ADOPTION  INFORMATION

ADOPTION FEES

 All dogs in our care receive the following:

  • Initial health check, as well as any necessary or regular vet care
  • Spay or neuter *
  • Microchip & Registration with tracking company
  • All necessary & age appropriate vaccines
  • Dewormer &/or parasite treatment(s)
  • Any necessary grooming (when we can get an appointment)
  • Collar
  • ABHDR ID tag by Dog Tag Art

All dogs 18 months or older, regardless of pedigree, will be spayed or neutered prior to being added to the adoptable list.

*For puppies up to 6 months old, we will reimburse $100 of the fee upon proof of spay/neuter, when growth plates have closed or your vet deems it safe to do so.*

Puppies (up to 6 months old)*                                                                  $600

Puppies (> 6 months, up to 18 months old)                                            $425

Young Adults (> 1 8 months, up to 4 years old)                                      $375

Mature Adults (> 4 years, up to 8 years old)                                           $325

Senior Dogs (> 8 years old)                                                                         $250

A $100 non-refundable deposit is required at time of approval, if adoption transfer date is delayed by request.  Regretfully, due to rising costs of vet care, we have had to increase our adoption fees , effective January 1, 2025.

In the event that the dog receives professional training, to help them be a better pet or to put their herding instincts to work, we may need to recoup those costs.  Those costs will be outlined to the adopter prior to the adoption.

Although our fees often do not cover the actual costs incurred from intake to adoption, we reserve the right to waive adoption fees for any reason.

ADOPTION PROCESS

Hopefully you will understand that our animals' best interests are at the heart of what we do and our ultimate goal is to find perfect matches!  We are looking for active pet homes that are engaged with their dogs regularly or for working/herding homes that know how to train them for the job they need and who have a safe place for them when they are not working.

We do not have an adoption quota or a timeline to meet and our foster families are always given the option to adopt the dog, for all the work they put into making them adoptable, before we consider an application.   We look for the BEST match for each dog but we can only consider applications if, & when, we receive them.  We do not keep a list of interested adopters but completed & approved applications are kept on file.

Applications are reviewed & considered on a first-come basis BUT, even if it is the only application received, it may not be approved if it is not a good match to the dog's needs.

  • Please email us for a current adoption application form.
  • Fill out the adoption application as completely & as honestly as possible & email it back to us.  The more accurate the information, the better we can match you with the right dog.
  • If there are any questions or concerns about the application, we will contact you for clarification.
  • During Covid restrictions, where an in person home visit is not recommended, we have been conducting virtual home visits if the adopters are comfortable sending photos or videos of the home and yard where the dog will be living & playing.
    • If you are not comfortable sending us photos of your home/yard, then it will take a little longer to find a volunteer & arrange a day & time to conduct the home visit in person.
  • Once the home visit is complete, arrangements are then made with the foster home for a Meet'n'Greet.   At that point, if it goes well, we transfer the dog over to you.
  • Adoption fees are due upon the transfer of the dog to the adopter for the 30 day trial period.
    • If the adopter requests a delay in the transfer to a later date of their convenience, a $100 deposit is required.  This is because the dog's status of "Adoption Pending" takes them out of the "Available Dogs" list & no other applications will be considered for that dog unless s/he returns to the rescue.  
    • The deposit will be forfeited if the adopter abandons the process prior to the trial adoption period. 
  • If, during the 30 day trial adoption period, the dog is not a good match, the entire adoption fee will be returned upon the dog's return to our rescue.  If there is a different dog that the adopter is interested in, the adoption fee can be applied to the new dog & the 30 day trial period will start over.

If the adopter can no longer keep or care for a dog they adopted from us, we will ALWAYS take them back as long as we continue to operate.

We do consider long distance applications but we very rarely ship our dogs to people or places unknown, as the Meet n Greet is a very important part of the process.  However, we would not ask you to make the trip for a Meet n Greet if your application was not approved & the chances of taking the dog home the same day were not high.