| The adoption
process for The Animal Guardian Society (T.A.G.S.) and for
most rescues is a thorough process that involves an adoption application, home visits and
discussion about the potential adoptive home. We appreciate your patience and understanding
during this time - and we'd like to stress that this is a necessary part of our job. We feel
that when we rescue an animal we have a responsibility to ensure that we place it in a home
that is equipped and committed to caring for the pet for the rest of its' natural
life.
The T.A.G.S. Adoption
Process consists of these four mandatory steps:
Step 1: The Adoption
Application
Applying for an animal DOES
NOT guarantee a home visit or acceptance as an adoptive
home.
The first step, whether you are
interested in a particular animal already in our rescue
program or whether you would like to be considered for any animals that may become available
in the future, is to fill out an Adoption Application Form. The application gives us an idea
of what kind of home you have to offer a rescued animal and it also helps us to determine
which animal in our program may be most suitable for your home.
IMPORTANT: Please note that you must
call the T.A.G.S. phone number 905-263-8247
after submitting an application in order to confirm your interest. If there is no answer,
please leave a detailed message stating that you’ve submitted an application and which animal
you’re interested in meeting. This call is very important, as our Adoption Coordinator will
only contact applicants after receiving this confirmation call.
Step 2: The Home Visit
After an application is submitted,
reviewed, and a call is received to confirm your
interest, a T.A.G.S. representative will contact you to discuss your application in further
detail.
The Animal Guardian Society does it’s
best to ensure that we match the right dog with the
right family. Should the animal you are interested prove to not be a good match for any
reason, the volunteer will advise and/or suggest another animal.
If the application is approved for
further consideration, the next step is to arrange a
one-hour home visit. Please note that families, including existing dogs, must meet the
applied for dog prior to the one hour home visit.
Step 3: The Extended Visit
After a one-hour visit has been conducted, we encourage the potential
adoptive family to
take their time and discuss the situation. Remember, adopting an animal is an important and
large decision and all family members should be in complete agreement.
Should the family wish to continue the adoption process, they may contact
T.A.G.S. to
request an Extended Visit. However, please note that a one-hour visit does not automatically
entitle a family to an extended visit. The T.A.G.S. Adoption Committee must also be in
agreement that the particular family and pet chosen are a great match.
If the extended visit is approved, one of our volunteers will arrange to
drop off the dog
at your home with the necessary resources on loan, as applicable (such as food, collar, leash
and crate.). This visit is generally for up to 5 days.
There is no obligation during the extended visit – should your family decide
that the visit
is not going well for any reason, you can contact T.A.G.S. to pickup the animal. Remember that
there is always a transition period when an animal enters a new home. The animal will require
a patient and caring home to provide the love and support it needs for a happy, healthy and
smooth transition. Though an adopter may feel that an animal has settled in a week or two, the
transition is a much longer process for the animal and can take anywhere from three to six
months or occasionally longer.
Step 4: The Adoption Agreement
If the first three steps have been
completed successfully, the final stage of the adoption
process is the signing of an adoption agreement by the adopter and a T.A.G.S. Representative.
Only at this stage is ownership of the animal transferred from T.A.G.S. to the adopter and
they are free to begin a happy and life-long relationship.
The T.A.G.S. Adoption Fee of $295.00 (a
reduced fee is applied for senior dogs) is to be paid at the time of signing the adoption
contract and includes the following:
- Animal is spayed or neutered
- Veterinary checked
- Updated vaccinations
- Microchip implant for identification
purposes
- Pet Care Insurance, trial period of
one month available through ShelterCare (paid for by
Petfinder.com)
- Pet Awareness Workshop, a mandatory 8
week training course designed to help bond the new
adoptive family with their dog.
|
![[The Animal Guardian Society]](http://www.dmn.ca/Directives/header.bmp)
