoulder blades. The process takes only a few seconds, and your pet will not react any more than he would to a vaccination. If your pet becomes lost and is taken to a vet clinic or animal shelter, your pet will be scanned for a microchip to reveal his unique ID number. That number will be called into the pet recovery service, and you will be contacted using the contact information on file with your pet’s microchip. **It is vital to keep your contact information up to date so that you can be reached. All animals microchipped by HSoP are registered with HomeAgain microchips. Sources: The importance of pet identification-Petfinder.com How Are Microchips Implanted?-Petfinder.com Pet Microchip FAQs-Petfinder.com 24PetWatch Pet Recovery Services

Thank you, Donor Name We are so grateful for your generous donation of $0. Your donation number is #1000. You’ll receive a confirmation email soon.

Read about the HSoP events you can look forward to! This calander outlines all of our planned events in the near future.

Learn about the ways you can get involved in saving local homless pets. This includes donating, volunteering, and fostering. Get Involved! Our amazing community is truly what makes our work possible. The residents of Moscow and Latah County have continuously shown how much they care for local animals over the last 40 years. There's several ways to get involved in our lifesaving mission! Each year we have the help of countless volunteers who ensure each animal is safe and comfortable in our care. We also have an extremely generous community who funds more than 30% of our shelter expenses through donations! The community effort doesn't end there. Many of our toys, blankets, treats, and carriers have been donated by helpful residents of Moscow and Latah County, and event volunteers make sure our fundraising efforts are successful year after year! There are even some community members who choose a more hands-on approach and get involved by fostering animals still in search of their forever homes. We are always trying to brainstorm more ways our community can get involved in the work we do. If you have any questions or ideas about how you could help us save countless lives, please send us an email us at information@humanesocietyofthepalouse.org Donate Volunteer Foster Shop Thank you for allowing us to help those who cannot help themselves!

Santa is coming to town early this year just for the four-legged friends! Bring your friendly pets to visit Santa on December 5th and December 6th to get your holiday photos taken. Santa loves meeting all of the pets, so don't hesitate to bring your pocket pets, feathered friends, and reptiles. For just $15 you will receive two digital photos of your pet(s) and Santa Paws. We hope to see you there! Thank you to Latah Credit Union for sponsoring the credit card fees during this event, which means all proceeds from the event benefit the Humane Society of the Palouse! Photography services donated by Safe Sax Photography

Learn about our shelter's policies and procedures regarding feral cats in Latah County. Feral Cat Information What is a Feral Cat? Feral cats have multiple definitions. There is the definition used in a 2003 article published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, that says a feral cat is “untamed and evasive; they either were born in the wild and lack socialization or were returned to the wild and became untrusting of humans.” Wolf, Peter J. "What Is a Feral Cat?" Petfinder. Petfinder, n.d. Web. 22 June 2017. What's the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat? It is not always easy to tell the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat. Both are pet cats. Stray cats are cats that were once owned and have strayed from home. Stray cats are homeless tame cats. Over time, without humane socialization, stray cats can become feral cats. Feral cats are pet cats that have never had human contact, and will not willingly interact with humans. Check out this PDF from Alley Cat Allies to learn more. What are feral cats classified as in the State of Idaho? Feral cats are not classified by Idaho Fish and Game as wildlife, they are feral pet animals. Is it legal to kill feral cats in the state of Idaho? According to Idaho Fish and Game: “The killing of feral cats is so much more than a simple legal question and answer. It may be legal when protecting your property, such as feral cats engaged in the taking of your livestock or even pets. Taking a feral cat in the wilds of Idaho would require a valid hunting license. However, there are other considerations to keep in mind: Are you in a city limit that prohibits the discharge of a firearm? Does the county have a no shooting safety ordinance for your neighborhood? Is the cat actually Feral, or has Muffy escaped their yard and the 8 year old owner out looking for their pet kitty?” Click here to learn more about Idaho Animal Laws; Title 25 Animals, Chapter 35 Animal Care. Who is responsible for the care of feral cats in the state of Idaho? In the eyes of the State of Idaho, the responsibility falls on the property owner unless the county or city they reside in has their own specific ordinances for feral cat care. Latah County does not have any animal control or regulations for cats. The city of Moscow does not have any specific animal code for cats or feral cats. The responsibility than falls on the property owner. According to Idaho Animal Code, control and responsibility of feral cats fall on the property owner. https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title25/T25CH35/ Does the Humane Society of the Palouse take in feral cats? The HSoP is unable to take in wild, free-roaming cats because the shelter does not contain facilities conducive to the care of untamed animals. Though HSoP wants to have the ability to take in feral cats, we have limitations. Feral cats require safety equipment that HSoP does not have, nor can HSoP afford at this point in time. In order to take in ferals, HSoP would also need to expand enough to take in additional animals that are not companion animals, which at this time is not financially possible. For 40 years HSoP has served Latah County and the City of Moscow’s needs for companion, tame animals. We do not have the labor, training, equipment or expertise to take care of wild animals. Though HSoP is unable to take in feral cats, we do offer a program that helps to limit infectious diseases and unwanted births among feral cats in Latah County. Our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program works to safely trap feral cats so our vet partners can vaccinate and sterilize them before being released where they were found. This program is offered for all residents of Latah County and helps immensely with reducing the homeless cat population. HSoP will cover all costs associated with feral cats who benefit from our TNR program. For more information, visit our TNR page . How can you help feral cats? One way you can help feral cats in Latah County is to get them involved in the HSoP TNR program . This ensures that they are properly vaccinated against infectious diseases and spayed or neutered to prevent any future litters of homeless cats. Visit: http://animalhouseferals.com/ to learn more about how you can help local feral cats! HSoP Position on Feral Cats For 40 years, we have served local animals under our mission statement: “The Humane Society of the Palouse is a no-kill animal shelter located in Moscow ID, founded in 1978. Our mission is to ensure the humane treatment, welfare and safety of companion animals in Moscow and Latah County. We strive to prevent cruelty to animals, to ensure companion animals are adopted by responsible and caring owners, to promote spaying/neutering, to educate the public regarding responsible pet ownership, and to minimize euthanasia.” We are acutely aware of the feral population in Latah County, the city of Moscow and the UI Campus and are doing everything within our means and ability to help. We are locally operated with a small staff and dedicated volunteers. There are currently no regulations or ordinance for felines in Latah County. We recommend that this be the starting point for containing this issue. Without regulation, feral cats continuously have unwanted and uncared for litters. If there were enforceable animal code regarding responsible ownership of cats in Latah County, we would see a decrease in unwanted animals. We are actively taking measures to find a solution for ferals. We are looking into grants for funding a feral solution program, and re-organizing our own operation in order to help alleviate the feral burden without jeopardizing the animals in our shelter. In our mission statement, we state that we will find homes for companion animals. There are many reasons for this. To provide services for feral animals, we would need a new facility with up to date kennels for the safety of the staff and animals, we would need more funding for specialized training and gear. At this time, those needs cannot be met with current funding or facility. In the past, HSoP partnered with the FCS program. Where we engaged in doing a TNR providing preventative care as well as euthanization for those with HIV, or those with extremely poor health. Our FCS program was able to make ends meet by charging $50 per cat. The FCS clinics were a “win win” for cat owners, WSU vet med students, and HSoP. FCS has since dissolved. Humane Live Traps Tips and Tricks to Trapping Feral Cats Trap entrance This is where the feral cat will enter Weight lever Once the cat steps on this, the door will close trapping the cat inside. Place food here to entice the cat to walk into the trap and put weight on the lever. 1 2 3 Disguise the trap to look like a cozy den. This will help the fearful ferals feel more comfortable going into the trap. What tasty food to put in the trap? Canned cat food Tuna fish Sardines (no additives) Gerber baby food (ham or turkey) Other Trapping Information: You must own the property you are trapping on. If you rent, you must have the land owners verbal consent to set a trap. If you catch any kind of wildlife, call Palouse Wildlife and Rehabilitation for instructions on humanely releasing the animal. (208) 614-2273 Helping that stubborn feral get into the trap If a cat is reluctant to enter the trap, you may need to help them get more comfortable with it. Clip the trap door open, so it will not shut when weight is on the lever. Leave the door open for a few days, so the cat can come and go as it pleases. This will create a routine for the cat. After four-five days, remove the clip and prepare to catch the cat. Create a food trail leading into the trap. Place some food outside the trap door, and drop pieces every few inches to entice the cat to walk into the trap. Cover the traps like the photos above. Feral cats like to find covered hidey holes or dens to stay in. This makes them feel protected against predators. Try covering the traps with a blanket, or some leaves and twigs. Try different locations. If the cat is reluctant to enter the trap where you have it, try relocating the trap to other locations on your property. I've trapped the cat...now what? Great job! The toughest part is over. Now that the cat is in the trap, place a blanket or towel over the top. This will help them stay relaxed, and protect you from any claws or teeth if they panic! Take your cat to the vet to have it spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped. Once your feral has been taken care of at the vet office, it's time to release them back to their home. Releasing a feral cat back to the same location has a lot of great perks for the cat and the property owner! Feral cats do not like people, which means they won't bother you. They just need a nice place to sleep, and maybe a little cat chow! Feral cats will reduce your pesky rodent population! Fixed feral cats will not be inclined to allow intact cats to come onto the property. They will keep other feral cats from coming to your property. One feral cat is perfect...but nobody wants ten! You saved a homeless pets life!