Adopt

Adopt

Be that loving, lasting home that one of our dogs deserves.
Stray to Play doesn't just adopt a dog to anyone. We make sure that each and every dog that's in our care is placed in the best home to suit their needs. This helps to guarantee success for everyone, and ensure that their new home is their forever home.

Adoption Process

1. Fill out and submit an adoption application

We screen all applications. Applicants will receive an email from S2P only if they have been approved to move forward to the next step in our adoption process. Please allow up to 1 week for this to happen, as we are a volunteer-based rescue and it make take us time to get back to you.


2. Phone interview

Someone from our volunteer team will contact you by email to set up a phone interview. All adults living in the home should be available for the phone interview.


3. Personal references

You will be asked to email us two personal references and a vet reference (if applicable). Please make sure that your references know that they will be contacted by one of our volunteers. Please also call your veterinarian clinic to get permission for them to share information with us.


4. Home visit

Home visits are done virtually. All members of the household must be present for the home visit, regardless of age. We ask that all areas of the home are available for our volunteer to see.


5. Meet and greet

A meet and greet will be set up with the dog and their foster parent. We require all members of the household to be at the meet and greet, including all dogs living in the home.


6. Post meet and greet

This will happen if there are any questions or concerns that need to be addressed by us or by the applicant. If there are no further questions or concerns, the applicant will contact us to let us know whether or not they would like to move forward with the adoption.


7. Adoption contract requirements

If everything is moving ahead, you will need to complete the adoption contract requirements. We will also ask you to sign the adoption contract and pay the adoption fee within 72 hours of receiving a congratulations email from us.

Adoption Fee

*as of May 1, 2023

Puppy: $825 for dogs under a year old. The fee includes microchip, spay/neuter, deworming, defleaing, vaccinations, nose to tail health exam, 4DX SNAP testing and any additional vetting as suggested by our vets.


Adult: $750 for dogs between 1-8 years old. The fee includes microchip, spay/neuter, deworming, defleaing, vaccinations, nose to tail health exam, 4DX SNAP testing and any additional vetting as suggested by our vets.


Senior: $450 for dogs over the age of 8. The fee includes microchip, spay/neuter, deworming, defleaing, vaccinations, nose to tail health exam, 4DX SNAP testing and any additional vetting as suggested by our vets.


Bonded pair: A bonded pair is $1,200 for dogs between 1-8 years old and $700 for a bonded pair of seniors.



Please be sure to read the full bio of the dog you are interested in prior to applying. Applicants who do not meet the needs of the dog will not receive a response.

APPLY TO ADOPT

Adoption Insurance

Aon and Pets Plus Us

Aon, one of Canada's largest insurance brokers, is proud to partner with Pets Plus Us to provide new Stray to Play dog adopters with reliable pet insurance coverage. Pets Plus Us is a leading Canadian pet insurer whose goal is to help pet owners deal with all the joys and challenges of pet ownership. As well as making vet bills more manageable, Pet Plus Us provides its Blue Ribbon Benefits free with any coverage plan.


Upon finalizing your adoption, enroll in a 6-week free trial of pet insurance coverage with Pets Plus Us. Once your trial ends, you are eligible to a 5% discount on your insurance premium by using offer code "AON".

Click to learn more about Aon and Pets Plus Us. Get your online quote by clicking here

Adoption FAQs

  • Can I meet a few dogs before I adopt?

    We are a foster-based rescue, which means that we don't have an actual facility. In order to meet a dog, you must go through the entire adoption process until the meet and greet stage.


    Alternatively, you can attend one of our events, where you will get the chance to meet some of our adoptable dogs.

  • I live outside of the GTA. Can I still adopt?

    Yes! We adopt out to most of Ontario. You will need to drive to the GTA to meet the dog and pick them up should all go well. We have adopters as far as Windsor, Sudbury and Ottawa.

  • If I adopt a dog, will you bring it to me once everything is finalized?

    It is your responsibilty to pick up your newly adopted dog from their foster home.

  • Do you adopt to homes with children?

    Check the dog's bio to see its temperament and whether or not they are good with children. It may say they can only be in a home with children over the age of 12, or they are great with kids of all ages. Be aware that our fosters are not experts, and these cutoffs are based on their best judgement. There is never a guarantee, but we do our very best to place our dogs in homes that they will thrive in. However, we don't adopt to homes with children under the age of 6 for liablity reasons.

  • Do you adopt to homes that already have a dog or dogs?

    In Ontario, you are only legally allowed to own 3 dogs so we don't adopt to homes that already meet this criteria. Please read the bio to confirm that the dog you are interested in does well with other dogs. Some of our dogs require another dog in the home, while others should be the only pet.

  • I have a cat. Can I still adopt a dog from you?

    The dog's bio will state whether or not they have interacted with cats. If they have not met a cat, then we do not know how they will respond to a cat. If the dog shows no signs of prey drive, then we will definitely consider adopting it to a home with a cat.


    If you do have a cat and want to adopt one of our dogs, please make sure to do research on proper introductions to set everyone up for success. 

  • My pets are not spayed/neutered. Can I still adopt?

    We only adopt to homes where all dogs and cats currently in the home are spayed/neutered. The only time this isn't the case is if there is a medical reason that prevents this from being done.

  • I've submitted an application. When will I hear back?

    We are 100% volunteer-run, so please give our volunteers up to 1 week to respond after you have submitted an application. Please also be sure to check your junk folder to see if an email from us ended up there. Only applicants selected to proceed with the adoption process will receive an email.

  • The dog I was interested in has been adopted. Do you keep my application on file?

    We keep all adoption applications on file for one year. If you have completed the first 4 steps in the adoption process, then you won't have to go through these steps again.


    If anything has changed since you filled out your original application, please email us to let us know.

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