Always meet in a public place. For everyone’s safety, do not hold a Meet & Greet at your home or the potential adopter's home. Here are a few meeting place recommendations and suggestions for you!
Meet & Greets with dogs:
- Pet-friendly stores
- A veterinarian’s clinic (make an appointment first)
- A public park - not during peak hours if possible
Fun Fact: We do NOT recommend meeting at a dog park. Wait, what? Seems counterintuitive we know, but the dog will be so distracted by the sights, sounds, and smells of the other dogs that he or she might not be able to focus on the potential adopter. It can be really hard to tell if it’s a good match if no one can get their attention!
This may also be a concern in a public park setting, even when less crowded, as dogs can be easily distracted outdoors.
Meet & Greets with cats:
- Pet-friendly stores—always meet indoors for the cat’s safety
- A veterinarian’s clinic (make an appointment first)
- No matter what, the cat should always be safe in a carrier (nervous cats can bolt very quickly)!
- If you find a safe, enclosed room to meet in, and you're comfortable, you may open the cat’s carrier to see if he or she wants to come out.
Pro Tip: New environments can be especially stressful for our feline friends so these Meet & Greets are a little more challenging. Despite our best efforts, most cats tend to be scared in a strange setting and just want to hide. Don’t take this personally, this doesn’t mean the cat doesn’t like you! Do your best to balance the potential adopter's desire to meet the cat with the cat’s comfort level, always differing to the latter.
For tips on what to do during a Meet & Greet and how to know if it's a good match, click here.