A. North Star Rescue is run by a team of three directors and a varying number of volunteers. If you'd like to learn more about the North Star Rescue team, you can check out our About Us section.

Q. Are there any paid employees of North Star Rescue?
A. No, North Star Rescue is an all-volunteer organization and no member, including the directors, is compensated for their time.

Q. Is North Star Rescue a non-profit organization?
A. Yes, North Star Rescue is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization. Donations are tax deudctible as permitted by law.

Q. Where does North Star Rescue get it's funding?
A. North Star Rescue relies on public donations to maintain our rescue program. Our volunteers and foster homes also contribute to cover the costs of the rescue.

Q. How many animals does North Star Rescue adopt out every year?
A. North Star Rescue adopts out over four hundred companion animals every year.

Q. Is North Star Rescue a no-kill organization?
A. North Star Rescue is a no-kill organization. This means that once an animal is accepted into the rescue program, it is not euthanized for running out of time to be adopted. We also do not euthanize for medical reasons unless we determine an animal to beyond treatment or determine that not euthanizing them would cause the animal unnecessary suffering.

North Star Rescue does periodically euthanize animals that we determine cannot be treated with reasonable veterinary medical treatment, or animals that are brought to the rescue and determined to be suffering to provide a humane option. North Star Rescue euthanizes less then 3% of the animals it takes in annually on average.

Q. Do you adopt to people involved in snake-keeping?
A. We do adopt to responsible owners that are involved in snake-keeping who are interested in a rodent as a pet, and not as food for their snake. We recommend that all snake owners feed their reptiles humanely pre-killed prey for the safety of the reptiles, and for the sake of the reptile's future dinner.

Q. Do you spay/neuter all of the animals before you adopt them out?
A. No, not all animals are spayed or neutered before being adopted out. This can be for a variety of reasons, including certain species of animals simply being too small to risk putting under anesthesia for a alteration surgery.

All rabbits are spayed or neutered before being adopted, or are adopted out on a spay/neuter contract if they are adopted when they are too young or small to be altered. The Spay/Neuter fee for rabbits is included as part of their adoption fee.

We do neuter some male guinea pigs and male rats as funding permits, or those individuals who can't peacefully live with other male animals. We also periodically spay female rats who arrive with mammary tumors, or female rats and guinea pigs for medical reasons.

Q. If I adopt an animal like a rat or a guinea pig that is not spayed or neutered, will the rescue spay/neuter them for me later? Do I need to have them spayed/neutered?
A. If you have adopted an intact animal (other then a rabbit) then the rescue does not offer a free spay/neuter for the animal at a later date. Intact animals must be housed with animals of the same gender only and not allowed to breed, or can be spayed/neutered at the owner's expense.

We do recommend having female rats spayed as there is a great benefit and decreased risk of them developing mammary tumors later in life. Male rats also often can benefit from a neuter surgery if they scent mark excessively or stop getting along with other male rats.

We do not recommend neutering male guinea pigs unless they cannot be housed with other males, or spaying female guinea pigs unless there is a medical reason, due to increased risks of surgery for guinea pigs.

Q. Will you ship or deliver an animal to me?
A. We do not ship animals under any circumstances, but do offer transport services within the Greater Bay Area. Transport services can be arranged for individuals who cannot drive to one of our foster homes to adopt, or for those people who do not have cars or methods to transport themselves.

Transport fees are assessed based on distance, bridge toll and other factors. Please note that transport fees are non-refundable, and adoptions or bondings that do not work out will be assessed an additional transport fee to have a volunteer pick up the animal if the adopter is not able to drive and return them to the rescue.

Q. How long does the adoption process take?
A. The time for an adoption to be completed can vary based on individual schedules. Most adoption inquiries received by e-mail are completed and have an adoption appointment set within 48 hours of the request being approved. Adopters who come to fairs can typically expect the adoption process to be between 30 minutes and one hour, depending on the species of animal to be adopted and the animals involved.

Q. I e-mailed North Star Rescue, why haven't I received a response back?
A. Most e-mails are answered within 48 hours of being received. If you have not received a response within 48 hours, please be sure that you have checked your e-mail's Spam Inbox or Junk Inbox, and that you have added the domain northstarrescue.org to your Safe Sender's list as your e-mail provider requires.

Q. Can I surrender my pet to North Star Rescue?
A. North Star Rescue does accept a limited amount of owner surrendered animals. We do not accept surrenders of Rabbits. For more information, please visit our Placement Assistance section.