What is the difference between the terms “healthy” and “adoptable” when used to describe pets in a shelter?
“Adoptable” is a term used by many people and organizations in the animal welfare field to refer to an animal that is capable of being immediately adopted into a home because he is healthy and free of legal impediments to adoption. The term has been the subject of considerable disagreement because some people believe that it is highly subjective. We prefer to use the word “healthy” which is more simple and clear. A healthy pet is one that is free of any significant physical or behavioral problems. We do not consider the lack of a limb, eyesight or hearing or the age of a pet to be a problem that makes a pet unhealthy. We accept pets that are healthy and also pets that are not healthy but are treatable (meaning that they have an injury or ailment that we will treat to return them to a healthy condition for adoption). We also offer pets for adoption from the Richmond SPCA that are not healthy but are manageable, meaning that they have a chronic ailment that will require ongoing care but,
