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Adoption Protocol

WHY WE ARE SO CAREFUL WHO ADOPTS 

 

When approving adoptive homes, RTR has certain policies in place to help insure that the pets we place find themselves in happy, well-adjusted homes, who value them as a family member and understand humane and proper care.

 

While you may be the most loving family…..you may NOT be the right home for the pet in question. Please remember that our job is to find the right home for the pet…...

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ADOPTION POLICY:

 

1. We require a veterinarian reference showing a history of annual visits to the vet for shots, exams, tests, etc. for all pets (including cats). We look for homes where the animal’s medical needs are treated as seriously as the medical needs of their owners. 

 

2. We prefer seasoned pet owners but WILL consider adopting to first time pet owners. Past behavior is our best predictor of future behavior. (THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS)

 

3. We require an adequate setting for the dog. What is adequate varies from dog to dog. Some dogs may do well in an apartment setting and some may not, some may need a fenced yard, some may need someone at home most of the day, etc. We do our best to find the right fit. No one is served well if we place the dog in the wrong setting.

 

4. We CANNOT adopt to families with children under the age of 5 because that is when most serious dog bites occur. Our insurance underwriters will not allow this.

 

5. We believe that the only solution to pet overpopulation is spaying and neutering. Therefore, we look for families who share this philosophy and spay and neuter their pets.

 

6. We have an ongoing relationship with our adopting parties, so we look for families with whom we find it easy to work. We reserve the right to refuse adoption to anyone for any reason at any time.

 

7. If you are a renter, we require permission from your landlord for the pet to reside in the home.

 

8. Please remember, we are not the average rescue and many of our animals are dogs that NO OTHER RESCUE WOULD TAKE...this means that many times our dogs have behavioral issues, For this reason, we are EXTREMELY cautious as to the homes we select.

 

9. Our adoption agreement states that you agree to provide proof of yearly vaccinations and we do expect this documentation to be provided to us on an annual basis for the adoption agreement to remain binding.

 

10. All applicants must be at least 21yrs of age.

 

If you do not meet these minimum requirements, please wait until your circumstances change before applying to adopt.

 

Thank you for your interest in rescuing animals and remember Don’t Shop…..ADOPT!!! 

 

 

 

ADOPTION PROCESS

 

1. Complete our adoption application with the name of the dog you are applying for. (adoptions are NOT done on a first come first serve basis)

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2.We will invite you to meet the pet of interest at one of our weekend adoption events. 

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3. We will call the personal and veterinary references you listed on the application then contact you to schedule a home visit.

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4. If you have existing pet family members, we will make arrangements for them to meet to see how they get along. If this has not already happened.

 

5.We will make a site visit to your home to see where the pet will be living,

 

 

 After successful completion of the home visit, we will bring the pet back and  finalize the adoption contract between you and RTR and collect the adoption  donation.

 

 Our standard adoption donation is **$225 for most healthy adult dogs. Puppies  under 1 year old (and older in some cases) are $350 (as our other dogs with  special training needs) and RTR provides a pre-paid mandatory training session  included with this. **Please note that we will work with approved families on adoption donation amounts and our GOAL is to get the dogs in to loving homes

 

 You will be provided all the medical records for the pet and mailed a copy of the  complete adoption contract.

 

 

 

NOTE: Some insurance companies may cancel your homeowner’s insurance if you own an American Bulldog, Pit bull, Rottweiler, Doberman, Chow or German Shepherd. It is the responsibility of the adopter to check with their insurer prior to adopting one of these breeds to make sure doing so will not adversely affect their policy.

 

Additional Terms and Conditions

  • Ruff Times Rescue is under NO obligation to adopt an animal to any individual.

  • Unless otherwise noted, an adoption donation of $225/adults or $350/pups (and dogs with special needs training) is expected when you receive your pet.

  • Upon adoption, copies of all available records will be provided to the family. All animals are spayed or neutered (if age appropriate) prior to placement, are current on vaccinations, de-wormed, on heartworm preventative and flea and tick preventative.

  • An adoption contract is required when the animal is placed.

  • We prefer that our dogs go to homes with securely fenced yards.

  • If a home does not have a fenced area, the adopter must agree to keep the dog on a lead/leash at all times while outside.

  • We do not place dogs in homes using e-fences.

  • We do not place dogs in homes that use any form of tie outs.

  • Puppies not yet housetrained will only be adopted to homes where they can be let out every two-three hours and have someone with them most of the time.

  • Dogs are temperament tested by our volunteers/foster homes and their health and temperament monitored prior to placement but we can make no guarantees as to their health, temperament or future behaviors. Animals in foster care and adopted out by RTR are not warrantied for health or behavior/temperament issues. We do not adopt out until any health issues are cleared by a vet or disclosure is made to adoptive family in writing. 

  • Dog licenses are the responsibility of the adopting family.

 

 

**Please be advised that we are volunteers. We all have full-time jobs, families, and animals of our own. Many of us work more hours doing rescue work than we do at our full-time jobs. While we make every effort to process applications and return phone calls immediately, this may not always happen. Please, be patient with us. Emergency medical calls and calls about the safety of our animals take priority. Application processing time averages 2 weeks depending on the volume of applications received. If you are not selected for the pet, we will notify you via email, as is standard for time saving purposes. Remember, we appreciate every applicant.

 

 

WHY THE ADOPTION DONATION?

 

Here are some of the costs we incur:

 

Office Visit $20-$50

Fecal Test $14-20

Worm Meds $14-$20

Rabies $14-20

DHLPP $14-20

Heartworm, Lyme, Ehrliccia $30-45

Heartworm Preventative Flea Prevention $11/month $12/month

Spay or Neuter $100-$200

Microchip $30-$40

Nail Trims $19/month

 

These are just SOME of the costs associated with EACH dog having no health issues.

 

 

 

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