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| Adoption Guidelines: * We do not place puppies in homes where they will be left alone all day. Part-time employment is ok. Puppies, like babies, need lots of attention, socialization, and cuddles. We do not feel that it is humane to leave them in a crate for 8-10 hours at a time. * An installed fence is mandatory if there are children in the home. The Invisible Fence companies give a discount to people who adopt from rescues. The fence must be installed before an adoption application will be processed. There are no exceptions to this. * We will only adopt puppies to people who have had PRIOR personal puppy raising experience. This policy is due to people wanting puppies, then finding out just how much work they really are, and then they return them or worse, drop them off to shelters. * We also can no longer adopt puppies/dogs to people who have children under (8) years old UNLESS the children have been raised with puppies and dogs all their lives. This policy has been made necessary due to having our pups returned after the novelty wore off. We're told it's because they have been "nipping" at the kids. That is what puppies do and we need to find our pups homes with people who understand and expect this as "normal" behavior. * We do not adopt dogs to persons under 25 years of age. * We do not adopt to renters of houses or apartments. * All dogs must be adopted as house pets, not as outdoor, hunting or working dogs. * All dogs MUST be kept on a leash except in a fenced in yard or secure location. This is for the safety of the dog as well as to comply with laws against unrestrained dogs. * If you are applying for an adult dog, we do expect that if no one is home all day, arrangements will be made to provide the dog with at least (1) "potty break" daily, whether it is through a family member, neighbor or Petsitting service. We know that it is impossible for us humans to "hold it" for 8-10 hours, so we do not want our "shelter kids" to be expected to do so. We have several resources to assist you with this. Please see our Services page. * We do not ship animals. We do adopt out of state, which includes, PA, NJ, MD, NY, with excellent vet & personal references. The distance cannot take longer then 3 hours to drive from the 19720 zip code. Since we do want to consider applications on an individual basis, we are willing to discuss specific circumstances with potential adopters. Our Adoption Process: The first step in adopting a dog through Lost and Found is to complete an online application. The information contained on the application is kept strictly confidential and used solely by Lost and Found Representatives to determine adoption eligibility; it will never be used by anyone outside of our organization without your consent. If the representative determines, at his/her sole discretion, that you cannot provide a suitable home for one of our dogs, you will be declined. If the representative determines that you are not the best fit for the dog you have applied for, you will be contacted regarding other dogs that more closely match your interests, life style, and family environment. Once an application has been approved, we schedule a meeting where the people and dog can meet. We also conduct a home visit to ensure the animal's safety, when location allows. An interview is conducted during a meeting in which we ask follow-up questions and answer any questions you may have regarding your new pet. An adoption is not complete until the foster family accepts the family for the dog/pup in their charge. This process is strictly adhered to in order to ensure that our dogs are placed in the healthiest environment in which they can thrive and grow. Each application is reviewed on an individual basis. Approval Adoptions are not done a first come first serve basis; applicants are selected based solely on which home best fits with the pet's temperament and needs. These pets are not for sale and the decision of where to place them is the responsibility of Lost and Found Dog Rescue. We reserve the right to refuse placement of our pets to any individual who does not meet our criteria. We also reserve the right to keep our reasons for refusal confidential within our organization. The welfare of our rescue animals is our top priority. Once we are certain that a perfect match has been made, we arrange for the dog to move in to their new home! Our representative will do his/her best to help you find a dog; however, we cannot guarantee a successful placement. You should expect to spend some time working with the representative to find the best dog for you. Please be aware that the more you narrow the criteria, the longer it may take to find a suitable dog. If you are referred to a dog in a shelter, please respond promptly. Shelters are overcrowded, and the dog to which you are referred may be in danger of being euthanized. An adoption fee/donation of a predetermined amount, depending upon the animal and its needs is used to help offset some of the cost necessary to operate our rescue organization. All of our animals are spayed/neutered, vet checked, vaccinated, and dewormed prior to placement. Adoption Donation Fees Adoption Donation Fees Sometimes people express surprise that adoption fees from rescues are so high. Then they say that all they want is a young, healthy, well-trained, housebroken dog to adopt. The reality of rescue is that the majority of dogs we get out of shelters do not fit that profile. They often have been neglected and require a fair amount of treatment and care. This is expensive, and the adoption fees in these cases often do not cover the costs. Our mission is to help all our dogs find great homes and it takes a lot of money to accomplish that. Although the time and manpower it takes to run Lost and Found Dog Rescue is donated by volunteers at no cost, expenses include shelter fees, medical care, food, and supplies (such as crates, leashes, etc,). In addition, with the current gas prices, transportation costs from shelters in West Virginia and Southern Delaware and to and from vets have skyrocketed, and Lost & Found now spends a minimum of $50 per dog on gas and tolls. The other reason we charge adoption fees is to help ensure that the dog will be well taken care of. If an adopter cannot afford the fee, perhaps they cannot afford to keep the dog healthy, happy, and groomed. However, if they view the adoption fee as an investment in keeping their new dog healthy and happy, we feel they will be responsible pet owners. Our adoption fees cover charges, which if a new owner did for a “low cost” dog would exceed the adoption fee you are being charged in almost every case. See the chart below:
If a dog should come to us already spayed/neutered, the donation will be $250.00. Also, consider that many animals entering rescue require more than the basic medical care shown above. Some dogs require treatment for heartworm, parasites, mange, ear mites, lump removals, biopsies, broken bones, pregnancy, infections, etc. Extra medical expenses can run anywhere from $100 to $2000 depending on the severity, because we do not euthanize a rescued dog if it is sick and pay for any needed treatment no matter what the cost. These expenses are rarely recovered at adoption and must be paid through donations and fundraising. We hope this explains how, even with the adoption fees charged; Lost and Found and all rescue organizations really are non-profit. For more information also see the articles Are Adoption Fees Too High? and Free to a Good Home? The Contract We have an adoption contract, which requires you to return the animal to Lost and Found Dog Rescue if at anytime you should no longer be able to keep your pet. Pets adopted through Lost and Found Dog Rescue cannot be sold, traded, given away, or disposed of in any way. Although all of our animals are thoroughly evaluated, we cannot guarantee their health or temperament. PLEASE NOTE: Completing an application form DOES NOT guarantee an adoption. We have thoroughly evaluated all of the animals in our care, and try to match the right pet to the right person and situation. We reserve the right not to adopt. If we do not call or email you within 5-7 days of receiving your application, it means that either: 1. The pet was adopted by another applicant, or 2. We felt that the situation presented on the application was not the right situation for that particular pet. |
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