Pet Adoption Policies

Gateway Pet Guardians Adoption Policy

Pet Adoption from Gateway Pet Guardians

Our philosophy is that you are a good person who came to an animal rescue to do the right thing: adopt a shelter pet or support Gateway Pet Guardians, so thank you!

Before you make the decision to bring a new pup into your life, take a moment to read  10 Things to Consider Before Adopting a Dog before you adopt. Is a cat more your speed?  Before bringing your new kitty home, take a minute to ready 10 Things to Consider Before Adopting a Cat

Adoption fees rarely cover the costs that Gateway Pet Guardians has invested in your new pet.  All of our pets are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, dewormed, microchipped and given monthly flea and heartworm preventative while in our care in addition to treating any other illnesses, injuries and other issues that we have noticed.

Adoption Fees

  • Dogs under four months old: $250
  • Dogs over four months old: $195
  • Cats under four months old: $100
  • Cats over four months old:  $75

Finding the Perfect Match

Careful placement of pets is one of our primary missions.  Matchmaking is our specialty. All of our cats and the majority of our dogs reside in foster homes while they wait to be adopted and our dogs in our shelter often go on Slumber Pawties  with volunteers too!  What’s cool about that is we get to know a ton of great information about our pets in a home setting which helps us match you up with a pet that will be a good fit with your family and lifestyle.  

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) – unfortunately some local municipalities have BSL rules on the books that say that residents in those communities are not allowed to own Pit Bull type dogs (many of our dogs fall into that very generic category) or other breeds.  Here are a couple of resources to see which municipalities still have these outdated laws on the books here:

Renters – It is VERY important that you review your lease and/or speak with your landlord PRIOR to adopting a pet.  Many landlords have restrictions on IF you can own pets, how many pets you can own and the type of pets allowed including size and breed restrictions.  Many landlords discriminate against Pit Bull type dogs and many of our dogs fall into that very generic category. The last thing we want you to do is take home a pet and fall in love and then have to return the pet to us.  That is heartbreaking for you and the pet who has bonded with you. We expect that you are taking ownership for verifying the pet policy for your rental situation PRIOR to adoption.

Adoption Requirements

  • You must be 18 years of age or older
  • You must show a picture ID with a current address. If this isn’t available, we will accept a picture ID with a current utility bill.
  • Adopting a cat? We require you to live within 100 miles of St. Louis. Adopters outside of that radius are considered on a case-by-case basis for special needs cats.
  • Adopting a dog? An GPG conducted meet-and-greet with current household dogs is generally recommended for most and required for some adult dogs.  

Pet Adoption Process & Application

Step 1:  Complete the adoption application.  You can list one or more pets that you are interested in adopting and/or you can ask for recommendations from our adoption matchmakers.

Step 2:  The animal’s Foster parent will contact you regarding your adoption application within 24-72 hours and explain the adoption process in detail. We do extensive personal and vet reference checks, home visits, etc. Our animals have had a rough life up until now, and we want to be sure that the rest of it will be smooth sailing.

Step 3:  If the meet and greet goes well and you are ready to move forward with adoption, you will submit the adoption contract and adoption fee and then you can take your new pet home.  

Pet Adoption Application

Our adoption guarantee means that if the pet you took home is not a good fit, you can return the pet to GPG within 7 days and we will refund your adoption fee or we can recommend other pets that might be a better fit for your household.