How to adopt a dog or cat in India: the steps, fees and papers
Checked against 5 sources
Adopting through an Indian shelter or NGO usually means applying (often a form), visiting to meet and be matched with a dog or cat, a pre-adoption check, then signing an adoption form and collecting the medical record before you take your pet home12. Most shelters already vaccinate and sterilise animals before they're adopted out, and the adoption fee, if any, is usually small compared with buying a pedigree puppy12.
- The usual steps
- Apply, visit and meet, a pre-adoption check, sign the adoption form, collect the medical record, take your pet home12
- Fees
- Often free or a small contribution; varies by shelter. Some NGOs also offer "passive adoption" sponsorship, from about ₹3,000 a month, for animals that stay in shelter care2
- Papers you should get
- A medical and vaccination history record, and a signed adoption form or certificate12
- Adopting a street dog you already know
- Possible through a local NGO or vet, usually alongside sterilisation under the ABC Rules 20233
The printable version of this guide is a free PDF. Get it at thapki.app/guides/adoption/
On this page
How adoption usually works
- Apply: most shelters start with a form asking about your home, experience and what kind of dog or cat you're looking for12.
- Visit and meet: you'll usually visit the shelter, sometimes more than once, to meet and be matched with a dog or cat — this can take time if you want a specific age, size or temperament2.
- Pre-adoption check: many NGOs run a check before confirming the match, to see that the animal and your home are a reasonable fit2.
- Sign and collect papers: once it's agreed, you sign the shelter's adoption form and collect the medical documents and history record for your new pet2.
- Take your pet home: most shelter animals are already vaccinated and, for adults, usually sterilised, so there's rarely an immediate vet bill waiting for you12.
Questions worth asking the shelter
- What vaccinations and deworming has this pet had, and when is the next one due?12
- Has this pet been sterilised? If not, does the shelter arrange it, or is that on you?
- Does the shelter know why this pet was surrendered or picked up, if it wasn't born there?
- Any known health issues, past injuries, or medicines this pet is on?
- How has this pet been around other pets, children or being left alone, as far as the shelter has seen?
- What happens if it doesn't work out — does the shelter take a pet back?
Papers to collect at adoption
Fees: free, or a contribution
Many Indian shelters and NGOs charge little or nothing to adopt, since the goal is finding the animal a home, not recovering costs12. Some also run a "passive adoption" option, for people who can't take a pet home but want to fund its shelter care directly — CUPA Bengaluru's version starts at about ₹3,000 a month2.
Adopting a dog from your own street or society
If there's a community dog you already feed and know, you can usually arrange to adopt it formally through a local NGO or vet, alongside getting it sterilised under the ABC Rules 2023 — ask your nearest registered animal welfare organisation how they handle this in your city3.
Buying instead? Know what's different
If you buy from a breeder or pet shop instead, the law requires them to give you the vaccination and deworming dates in writing, and a pet shop's receipt must show the pet's vaccination details45. Adoption gives you a medical history record rather than a breeder's paperwork, but either way, keep whatever you're given — see the first 30 days with a new puppy for what to do with it once your new pet is home.
Get the printable adoption-day checklist (PDF)
One A4 page for adoption day: questions to ask the shelter, and the papers to collect before you leave. Leave your Play Store Gmail and mobile number below and the download starts right away.
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Not fully clear yet
Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.
- Exact fees, waiting times and how strict the pre-adoption check is vary a lot by shelter and city; this page describes the general pattern from Blue Cross of India and CUPA Bengaluru, not a single national rule — call ahead to the shelter you're adopting from12.
- We found no single official directory of every adoption NGO in India; AWBI's state animal welfare boards are the closest official starting point if you're not sure which shelter to contact3.
Sources and how we check
Facts checked against the official sources below by Thapki. Written with AI help from the sources below, then checked line by line; the Thapki team reads and approves every page before it goes live. How we check
- 1Adopt / Foster
- 2Adopt (Active and Passive Adoption) and Frequently Asked Questions
- 3Animal Welfare Board of India (ABC Rules 2023 and state animal welfare boards)
- 4Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, G.S.R. 496(E), rule 8(2) (PDF)
- 5Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, G.S.R. 844(E), rule 7(13) and Form IV (PDF)
From thapki.app/guides/adoption/ · facts last checked 5 Oct 2026. Guides share public information; they are not a substitute for your vet's advice.