Katie

How We Adopt Team Rocky Enterprises DBA Save Rocky the Great Dane Rescue and Rehab (SRGDRR) has an adoption process that is similar to how other rescue groups adopt pets out. Below is an explanation of each step in this process and why each step is important when you decide to adopt with SRGDRR. The process begins with posting the pets to our website, Facebook page, and over 50 adoption websites. Once you find a dog you are interested in, you will fill out an application, which is forwarded to an application processor. After reviewing the application, a veterinarian check is done. The veterinarian check is followed by a phone interview with you, the applicant. Finally, a home check is done. As soon as everything has cleared, and you have signed a contract along with payment of an adoption donation, your new forever friend is not far off! Why it is Essential for You to Fill Out an Application By filling out the application, this process gives you the opportunity to tell us about yourself, your family, and your home. This allows us to find the perfect dog that fits your family's unique wants, needs, and position. It also allows us to confirm all the information needed for where the dog is going and whom he or she is going to be living with. Thus, the safety and welfare of our rescue and others are maintained. Why a Vet Check is Done A veterinarian check gives us an indication if you have properly taken your prior or current furry friend to the vet to ensure the longevity of their health. Vaccinations, heart-worm prevention, yearly check-ups, and etc., are all important to the health of your animal. SRGDRR does not automatically turn down applicants who have not had a pet before. Why a Phone Interview is Necessary The application is your chance to begin telling us about yourself and your family. The phone interview is our opportunity for us to tell you about ourselves, the SRGDRR organization. And more importantly, for us to tell you about the animal you are interested in adopting. Through this conversation, you’ll find out if the dog likes children, the expectations of having this particular pet, and the medical history of this pet. On top of this, you will learn if the dog has any quirky behaviors like sitting on the side of the bathtub while you are taking your shower or any baggage from the household he or she previously came from. For us, this is the most important part of the adoption process. Furthermore, this is your opportunity to ask us questions that you feel are important about both our organization and the animal you wish to adopt. When going through the adoption process, we match the needs of the dog with the home which can best meet those needs. If a dog has some separation anxiety, the dog is properly placed in a home with someone who can be home for most hours of the day; for example, a stay at home mother would be a wonderful home for an animal with separation anxiety. If the dog needs someone who understands their specific breed, a home with experience in that breed is what we tend to look for. Why Your Home Needs to be Checked It’s not that we don’t trust you, we simply want to verify that you do indeed live in a home with a fenced-in yard or are capable of leash-walking (apartments, country-living, etc.). Some applicants may try to falsify their application by stating that they have closed off the property when they truly do not. The home check is also used to make sure that your home is appropriate for the dog you want to adopt. We aren't doing a home check to see if you dusted on top of the dressers, just that the dog will have a safe and secure home to live in. Final Process If everything goes well with the vet check, phone interview, and the home check, you will be notified that you are approved to adopt the dog you applied for. When you are ready to take the dog home, you will be asked to sign an adoption contract. This contract is standard with most rescue groups and is for the safety and welfare of the dog, as well as for you. SRGDRR's concern for the dog continues long after it has been adopted, and if something were to happen, we want to help. PLEASE NOTE If you can no longer keep the dog, please contact us and we will take the dog back. We have rescued most of our dogs from terrible conditions, we do not want them to go back to those, or worse, conditions to be put down when there are members of our organization that will take the dog back in and foster it until another good home is found.