Frequently Asked Questions
Protectors of Animals has rescued and found homes for more than 14,000 cats and 7,000 dogs.
We serve towns and communities by matching homeless animals with responsible owners. Along the way, we have instructed countless social, business, and educational groups on animal care and worked closely with veterinarians to decrease animal overpopulation by spaying and neutering.
Animal rights champion Ellen Degeneres and Halo, Purely for Pets has identified POA as a top-tier charity, and in 2010, supported us with 5,000 individual pet meals and public support from her own charitable organization.
We are a non-profit and are driven by donations. We also secure resources through membership dues, gifts, memorials, bequests, grants and fund-raising events. All donations are tax deductible; our Tax I.D. Number is 06-0959891.
We encourage you to look for a dog or cat here at our website. The photos and descriptions of available cats and dogs are current. If there is a particular animal that interests you, you can easily send us an email to poaplacement@gmail.com or call us at (860) 569-0722. We will be happy to talk with you about the animal and arrange a time for you to meet it. POA’s cats are housed in a shelter and our dogs are housed in private kennels.
We take in cats and kittens that are abandoned, abused and stray. They are found in different types of places around Hartford County by POA Volunteers or concerned citizens.
By state law, a stray, abandoned or abused dog must first go to the local animal control department. The dog is then advertised locally for 14 days after which the dog may legally be euthanized. We work closely with animal control officers to identify the dogs and if they are not returned to their owners, POA assumes responsibility for them.
All of our cats and kittens are tested for FIV and Feline Leukemia. They are all given their Rabies and Distemper vaccines and are comprehensively treated for fleas, worms and ear mites. Kittens receive at least one Distemper booster vaccine. All of our cats and kittens receive any necessary medical treatments for whatever aliments they may have upon rescue. ALL of our cats AND kittens are spay/neutered before adoption.
As soon as a dog comes under our care it is also vet checked. Every dog receives rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and bordatella vaccinations and they are checked for heart-worm. Dogs are also treated for worms and any other ailments they may have. All dogs over 6 months old are spayed or neutered before they may be adopted.
POA charges an adoption donation for the adoption of our dogs and cats. Visit the dog and cat page for specific donation amounts per animal. The cost of providing the medical care for our animals varies drastically based on what the animals need. We do not compromise in the health care of our animals and provide routine and specialized care as needed. We are an all-donation organization and we rely on adoption donations to help us continue our work. When we have a medical case that required more than the standard type of medical treatment we are always appreciative when people can give more to help us keep helping more animals.
Prior to making an appointment to adopt a dog, there are screening and application processes that all potential adopters must go through. The ideal dog adopter is currently a responsible dog owner or has owned a dog before, and has a fenced yard or convenient area to provide the dog with adequate exercise. Beyond that, we look for the type of household where a specific dog would do best. Some thrive in an active household with children; others need a quiet home; some dogs are perfectly happy to be lap dogs and require walking but not extensive exercise, others need a lot of exercise and owners who are active hikers. We try very hard to understand each dog’s temperament and match with the right type of owner.
We show a dog by appointment only. You will have the opportunity to spend time with the dog and speak with a POA Dog Placement volunteer.We also require that everyone in the household see and interact with the dog before we agree to the placement.
As a matter of policy we do not place POA dogs in households with children under the age of 6 or where small children (e.g. grandchildren) are frequent visitors. We do this both for the protection of the child and for the dog’s welfare.
We do not place dogs outside Connecticut. We need to be able to check on the dog if need be, and, by contract we require that any dog placed by POA be returned to us if the placement does not work out or if the owner can no longer keep the dog. People who adopt from out of state may be reluctant to drive back to return the dog to us.
POA’s Constitution stipulates that we rescue only abandoned and/or stray companion animals, and that we always accept the return of a POA cat or dog, at any time, throughout the life of the cat or dog.
However, if you have a companion animal that was not originally a POA cat or dog, and you can no longer care for him or her, POA can offer you advice on re-homing. However, we understand that there may be times of unforeseen extreme circumstances that necessitate the surrender of your cat or dog, and in these cases we may be able to help. Otherwise, our experienced Placement Team members will guide in the proper way to re-home your companion animal.