Adoption Process and Policies
Thank you for considering adopting a dog and giving him or her a loving home. Adopt A Dog Rescue’s number one goal is to place our rescued dogs in loving homes and families. We take special care to match the right dogs with the right homes so that both the pet and the family have a lifetime of love. Although the adoption process may seem time consuming, we have both you and our dogs’ best interest at heart. We thank you for your patience throughout this process.
Remember, there are steps you need to be prepared to take when bringing your new puppy or dog home. Please read our Bringing your dog home page with guides to the getting your dog accustomed to it’s new home, house training, and socialization.
Browse our available dogs for adoption and read their profiles. You can also browse our dogs in person at any of our adoption events. When you think you’ve found a match, follow the steps below to fill out an application and set up any required interviews or meetings.
Step 1: fill out our pre adoption application
fill out our application online here or download it here and email to us at adopt@adoptadogrescue.com. This application will help us learn about you and your lifestyle and experience with animals. If you are interested in certain dogs or puppies we have available, you will be able to indicate this on the form.
Step 2: phone interview
This interview is to discuss which dogs you are interested in and to schedule a house check and current pet check when needed.
Step 3: House Check
we need to know what type of house or yard you have, and if you rent or own. the type of yard or patio you have, combined with your level of activity will be taken into consideration when you are applying for certain breeds or sizes of dogs. you can bring pictures of your home to us or schedule a time for us to visit you in your home. if you rent your home, we need to have approval from your landlord that you are able to have dogs in your home and if there are any breed or size limitations. We will need written documentation from your landlord or we can speak to them over the phone.
Step 4: Current Pets Check
We need information on your current animals in your home, and will need to confirm with your veterinary that they are all up to date on their vaccinations. we will also need information on the breed and temperaments to make sure they will get along well with any new dog you adopt. We can schedule a time for you to bring your current pets to meet your potential new family member or you can bring them to our adoption events on the weekends, or we can bring the potential adoptee to your home and make sure everyone will get along.
Step 5: meeting between adopter and available dogs
This meeting can happen at any of our adoption events, or scheduled time that is convenient for both you and our foster family that is currently housing the dog.
Step 6: Adoption! Bringing your dog home
You will need to fill out our adoption contract or in person when meeting the dog you will be adopting.
The contract outlines our polices and terms to the agreement when you adopt a dog from our rescue. Along with submitting the contract to us, you will provide payment of the adoption donation fee (check, cash, money order, credit or debit card) and a spay/neuter deposit (if your dog was not already spayed or neutered prior to your adoption). Once we receive confirmation/documentation from you or your vet that the dog has been spayed/neutered, we will issue you a refund for the spay/neuter deposit that you placed.
Step 7: follow up (if needed)
If at anytime you are no longer able to care for the dog, you will be able to return the dog to us. Your original donation fee will not be returned.
Congratulations on your new family member!
Please read out taking home your new dog to make sure you and your family is prepared for you new furry friend.
Adoption FAQs
Why adopt a dog instead of buy from a breeder or store?
When you adopt a dog or puppy instead of purchasing from a breeder or puppy mill/store, you’re giving a dog a second chance at life and helping control the pet overpopulation by reducing the demand for puppies from breeders and puppy mills. The sad reality is that about 2.7 million pets are euthanized in shelters each year because they didn’t find their forever families. Rescue groups like Adopt A Dog Rescue are helping to reduce this number by creating awareness and placing dogs from our shelters into foster homes until we can find a loving forever home. Majority of the dogs in shelters don’t have an adequate amount of time to find a forever home, the high kill shelters sometimes give them 3-5 days before euthanizing them, especially if the shelter is already overcrowded. With the efforts of our rescue groups and community, the situation has improved. In the 1970s, 12-20 million pets where euthanized each year, whereas today that number has decreased to about 3 million a year. While we’ve seen improvement in our society over this problem, we still have a long way to go.
If you’re looking to bring a new furry friend into your family, adopting a rescue dog is a wonderful way to help save a life and have a great new best friend.
What is the fee to adopt a dog from your organization?
The required donation fee is $350. If the dog you are adopting has not been neutered/spayed prior to your adoption, due to illness or maturity, you will be required to pay a $50 spay/neuter deposit, which will be refunded to you at the time you spay/neuter your dog.
Occasionally an adoption fee may be more due to breed or sizable medical costs, or less if the dog has been in our care for a while, is a senior, or has a medical condition.
The donation fee is tax deductible as Adopt A Dog Rescue is a non profit organization registered in the state of California.
What does the adoption fee cover?
Our adoption fees are set to allow us to cover our expenses, as well as to help other animals in our program that require additional care. Our adoption fees cover veterinary costs, microchipping, shelter fees, fuel for transport, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding if needed, behavioral training if needed, and additional medical care. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our care do. Thus, any "extra" money from adoption fees goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Adopt a Dog Rescue, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.
What does the adoption process include?
The first step is an adoption application once you think you have found your potential new furry friend.
When we receive your application, we will contact you within 24-48 hours if not sooner to discuss your application and set up a meet and greet with your potential future furry friend. If there are several dogs that interest you, you do not need to fill out separate applications for each dog, you can just indicate which dogs interest you on the single application.
The meet and greet would be a good time for you to introduce any existing pets you have in your home to your potential new dog to make sure they are compatible. Before taking your new furry friend home, we’d also need to do a home inspection to ensure a safe environment for your new pet.
Upon adoption of your new dog, you will be asked to sign an Adoption Contract.
Please read above for full details of the adoption process
What can I expect during the home inspection?
The home inspection will help us ensure a safe environment for the dog. We understand that each dog’s needs are different and we take this into consideration when doing the inspection. We also take in account your active lifestyle, so please include this in your application when it asks about your hobbies. In the inspection, we’ll take a look at the yard or balcony and make sure there are no ways the dog can escape. We’ll also look for any loose wires or chemicals that may be leaking or accessible to a dog. If we do find anything, depending on the danger level, we may wait until the hazard is fixed prior to allowing the dog move to its new home.
What if the dog doesn’t work out in my home?
If for any reason your adopted dog does not work out in your home after a basic adjustment period, Adopt A Dog Rescue will accept the dog back to re-home. The adoption donation fee is non refundable after the first week. If the dog is returned to us within the first week, Adopt A Dog Rescue will refund $150 to you. We do not have our own facility for our dogs and rely on our volunteer fosters, we cannot take returned dogs on an immediate basis. We ask that you are patient while we find a suitable foster home before you relinquish it to us.
We are also here to help guide you through bringing your new dog home, with any training or behavioral complications you run into, etc. Check out our section on bring your new dog home. Although we are not certified veterinarians or trainers, our volunteers have pooled our knowledge of what we know from raising and fostering dogs, along with the advice and techniques from experts, we’ve outlined what you should know to prepare for your new dog, help him or her adjust to their new environment, and how to socialize and train your new furry friend. We hope our guidance will help prevent unnecessary re-homing of an adopted dog.
Can I take a dog home on a trial basis?
Yes! We offer a program called “Foster to Adopt” which gives you the opportunity to trial run a dog in your home for up to a week. This is a great way to see how your other pets get along with your new dog or test the dog if someone in your home suffers from allergies.
If at the end of the trial basis you do not feel that this is the dog for you, we can re-home the dog with another foster family or hopefully you can continue to foster the dog until we find a permanent new home and family.
In general, we do not allow our young puppies participate in the Foster to Adopt program as we do not want to disrupt their current environment until a firm commitment is made. With puppies, their true personalities are not yet developed and it is up to the new owner to nurture and shape the puppy’s behavior as it matures.
Enrolling in the Foster to Adopt is subject to the foster agreement and adoption application being approved.
How can I meet your dogs in person?
You can view the dogs at one of our adoption events held on 2-4 of the weekend days each month. View the schedule of events on our Facebook. You can also schedule a time to meet with the dog at it’s foster home or other meeting place during the weekdays/evenings.
How do I prepare my home for a new dog?
In general, we recommend that you start with the basics: a collar, leash, and tag with a legible phone number on it.
If you are adopting a puppy, it is recommended you have a crate for crate training your pup until he/she is potty trained. 1 dog bed that you can move from room to room will also be helpful in training your dog to sleep on his bed (if that is where he will be sleeping).
You will also need dog bowls for food during mealtimes and water to be available at all times. To avoid your dog chewing on your furniture or household items, you’ll want to have a lot of different chew toys and plush or squeaky toys. Puppies will be teething, you can check your local pet stores for specific chew toys for puppies.
You’ll want to “puppy proof” your house as well. The basics will include keeping any small items like paper clips, pens, pencils away from your dog’s reach, and keeping wires behind your appliances. Keep cleaning supplies in cabinets that your dog cannot get into, and any ant or bug poisons or catchers should not be left around the house, if they must be used, make sure they are picked up before your dog comes into that room.
Check out our page here for bringing home your new dog.
Thank you for considering adopting a dog and giving him or her a loving home. Adopt A Dog Rescue’s number one goal is to place our rescued dogs in loving homes and families. We take special care to match the right dogs with the right homes so that both the pet and the family have a lifetime of love. Although the adoption process may seem time consuming, we have both you and our dogs’ best interest at heart. We thank you for your patience throughout this process.
Remember, there are steps you need to be prepared to take when bringing your new puppy or dog home. Please read our Bringing your dog home page with guides to the getting your dog accustomed to it’s new home, house training, and socialization.
Browse our available dogs for adoption and read their profiles. You can also browse our dogs in person at any of our adoption events. When you think you’ve found a match, follow the steps below to fill out an application and set up any required interviews or meetings.
Step 1: fill out our pre adoption application
fill out our application online here or download it here and email to us at adopt@adoptadogrescue.com. This application will help us learn about you and your lifestyle and experience with animals. If you are interested in certain dogs or puppies we have available, you will be able to indicate this on the form.
Step 2: phone interview
This interview is to discuss which dogs you are interested in and to schedule a house check and current pet check when needed.
Step 3: House Check
we need to know what type of house or yard you have, and if you rent or own. the type of yard or patio you have, combined with your level of activity will be taken into consideration when you are applying for certain breeds or sizes of dogs. you can bring pictures of your home to us or schedule a time for us to visit you in your home. if you rent your home, we need to have approval from your landlord that you are able to have dogs in your home and if there are any breed or size limitations. We will need written documentation from your landlord or we can speak to them over the phone.
Step 4: Current Pets Check
We need information on your current animals in your home, and will need to confirm with your veterinary that they are all up to date on their vaccinations. we will also need information on the breed and temperaments to make sure they will get along well with any new dog you adopt. We can schedule a time for you to bring your current pets to meet your potential new family member or you can bring them to our adoption events on the weekends, or we can bring the potential adoptee to your home and make sure everyone will get along.
Step 5: meeting between adopter and available dogs
This meeting can happen at any of our adoption events, or scheduled time that is convenient for both you and our foster family that is currently housing the dog.
Step 6: Adoption! Bringing your dog home
You will need to fill out our adoption contract or in person when meeting the dog you will be adopting.
The contract outlines our polices and terms to the agreement when you adopt a dog from our rescue. Along with submitting the contract to us, you will provide payment of the adoption donation fee (check, cash, money order, credit or debit card) and a spay/neuter deposit (if your dog was not already spayed or neutered prior to your adoption). Once we receive confirmation/documentation from you or your vet that the dog has been spayed/neutered, we will issue you a refund for the spay/neuter deposit that you placed.
Step 7: follow up (if needed)
If at anytime you are no longer able to care for the dog, you will be able to return the dog to us. Your original donation fee will not be returned.
Congratulations on your new family member!
Please read out taking home your new dog to make sure you and your family is prepared for you new furry friend.
Adoption FAQs
Why adopt a dog instead of buy from a breeder or store?
When you adopt a dog or puppy instead of purchasing from a breeder or puppy mill/store, you’re giving a dog a second chance at life and helping control the pet overpopulation by reducing the demand for puppies from breeders and puppy mills. The sad reality is that about 2.7 million pets are euthanized in shelters each year because they didn’t find their forever families. Rescue groups like Adopt A Dog Rescue are helping to reduce this number by creating awareness and placing dogs from our shelters into foster homes until we can find a loving forever home. Majority of the dogs in shelters don’t have an adequate amount of time to find a forever home, the high kill shelters sometimes give them 3-5 days before euthanizing them, especially if the shelter is already overcrowded. With the efforts of our rescue groups and community, the situation has improved. In the 1970s, 12-20 million pets where euthanized each year, whereas today that number has decreased to about 3 million a year. While we’ve seen improvement in our society over this problem, we still have a long way to go.
If you’re looking to bring a new furry friend into your family, adopting a rescue dog is a wonderful way to help save a life and have a great new best friend.
What is the fee to adopt a dog from your organization?
The required donation fee is $350. If the dog you are adopting has not been neutered/spayed prior to your adoption, due to illness or maturity, you will be required to pay a $50 spay/neuter deposit, which will be refunded to you at the time you spay/neuter your dog.
Occasionally an adoption fee may be more due to breed or sizable medical costs, or less if the dog has been in our care for a while, is a senior, or has a medical condition.
The donation fee is tax deductible as Adopt A Dog Rescue is a non profit organization registered in the state of California.
What does the adoption fee cover?
Our adoption fees are set to allow us to cover our expenses, as well as to help other animals in our program that require additional care. Our adoption fees cover veterinary costs, microchipping, shelter fees, fuel for transport, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding if needed, behavioral training if needed, and additional medical care. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our care do. Thus, any "extra" money from adoption fees goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Adopt a Dog Rescue, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.
What does the adoption process include?
The first step is an adoption application once you think you have found your potential new furry friend.
When we receive your application, we will contact you within 24-48 hours if not sooner to discuss your application and set up a meet and greet with your potential future furry friend. If there are several dogs that interest you, you do not need to fill out separate applications for each dog, you can just indicate which dogs interest you on the single application.
The meet and greet would be a good time for you to introduce any existing pets you have in your home to your potential new dog to make sure they are compatible. Before taking your new furry friend home, we’d also need to do a home inspection to ensure a safe environment for your new pet.
Upon adoption of your new dog, you will be asked to sign an Adoption Contract.
Please read above for full details of the adoption process
What can I expect during the home inspection?
The home inspection will help us ensure a safe environment for the dog. We understand that each dog’s needs are different and we take this into consideration when doing the inspection. We also take in account your active lifestyle, so please include this in your application when it asks about your hobbies. In the inspection, we’ll take a look at the yard or balcony and make sure there are no ways the dog can escape. We’ll also look for any loose wires or chemicals that may be leaking or accessible to a dog. If we do find anything, depending on the danger level, we may wait until the hazard is fixed prior to allowing the dog move to its new home.
What if the dog doesn’t work out in my home?
If for any reason your adopted dog does not work out in your home after a basic adjustment period, Adopt A Dog Rescue will accept the dog back to re-home. The adoption donation fee is non refundable after the first week. If the dog is returned to us within the first week, Adopt A Dog Rescue will refund $150 to you. We do not have our own facility for our dogs and rely on our volunteer fosters, we cannot take returned dogs on an immediate basis. We ask that you are patient while we find a suitable foster home before you relinquish it to us.
We are also here to help guide you through bringing your new dog home, with any training or behavioral complications you run into, etc. Check out our section on bring your new dog home. Although we are not certified veterinarians or trainers, our volunteers have pooled our knowledge of what we know from raising and fostering dogs, along with the advice and techniques from experts, we’ve outlined what you should know to prepare for your new dog, help him or her adjust to their new environment, and how to socialize and train your new furry friend. We hope our guidance will help prevent unnecessary re-homing of an adopted dog.
Can I take a dog home on a trial basis?
Yes! We offer a program called “Foster to Adopt” which gives you the opportunity to trial run a dog in your home for up to a week. This is a great way to see how your other pets get along with your new dog or test the dog if someone in your home suffers from allergies.
If at the end of the trial basis you do not feel that this is the dog for you, we can re-home the dog with another foster family or hopefully you can continue to foster the dog until we find a permanent new home and family.
In general, we do not allow our young puppies participate in the Foster to Adopt program as we do not want to disrupt their current environment until a firm commitment is made. With puppies, their true personalities are not yet developed and it is up to the new owner to nurture and shape the puppy’s behavior as it matures.
Enrolling in the Foster to Adopt is subject to the foster agreement and adoption application being approved.
How can I meet your dogs in person?
You can view the dogs at one of our adoption events held on 2-4 of the weekend days each month. View the schedule of events on our Facebook. You can also schedule a time to meet with the dog at it’s foster home or other meeting place during the weekdays/evenings.
How do I prepare my home for a new dog?
In general, we recommend that you start with the basics: a collar, leash, and tag with a legible phone number on it.
If you are adopting a puppy, it is recommended you have a crate for crate training your pup until he/she is potty trained. 1 dog bed that you can move from room to room will also be helpful in training your dog to sleep on his bed (if that is where he will be sleeping).
You will also need dog bowls for food during mealtimes and water to be available at all times. To avoid your dog chewing on your furniture or household items, you’ll want to have a lot of different chew toys and plush or squeaky toys. Puppies will be teething, you can check your local pet stores for specific chew toys for puppies.
You’ll want to “puppy proof” your house as well. The basics will include keeping any small items like paper clips, pens, pencils away from your dog’s reach, and keeping wires behind your appliances. Keep cleaning supplies in cabinets that your dog cannot get into, and any ant or bug poisons or catchers should not be left around the house, if they must be used, make sure they are picked up before your dog comes into that room.
Check out our page here for bringing home your new dog.