Adopting a pet from a rescue is startlingly similar to adopting a human baby from an adoption agency.

In both cases, the groups require a thorough screening process to ensure that the pet/baby is placed in a home where they will not only be cherished for the rest of their life but also receive the appropriate care and nurturing they need to thrive.

If you’ve never worked with a pet rescue, you might be annoyed by some of the hurdles you’ll have to jump over en route to adopting a pet.

But there’s one simple reason for all those hurdles: Rescues want to make sure their babies — many of whom they’ve saved from illness, abuse and death — are placed in permanent, loving homes where they will be spoiled and pampered for the rest of their lives.

Although there’s no way to determine for certain whether a potential adopter can provide the perfect home, rescues try hard — which means they do a lot of work in screening their applicants.

Here’s what you can expect from most rescues (policies and procedures will vary).