There’s something special about rescuing a dog who needs a home. Not only are you welcoming a new companion into your family, but you’re also providing a home to a dog that needs one. While this is a noble thing to do, that doesn’t mean you should just rush into the process. In fact, we recommend quite the opposite.
The good news is that if you’ve come here looking to learn more about how to adopt a rescue dog, you’ve come to the right place. Read our guide to better understand the process, its costs, and much more.
What Is a Rescue Dog?
First, it helps to understand what a rescue dog is. After all, it helps to know what you’re dealing with, right? The good news is that it’s not too complicated, and rescue dogs are simply dogs that are taken in from bad situations. These are dogs that are out on the street, coming from bad homes, or other unique situations.
Rescue dogs are held by dog rescue organizations, and they tend to be non-profits, so not like puppy mills or breeders. Therefore, the costs are lower. However, rescues want to place dogs in good homes, so the process for bringing one home is challenging.
How to Adopt a Rescue Dog
Adopting a rescue dog can be broken down into a few key steps, and the first one is actually finding the rescue dog. Learn more about each step in detail below.
Step One: Find a Rescue Dog to Adopt
Finding the rescue dog you want to adopt is where most of the challenge comes from. There’s a limited number of rescues available, and you don’t always find the dog that you like. For this reason, you may need to be patient or explore your options.
The good news is that resources like Dog Academy’s adoption page can help you find dogs to adopt in Texas, New York, California, and across the country.
Step Two: Adoption Paperwork
Once you find a rescue to adopt, the process gets a little more intensive. You’ll spend some time with the dog and fill out some paperwork. This paperwork will ask you questions about your history. Some examples include:
- Details about any pets you have.
- The last time you had a dog and your experience with dogs.
- Whether or not you live alone.
- How often you’re home.
- Information about your employment situation.
- Details about veterinarians you’ve worked with.
- Character references.
- A background check to make sure you don’t have a history of animal cruelty.
These are only a few examples of questions you’ll need to prepare for, and the process can be extensive.
Step Three: Interview
The next part of the process is the interview process; it’s actually a lot like getting a job. You’ll speak to someone about your file, answer additional questions, and sometimes provide access to your home. This ensures that your home is suitable for the rescue dog.
For example, the rescue may send someone to evaluate the size of your home before you adopt a cane corso. This process is known as a home visit.
Step Four: The Waiting Game
Unfortunately, the next step is an idle one. You’ll need to wait for the rescue to review your information and then get back to you. Depending on the rescue, this can take a few days or a few weeks, so keep this in mind.
During this time, though, you can visit the dog as much as you like (if the rescue permits you to do so).
Step Five: Pay the Adoption Fee
Finally, it’s time to pay the adoption fee. This is what you have to give the rescue in order to bring them home. Thankfully, it usually covers spaying/neutering, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about that (if dealing with a stray or puppy).
Typically, adoption fees are around $50 to $750; the age of the dog and their health play a role. Young healthy puppies are more expensive, and older dogs tend to be more affordable.
Understanding How to Adopt a Rescue Dog
At the end of the day, understanding how to adopt a rescue dog is a major part of the battle. If you don’t know how to adopt one, you can end up missing out on an opportunity to bring one of these dogs home with you.
This is because it’s not a first-come first-serve type of thing. Instead, rescues try to pair dogs with the best possible homes, so it’s about being exactly that. See more