HART (Hearthfire Animal Rescue Team)
Our Mission
HART helps people who love animals to help the pets they care about.
# If you need to rehome a pet that you own or that you've rescued, we provide a safe alternative to giving it away through Craigslist or Facebook. We help ensure that the pet has received all necessary vet care (including spay/neuter, microchip and vaccination), and to place the pet in a forever home that's a good fit for the pet's temperament, energy level, training, etc. We match the pet's needs to the adopter's expectations.
# If you love your pet but can't provide what they pet need, we'll help with vet bills, food and other expenses, and offer advice in dealing with training and behavioral problems.
# If you're looking to add a pet to your family and need to be sure it's a good fit for your lifestyle, pet experience and resources, we provide full, detailed and accurate information about about the pet they adopt. We also take care to fully understand what you need and expect from your pet. After the adoption, we continue to provide support through the transition period and beyond.
Our goal is peace of mind for animal-loving humans, and safe, loving forever homes for pets.
Adoption Policy
All our pets are in private foster homes. HART does not have a facility. For this reason, we introduce pets to potential adopters only after the adoption application has been approved.
Our process involves:
# A detailed application form, which must be submitted electronically
# An online background check
# Reference checks (calls to your vet, landlord, and at least two personal references)
# Interviews with all the adults in the home (and, if the pet is intended primarily as a child's companion, we talk with the child)
# A home visit, conducted at our discretion by a member of HART or a trusted rescue colleague
Most of our pets are located in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick/Richland/Pasco) in Eastern Washington, and we place pets only in homes within the Pacific Northwest. As needed we may arrange for a trusted member of our team to transport a pet to an adopter, at the adopter's expense. We do not ever release pets to a third party for transportation; we personally introduce every pet to their adopter.
HART is a registered 501(c)3 charity. We depend on adoption fees and donations to continue serving our community. We do not have an office or facility, and our team is made up only of volunteers. Our entire income goes to helping animals.