Frequently Asked Questions

We place 600–700 dogs and cats into loving homes every year, and we run entirely on donations — no government grants or outside funding. Every adoption, foster placement, and gift keeps that number growing.

We only take in as many animals as we can properly care for — medically, financially, and with enough foster and kennel space. We call this our Responsible Capacity. It means every animal in our care gets the attention, vetting, and time they need instead of being one of too many.

Most of our dogs come from overcrowded and at-risk shelters through partners in Puerto Rico, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Texas, as well as local situations where an animal urgently needs a safe place to go. We take in as many as our fosters and Responsible Capacity allow.

We're open Tuesday through Friday from 12–7 PM. Saturdays are reserved for adoption events — check our Events page for upcoming dates and locations. On Sundays, we're open 11 AM–2 PM when there's no event that day.

Email us at contact@happylifeanimalrescue.org. We respond to every message, though it may not be instant — thank you for your patience.

It starts with an adoption registration so our team can learn what you're looking for. From there, you'll meet with an adoption counselor during our open hours or at a weekend adoption event, spend time with our available animals, and find the right fit. If you fall in love, you can adopt on the spot — if not, you're always welcome back.

Adoption events are held at locations across the Hudson Valley, including pet stores and community spaces, and are first-come, first-served. You'll sign in when you arrive, then spend time getting to know our dogs and cats — outdoors for dogs when possible, in a comfortable space for cats. Our counselors are on hand the whole time to answer questions and help you find a good match.

Our adoption fee is $550 for dogs and $200 for cats. Every animal comes spayed or neutered, vaccinated (age-appropriate), and microchipped — with no annual fee to keep the microchip registered.

The fee covers more than medical care: it also helps offset pull fees, transport, staff care, heating and cooling their space, enrichment, toys, and bedding while an animal is in our care.

Every animal begins a deworming protocol as part of their care with us. Because of how parasite life cycles work, deworming can't be certified 100% complete on a set timeline, but every animal is treated appropriately for their age and situation.

We don't hold animals based on photos alone. Falling for a picture doesn't always mean it's the right match in person, and we want to make sure every adoption is a good fit for the long run. Once you're registered, you're welcome to come meet all of our available animals.

Please come prepared to take your new pet home the same day you adopt. We are not a boarding facility and do not have the capacity to offer post-adoption boarding for any reason. Our fosters typically have another animal ready to come in right away, so they aren't able to hold on to a pup or cat after the adoption is finalized. If you need a little time to prepare your home, we're happy to talk through timing before you finalize the adoption — just ask your adoption counselor.

Fill out a foster application for a dog or cat. Our foster team will review it and follow up with next steps.

Happy Life provides a crate, leash, collar, food, and all vetting costs — you provide a safe, loving home and some time and patience. Typical stays run 2–3 weeks, though some animals need more time. For the full rundown of what's required and how fostering works, visit our Foster page.

There's a role for almost any skill set: kennel care, photography and videography, marketing, data entry, helping at adoption events, transport, grant writing, and more. Start with our volunteer signup, and we'll follow up with orientation details and open roles that match your interests.

Visit our Volunteer page for a full breakdown of roles and what each one involves.

Yes! You can shop our Amazon wishlist or Chewy wishlist and have supplies sent directly to us.

You can give a one-time gift through our donation page, join our Monthly Saviors Club for recurring support, or send a gift via Venmo @HappylifeanimalrescueNY. Since we're 100% donation-funded, every gift goes directly toward animal care.

Yes, we do have a facility, but as a limited-intake shelter, we can only take in animals by appointment — we can't accept more than we're able to properly care for. We accept dogs and cats only; we don't take in other species. Please reach out to us to schedule an appointment and complete a surrender questionnaire.

Visit our Need to Rehome Your Pet page for guidance and resources. If cost is part of the issue, our Community Pet Food Pantry may also be able to help you keep your pet at home.

Please contact your local animal control officer (ACO) — that's how New York State handles found animals, and we're not permitted to take one in directly unless it comes to us through an ACO. Every town has a different ACO, so check the website for the town where you found the animal to get their contact information.

Visit our Lost Animals page for more resources.