Free printable resource
Adoption Day Checklist
Everything on this sheet is easier to sort out before the dog is in the car than after.
Collection day is short, busy and emotional, and it is the last easy chance to ask the shelter things only the shelter knows. This covers the questions worth asking while you are still standing there, what to have in the house first, and what the first evening should deliberately not include.
Who this is for: Adopters and fosters on collection day, and the rescues who send them home.
Ask before you leave the shelter
Write the answers down. You will not remember them, and some of them matter within hours.
- What exactly has she been eating, what brand, how much, and at what times?
- When did she last eat, drink and toilet today?
- What medication is she on, what dose, and when is the next one due?
- What has she been treated for while she was here?
- Is she microchipped, and who is the chip currently registered to?
- What is known about how she is with other dogs, cats, children and strangers, and what is simply unknown?
- Has she shown any resource guarding around food, toys or a bed?
- How was she housed here, and did she settle better with company or alone?
- Who do I call if something goes wrong in the first week?
- What would make you want her back rather than rehomed elsewhere?
Have these in the house first
- At least a week of the exact food she has been eating, even if you intend to change it later
- Two water bowls in different rooms
- A bed in a quiet corner that is not a thoroughfare
- A collar with an ID tag already engraved, plus a properly fitted harness
- A lead, and a second lead for the car
- A crate or pen with the door left open, only if she is used to one
- A baby gate, which is more useful than most people expect
- Enzymatic cleaner, because there will be accidents and ordinary cleaner leaves the scent marker
The first evening
| Do | Skip |
|---|---|
| Lead walk straight to the garden or toileting spot before going indoors | A walk round the neighbourhood to show her off |
| One quiet room, door open, nobody following her | A tour of the whole house |
| Offer the food she is used to, and accept that she may not eat | Changing the food, or adding toppers to tempt her |
| Let her choose whether to approach anyone | Calling her over, cuddling, or picking her up |
| Keep the household to the people who live there | Visitors, neighbours, other people's dogs |
| Keep her on a lead in the garden until you know the fence | Assuming the fence is secure because it looks secure |
Book the first veterinary visit now
Register with a practice on adoption day and book a check within the first week or two, even if she seems well. It establishes a baseline weight and body condition, sorts out continuity of any medication, and gives you somewhere to phone that already has her on file.
Take the shelter paperwork with you, including whatever vaccination and treatment history came with her. Do not wait for the appointment if she is not eating at all, has diarrhoea or vomiting, is coughing, or seems to be getting less well rather than more settled.
Sources
Written against published veterinary guidance. These are the sources behind the urgency and observation guidance on this page.
- Adopting a rescue dog: What to expect, American Animal Hospital Association
- New dog checklist: Your step by step guide to a successful start, American Animal Hospital Association
- Humane Dog Training Position Statement, American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
- Fears and Phobias in Dogs: Animals and People, VCA Animal Hospitals
Buddylio helps you notice and organize what you see. It doesn't diagnose or treat anything, and it isn't a substitute for your veterinarian. If you think your dog is unwell, in pain, or in danger, call your vet or an emergency clinic.
Free to use and free to share. Veterinary teams, shelters and rescues are welcome to link to this page or print it for clients.