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Our Philosophy The dogs are our clients and we do what is in the dog's best interests. We match the dog to a suitable home where the dog will be happy and fulfilled, and the dog must approve of the match as well. That means we don't adopt dogs over the internet, as gifts, or sight unseen. Adoption Fees Our fees are $350 for Puppies (2-6 months), $300 for Adult Dogs, and $100 for Senior Dogs (8 years & up) and Special Needs Dogs who have ongoing health issues that require treatment. All of our dogs are spayed/neutered (per California State Law), vaccinated, heartworm and fecal tested clear, and are microchipped. Home Visit We require a home visit by one of our own volunteers because we match the home to a specific dog, and we want to meet all members of the household and all other pets at that time, and make sure that environment will work for that dog. The home must be safe and suitable for our dog, and that means we won't adopt to a home with out-of-control children or out-of-control resident dogs. Outside Dogs We rarely place dogs in outside only homes. All of our dogs come out of shelters and into volunteer foster homes where they live in the house with the people. We haven't had much success re-homing them to an outside-only home after that. We believe that dogs are happier living and sleeping inside with their family pack, which has been borne out from many years of bringing dogs into rescue. Adoption Requirements Our Adoption Agreement & Contract is a legal document, therefore we will only adopt to adults, and all the adults in the household must agree to getting the dog. The home must be safe and secure, and legally allowed to have a German Shepherd Dog, and be within the allowable number of dogs. We require landlord consent for renters. The entire household must be a good match for the dog, therefore we won't place a higher Level dog in a lower Level household. Please see our Dog Rating Levels at: http://www.gcgsr.org/dogs.html#RatingLevels. Adoption Day Events At an adoption day, if there are several parties interested in the same dog at an Adoption Day, we will make sure everyone who arrives on time has a chance to meet the dog and then our volunteers will help make the best match for that dog. Not everyone is the right match for every dog. We do what is in the dog's best interests. Puppies We have special requirements and an additional questionnaire for puppies, please be sure you meet the requirements before sending in an application. Since we see so many dogs that have come out of an unsuitable environment, we want to make sure our puppies have the very best start in life. That means we won't adopt a puppy into an Outside Only home or where the puppy will be alone the majority of the time, as we don't feel that's an optimum environment to raise a happy and well-socialized dog. Adoption Restrictions If there is a vacation or major change imminent, such as moving, having another adult move in, or having a baby, we won't place a dog in that home. Those events are extremely stressful and it wouldn't be fair to expect a new dog to adjust well to them. We Reserve the Right to refuse to adopt to anyone who we feel isn't a good match to a dog, in particular or in general, as not every household is suitable for a rescued German Shepherd Dog. We will not adopt to anyone who is hostile, belligerent, deceitful or disrespectful to our volunteers, our dogs, our organization, or otherwise refuses to follow our policies or accept our guidelines. Adopter Preferences Yes, we do have preferences for adopters and they would get first choice on any of our dogs above the general public, provided it is an appropriate home for the dog (rating level, energy, children, other pets, etc). Yes, our volunteers pay the same adoption fee as everyone else. No, we don't give dogs away for free, not even to our volunteers. Our unapologetic order of preference is: 1. The Foster Home - they always have the first option of keeping their foster dog. This is known as a Foster Failure, and we have many repeat offenders. 2. Active Volunteers - it's the only perk we get for all the hard work we do. 3. Previous Successful Adopters - they have proven they know how to take care of a dog and we love repeat customers! These are the folks who have kept a dog safe and happy through sickness and health until the end of the dog's life. 4. Highly Qualified Owners (Level 3 or above) personally known and recommended by one of our volunteers who will vouch for the home and handling ability. 5. General Public. At Adoption Days, it's not exactly first come/first served, it's whoever is the best match for the dog, provided everyone is there at the start to meet the dogs. In between Adoption Days, those who get their Adoption Questionnaire in and are available for a Home Visit will be ahead of those who don't!