For almost three years, we have been operating exclusively by appointment for several services such as adoptions, abandonments and taking in stray animals. We know that this method of operation can raise many questions and we are committed to demystifying the reasons behind our choice. You will find here clarifications on the benefits of appointments for the shelter, for the animals and for our clients!

• For adoptions

The fact that we operate by appointment allows us to offer a much better service to our clientele: our counsellors have more time for each adopter, are more focused and are less often overworked. In addition, they have more time to get to know each animal before the adoption and thus better accompany the adopters.

For our clientele, the advantage of not having to wait in line and sometimes for hours to obtain a consultation is not negligible! Also, you can now spend more time with the animal to make sure you have a good connection with it before taking it home.

We have also found that operating by appointment has drastically reduced the number of return adoptions, as the lag period allows for more thought and fewer "spur of the moment" adoptions.

Finally, the reduction of traffic in the shelter contributes to the well-being of the animals by reducing their stress and avoiding unnecessary handling and transport of diseases.

• For stray animals

When we take in stray animals, we must ensure that we have the space and resources to properly care for their needs. This is especially critical with cats, as the shelter is often at capacity! This is why we operate with a waiting list and appointments so that we can be properly prepared to take in the animal.

Our priority is to take good care of the animals surrendered to us. This means being able to provide them with a veterinary examination, the health care they need, and spay/neuter surgery. We have to deal with the limitations of our facilities and the human resources available to us.

Having an acceptable population rate reduces the stress on the animals, which drastically reduces the risk of disease and ensures their increased well-being.

This is also true for the shelter team, who devote themselves body and soul to our little residents! At the SPCA de l'Outaouais, we are committed to providing adequate and satisfactory working conditions for all our employees.

• For abandonment

In addition to everything that has already been said about taking in stray animals, the fact that we work by appointment for abandonments offers additional advantages: the latency period is often an opportunity for our animal behaviorists to offer advice to the family and to work together on the undesirable behaviors that sometimes lead to abandonment.

Some families finally decide to keep their pet because they are able to resolve the issues that were causing them trouble!

Otherwise, the waiting period can also be used to fill out the pet's life habits form, which is very useful for us to take good care of the animal and find the perfect adoption family!

The shelter team can also provide advice on how to re-home the animal on your own, especially via social networks. This saves the animal from going through a long and stressful process and allows us to focus on helping other animals.

In the case of multiple abandonments, the delay can also be explained by our desire to allow the animals to stay together. We will make sure we have enough space to accommodate them without having to separate them.

• Our answers to frequently heard objections

"I've filled out several adoption interest forms, but it never works out and the pet always gets adopted by someone else before me!"

Finding the right pet at the right time takes patience and perseverance! Our adoption manager manually manages all the requests, so it is normal that there is a delay before the animal is posted "adoption pending!". We operate in chronological order and by queue.

Rest assured that we never run out of cats and will make sure we find the perfect feline for you!

"I'd like to see all the cats and choose the one I have a crush on."

We know that it is extremely important to feel a beautiful connection with your future pet, which is why every adoption consultation includes time for you to spend alone with them!

It is important to note that a consultation appointment is not binding: if you do not feel a connection with the animal, it is possible that we can introduce you to another one or simply schedule an appointment with another animal!

That being said, the information in the animal's profile generally allows us to identify the best matches. The vast majority of our appointments result in adoptions!

• Keep in mind

Our previous walk-in method of operation required a lot of organization, management and resources. The adjustments we have made allow us to better serve the animals and our clientele.

We invite you to take the test: we receive excellent feedback from adoption consultations and it shows that our clients really appreciate their experience with us!

We focus on quality without neglecting quantity. The best of both worlds!