We get dozens of that type of inquiry!! You must remember, ANYONE can look and email. I used to go into extreme detail and (of course) I would get no answer back from them. Now I do it differently, if the inquiry is short, the response is short. I no longer waste my time.

If I get this....."Is Pumpkin still available?" I just answer...."Yes, Pumpkin is still available at this time." If they are truly interested, the WILL get back to me!

In your case, a simple "Thank you for your interest in adopting from one by one (I always say this, even on the ignorant ones). The first step in adopting from us is to fill out our online pre-application form"

Now, this does not stop kids from going ahead and filling out the form, but then you have a little more info to work with.

Don't get me wrong, your answer is just fine, it is just that I think you will find, over time, that it isn't all necessary.