What is the pet adoption application form template?
Matching an animal with the right home means knowing a lot more than just whether someone likes dogs. This template asks the questions rescues actually rely on: who's in the household, what the home and outdoor space are like, landlord permission if renting, pet-care experience, and a vet reference — all before a home visit is even scheduled.
A short online enquiry form or an email address on a shelter's website invites vague, incomplete applications that need several rounds of follow-up questions before you know whether it's worth arranging a home visit. A structured application gets the household details, landlord permission and vet reference in one go, so your team can screen efficiently and focus attention on applications that are genuinely ready to move forward.
Every submitted application is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault, landlord letter and any other attachments included, so your adoption team has a complete, organised record for every applicant rather than a scattered inbox of enquiries.
- Best for
- Animal rescues, shelters and rehoming charities
- Filled in by
- Prospective adopters applying for a specific animal or a home in general
- Time to complete
- About 10-12 minutes
- Includes
- Landlord permission logic, pet experience questions, and a vet reference authorisation
Who uses a pet adoption application form?
- An animal shelter screening applications for dogs and cats available for adoption
- A breed-specific rescue with detailed household and experience requirements
- A foster-to-adopt programme collecting the same information for both foster and permanent placements
- A rescue that requires landlord permission on file before approving a renting applicant
- A charity that wants a documented vet reference before finalising an adoption
- A rescue standardising applications across multiple volunteers reviewing them
Questions on this pet adoption application form
32 questions over 5 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 About you
- Your name*
- Email*
- Phone*
- Home address*
- Which animal are you interested in?
- Are you 18 or over?*
2 Your household
- Adults in the household*
- Children in the household
- Children's ages asked only when it applies
- Does everyone in the household agree to the adoption?*
- Does anyone in the household have pet allergies?
- Current pets
3 Your home
- Type of home* House · Flat / apartment · Townhouse · Farm / rural property
- Do you own or rent?* Own · Rent · Live with family
- Does your landlord allow pets?* asked only when it applies
- Landlord / agent name* asked only when it applies
- Landlord / agent phone* asked only when it applies
- Written permission from your landlord asked only when it applies
- Outdoor space Fully fenced garden · Partly fenced garden · No private garden
- Hours a day the animal would be alone (typical weekday)
4 Experience & care
- Your experience with pets* This would be my first pet · I've had pets before · Lots — including rescue animals
- Tell us about pets you've had asked only when it applies
- Have you ever rehomed or given up a pet?
- What happened?* asked only when it applies
- Who will care for the animal when you're away or on holiday?
- Why would you like to adopt?*
5 References & agreement
- Current or previous vet
- Vet phone
- Vet reference asked only when it applies
- Home visit*
- Agreement*
- Signature*
The pet adoption application form, page by page
1 About you
The applicant provides Your name, Email, Phone, Home address, which animal they're interested in (by name or reference number), and confirms they're 18 or over — a straightforward eligibility check before anything else.
2 Your household
This page covers Adults and Children in the household, with an ages field appearing if there are children, plus whether everyone in the household agrees to the adoption and whether anyone has pet allergies. A Current pets field asks about species, age, and whether they're neutered and vaccinated, giving the rescue a sense of how a new animal would fit into an existing household.
3 Your home
Applicants describe their Type of home and whether they Own or rent. Renting reveals a landlord permission question, and if permission is confirmed, an optional upload for written proof — a letter, email screenshot or tenancy clause. Outdoor space (fully fenced, partly fenced, or none) and Hours a day the animal would be alone complete the picture of day-to-day life for the animal.
4 Experience & care
Applicants describe their pet Experience — first pet, some experience, or lots including rescue animals — with a detail field for anyone beyond a first-time owner. A yes/no for having previously rehomed or given up a pet opens a required explanation field, and applicants also describe their Care plan for when they're away and Why they'd like to adopt.
5 References & agreement
A Current or previous vet field, with phone number, is paired with a consent authorising the rescue to contact the vet for a reference. Applicants then confirm they understand a home visit may be arranged before approval, that the information given is true, and that submitting the application doesn't guarantee adoption — an adoption agreement and fee may apply — before signing.
Make the template yours
- Add species-specific questions if your rescue only rehomes one type of animal, such as cats or rabbits
- Make the landlord permission upload required rather than optional if your policy always needs written proof
- Add a question about which specific animal, from a dropdown of current available pets, if you manage several applications at once
- File applications under the animal's own reference so all applicants for one pet are grouped together
- Set a maximum number of responses per animal to avoid an overwhelming volume of applications for a popular pet
- Add a home-visit scheduling question once an application has passed initial screening
Tips for a better pet adoption application form
- Screen for landlord permission and household agreement early — they're two of the most common reasons an otherwise good application falls through
- Follow up on vague experience answers directly rather than assuming a first-time owner is unsuitable
- Treat the vet reference as a genuine step, not a formality — a quick call often reveals useful context
- Be transparent in your confirmation message that submitting an application doesn't guarantee adoption, to manage expectations from the start
- Review applications for a popular animal in the order they arrive to keep the process fair and consistent
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
The moment someone submits an application, FileIt saves it as a PDF in your vault, along with any landlord letter they've uploaded, and your team gets a notification. Because every application follows the same structure, volunteers reviewing applications can compare candidates for the same animal side by side rather than re-reading inconsistent emails.
Most rescues work through new applications in the Responses table, checking off household, home and reference details before deciding whether to arrange a home visit or contact the vet for a reference. Because everything is saved as a PDF, it's simple to keep a permanent record of the application even after the animal has been adopted.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Pet adoption application form: frequently asked questions
Is this pet adoption application form template free?
Yes, it's included in FileIt's Forms app on every account, including the free plan, and every question can be edited.
Do applicants need a FileIt account to apply?
No. You share a public link on your website or by email, and applicants submit without creating an account.
Do we get every application as a PDF?
Yes, automatically. Every submission is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault, with any uploaded landlord letter attached.
Can we require proof of landlord permission?
Yes, there's an upload field for written landlord permission, which you can make required in the designer if your rescue's policy needs it.
Does this form guarantee an adoption will be approved?
No — the application includes a clear statement that submitting it doesn't guarantee adoption, and that a home visit, adoption agreement and fee may still apply.
Can we contact the applicant's vet for a reference?
Only with consent — the applicant specifically authorises the rescue to contact their vet as part of the application.
Can we limit applications for a specific animal?
Yes, you can set a maximum number of responses or a closing date if you want to manage the volume of applications for a particular pet.
Can we customise the questions for a specific species?
Yes, every field is editable in the designer, so you can tailor questions for dogs, cats, rabbits or any other animal your rescue rehomes.