Grand River All Breed Rescue
Our Mission
Grand River All Breed Animal Rescue is a foster-based animal rescue group based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. We do not operate a shelter – the animals in our program live in home environments with foster owners until they are adopted to a permanent family.
As a non-profit animal rescue group our focus is:
to adopt dogs, cats, and other companion animals into suitable homes.
to ensure that all dogs and cats placed by our rescue are spayed and neutered to ensure that we are not contributing to the pet overpopulation problem.
to promote responsible and healthy pet care, including humane training techniques and healthy diets.
to rescue animals from over-crowded shelters and the streets.
Grand River All Breed Animal Rescue is multi-faceted. We have many roles:
We rescue animals from humane societies and animal controls and adopt them out.
We are part of the Safepet https://www.ovma.org/pet-owners/safepet-program/ program and help foster animals temporarily while their owners find safe housing.
We help people in crisis keep their pets by temporarily fostering them or helping with vet care or food and supplies or training.
We provide food and supplies regularly to a first nation reserve.
We Trap/Neuter and release feral cats and maintain 6 colonies.
Our members are understanding and caring people who are pet owners and caregivers. They understand the care and attention that pets require but also how fulfilling (if occasionally challenging) a life with pets can be. We’re not here just for the animals, but for their owners as well!
Adoption Policy
Grand River All Breed Rescue’s adoption process involves an adoption application, reference checks, and discussion about the potential adoptive home, including a home visit. We follow this process to make sure that we place each pet in a home that is suitable and committed to caring for the pet for the rest of its life.
We match our rescue animals to their new homes. Filling out an adoption application or proceeding with our adoption process does not guarantee the acceptance of an adoption application. We reserve the right to refuse an applicant for any reason, at our discretion.
After we begin an application, we hope to have it completed within a couple days, based upon availability, particularly of your references. We are just as excited to find our pets their forever home as you are to adopt!
Applying to Adopt a Pet
1. Fill out an adoption application.
2. Phone call to discuss your application and/or the pets you are interested in.
The application helps us to learn more about your home and to determine if the pet(s) you are interested in are suitable for your home.
If you are interested in adopting or fostering a pet with us, please email us for details.
Please fill out your application completely before you send it to us.
Meeting the Pet
After your application has been received and reviewed by our adoption volunteers, we will contact you to discuss your application and the pet you are interested in. Following this, you will be invited to meet the pet in their foster home. Meeting the pet in their foster home allows you to see the pet in its comfortable surroundings, and also allows you to discuss the pet with the people who know it best – its foster family.
Home Visit
After you have met the pet and determined that they are the right match for you, a GRAB volunteer visits your home. The purpose of this visit is not to judge your home, but to ensure that the pet will reside in a safe environment. The GRAB volunteer can also help you prepare for the arrival of your new pet. This visit might be combined with the adoption. If all goes well, your new pet will stay with you following the home visit.
Trial Adoption
Depending upon the circumstances, an adoption may begin as a trial adoption. The trial adoption allows the adoptor and animal to get to know each other and determine if they are the right match before signing the adoption agreement. Please understand that there is always a adjustment period when an animal is adopted, as it must adjust to a new family and new home. The purpose of the trial adoption is not to allow an adoptor to “try out” an animal, it is to ensure that the animal is a suitable match for the home and adoptor before it is adopted permanently. When animals are placed in trial adoptions, a GRAB volunteer will be in regular contact with the adoptor, in an attempt to resolve any issues that may arise. As a failed trial adoption is stressful on the animal, we attempt to resolve all issues that arise in the hopes of making the majority of trial adoptions turn into permanent adoptions. However, if the animal is simply not a match for the adoptor, they can return the animal and have much of their adoption donation returned. Currently all but $50 is returned to the adoptor, as we do incur expenses in placing animals on trial adoptions.
Cats are more likely to be placed directly into final adoptions, unless the adoptor has particular concerns (such as compatibility with other pets).
The most important thing to understand about adopting a pet is that pets go through a huge adjustment when moving into a new home. You must be willing to allow your new pet time to adjust to your home and routines.
Final Adoption
Following the successful completion of the adoption steps, a final adoption agreement is signed by both the adoptive family and a GRAB volunteer, and the adoption is complete!
Adoption Donation
All GRAB animals require an adoption donation. Our adoption donations help us to pay for the many costs associated with rescuing animals, including veterinary bills, food, litter and other pet supplies, and administrative costs. The majority of our animals are adopted out for less than what it cost us to rescue them, and we do not make money on our pets. All adoption donations go directly back into our account which allows us to continue rescuing animals.
Dogs: $400
Cats: $175
Rabbits (spayed or neutered): $60
Other small pets (guinea pigs, degus, rats, etc.): please ask
Dog and cat adoption donations include:
Veterinary exam
Vaccines
Deworming and flea treatment (if needed)
Spay or neuter
Microchip
Collar
The food that they have been eating to help in the transition
A favourite toy and/or blanket if they have one
All our adoptions come with a lifetime of support and we encourage you to contact us.
