Adoption Application

A NOTE TO OUR NEW ADOPTERS:

Before adopting your new pet, there are some things that you should know about the "behind the scenes" work we do at the rescue. These are the less glamorous but essential parts of the process of getting your new dog to you.

First, our volunteers in the states that these dogs are lucky enough to be rescued from are an essential part of the process. Many of you have likely gone to some of our local shelters here in New England and found that they are clean, well-lit, and well...pretty empty. This is a result of 20 plus years of spaying/neutering and the education of a community about the responsibility of pet ownership. This is something that we can be proud of in New England. Sadly, this is not something that extends much beyond the borders of our New England states.

Our volunteers in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and several other states in the South and Midwest that we work with have the heartbreaking task of going into shelters that are often out of date, dirty, and overcrowded. They have to look at the faces of many dogs who they simply cannot help. Keep this in mind when you peruse the glossy web pages of Petfinder and have no interest in a certain dog because his tail is too long or his head is not square enough. These are dogs that someone who cares enough about dogs to be a part of the rescue process has to walk by and say no to taking out of the shelter—even if the dog has a heart of gold.

Without the efforts of these volunteers, your new dog would not have been taken from the shelter. These folks will have poked and prodded, tested with food, and auditioned with other dogs your dog as well as countless others that just did not do quite well enough to be a candidate for a long-distance adoption. These people make this whole thing possible more than anyone else in the rescue chain.

Another less glamorous side of the whole process of preparing to get your dog to you is veterinary care. All of us in this rescue have been a part of shelter or rescue organizations for years. We have watched the "gold standards" for vaccination, deworming, and testing change over and over again with new research and the changing nature of animal disease. To this end, we watch the veterinary literature as it pertains to shelter animals very closely. At the end of this note, you will find a detailed description of the vet care that we offer to all of our dogs BEFORE they are even available for adoption. We urge you to show these vaccination and deworming guidelines to your veterinarian before getting your new dog so that they can offer any advice that they might have to do things differently and we can follow up on it. We do follow the current AVMA guidelines for vaccination in shelter dogs.

Keep in mind that though we follow the strictest vaccination and quarantine procedures possible, no vaccination or quarantine protocol is completely perfect. Vaccinations are offered to provide the best possible immunity to diseases, such as parvo and kennel cough, but even the vaccine makers will tell you that no vaccine is perfect. In other words, we give these dogs the BEST chance possible to be safe against infectious disease but we cannot GUARANTEE that the dog will not contract an illness—shelter-related or otherwise. All dogs, just like all people, are different, and there is no way to be sure how well a dog will respond to the vaccinations that we offer him.

Lastly, and most importantly, by adopting a dog, you are becoming another VERY important part of the rescue process—the adopter who will provide these dogs, who have come so far, with a loving forever home. We look to you to be our partners in the rescue process. This means that we are asking for your understanding and confidence that we are doing the best that we can for you and your new dog. Please extend to us your patience and goodwill. If we don't get back to you as quickly as you would like, please know that we are doing the best that we can and that we have a lot of other people, adopters, and fellow rescuers alike that we communicate with daily. If you can offer us your understanding and provide a loving and stable home for your new family member, then we are very happy to have you as the newest member of our rescue team.

Thanks for your time and thoughtfulness,
Cyndi Berkowitz, PAWS4RESCUE Director

Vaccination/Health Procedures:

Puppies (Under 12 Months):

All pups receive 3 rounds of puppy shots (DHLPP) with 2 weeks between vaccinations.
All pups receive intranasal bordetella vaccination.
All pups are wormed twice with pyrantel pamoate (2 weeks between wormings) and once with Drontal.
All pups receive a course of all wormer.
All pups are spayed/neutered unless otherwise specified.

Adults:

All dogs 12 months or older receive rabies vaccination.
All dogs receive vaccination with DHLPP.
All dogs receive intranasal bordetella vaccination.
All dogs are spayed/neutered. Any gait abnormalities, skin conditions, eye conditions, heart murmurs, etc. are fully worked up by the local veterinarian with guidance from New England vets (many are specialists in their fields).

All dogs, pups and adults alike, are fully evaluated by a veterinarian prior to transport and are issued a certificate of HEALTH when determined to be free of disease (infectious, congenital, inflammatory, etc.) unless otherwise specified. They will also receive a Connecticut state-issued health certificate once they arrive in Connecticut.

If you are interested in adopting from PAWS4RESCUE.org, please complete the Adoption Application below. Answer all the questions and submit the form using the 'Submit' button on the bottom of the form. You will be returned to the Home page upon successfully submitting the form. If your application matches one of our dogs or puppies, you will receive an email or phone call from a PAWS4RESCUE representative.

***Please note that we only place our dogs in homes with children over the age of 8 years old due to the sometimes unknown origin of the dog.***

Dog adoption fees for all dogs are $575.00. This fee does include the transport fee.

Online Adoption Application

Name
First Last
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Home Phone
Mobile Phone
Email
Please list the names, ages, and occupations of people in the home:
Please list all pets and indicate if they are spayed/neutered and up to date on all vaccines:
Is your yard fenced? If you do not have a fence, will you install one?
Please list any veterinarians that you have used for the past 3 years (Provide the name, address, and phone):
How long will the dog be left alone daily (without humans)? If more than 6 hours, will someone be able to let the dog out during the day?
How long have you lived at your current address?
Do you currently own or rent? If you rent, what is your landlord's contact info?
Are you familiar with the use of a dog crate to train the dog during your absence or at night?
Will the dog be walked daily?
If you do not have a fenced-in yard, is there a fenced-in area nearby where the dog can be safely exercised?
Will the dog be allowed to run free without supervision?
Will your dog receive formal obedience training?
Have you ever sold, given away, or surrendered your pet to an animal shelter?
If you answered 'Yes' to the previous question, please explain:
Please tell us a little about your family and your lifestyle including any special activities in which your dog would be included:
Please specify the dog(s) in which you are interested:
Have you or any member of your family been cited for leash law violation or cruelty to animals in the past?
If you answered 'Yes' to the previous question, please explain:
I/We attest that the information provided on this application is true and accurate to the best of my/our knowledge: (Please sign your name.)

Dog adoption fees are $575.00 for all dogs. This fee does include the transport fee.

Adoptions are usually kept in the New England area.

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