What does foster based rescue mean? We are an all foster home based rescue. We do not have a physical shelter. An approved application is required to meet our dog/cats. Applicants are subject to home checks and are required to leave permission with their veterinarian, to allow us to call and check their vetting history. This is in addition to our routine screening with the application. Home ownership is required. All of our dogs are spayed/neutered and current on age appropriate vaccinations, as well as placed on flea/tick/heartworm prevention.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION? When your application is received, it will be sent to one of our Application Reviewers. Our Application Reviewers will check/verify all information to make sure the information is accurate and there are no omissions. Reviewers will also be providing a preliminary review to see if the initial home conditions/requirements meet the needs of the animal.
HOW SOON WILL I HEAR BACK? We do our best to review all applications as quickly as possible. While we strive to complete application reviews within 10 business days, it may take longer if we cannot reach references or if information is incomplete. Incomplete applications or omitted information will slow down the process and may result in a denial. If you have any questions during the process, please email [email protected]. Please remember that we are an all-volunteer organization. All application reviews are being done around work hours. WHAT'S NEXT? Once an application is conditionally approved, you will be notified. We will also share your application with the foster parent who, at times, may contact you directly to discuss your needs/wants in relation to the animal to help determine the best fit for the dog or cat. Please note that a phone call does NOT guarantee a meet/greet or adoption of the dog/cat.
In many cases, we receive multiple applications for a dog/cat. We are always looking for the best fit for both the adoptive family as well as the dog/cat. As a result, we do not adopt out a dog/cat to the first application that requests the dog/cat. If the first application received and/or approved is a good fit for the dog/cat, then a meet and greet may be scheduled. However, that is not always the case and an applicant who may have applied at a later date may have the opportunity to a meet/greet with the dog/cat first, if they seem to be the better fit. A meet & greet is NOT a guarantee that an adoption will occur.
During the review, we may identify that the dog/cat you are interested in is not a fit for your home and or needs. If you are conditionally approved to adopt but the dog/cat isn't a good fit for you, we may recommend another dog/cat that may be a better fit for you or we can hold your application open for a possible future dog/cat.
HOW DO I MEET THE DOG/CAT? We DO NOT set up meet and greets without a completed/approved application. We do not have a facility that you can visit. Our dogs & cats reside in foster homes, so we must coordinate multiple schedules to accommodate meet and greets. At times, you may be able to meet a dog/cat at one of our adoption events. YOU WILL NOT be able to take a dog/cat home from an event. The meet & greet is another part of our process. Sometimes we schedule meet and greets at the same time as home check visits so that we can ensure that the environment is appropriate for the dog/cat and that you, your family and your pets have a good initial interaction. While we will view initial interactions at this time and make recommendations we highly stress limited interactions and decompression time, for at least 2 weeks, when you welcome any animal into your home. We will provide you with guidelines on what that means if you advance into an adoption trial, or you can view that information in our Resources and Training materials on this website at any time. Please note: If you cancel a meet and greet appointment or fail to return calls to arrange a meet and greet, your application may be placed on hold and we may move on to the next application.
WHAT IS AN ADOPTION TRIAL? We offer our adopters a 2-week trial adoption period. Although we do our best to provide you with as much information as possible about the dog/cat, we recognize that it sometimes takes spending some time with the dog/cat to really ensure a fit. Please remember, your environment and you are strange to the new pet. Give the dog/cat time to get to know you and your home before you invite the neighbors, family over to meet him/her or take him/her out on the town. Our dogs & cats are very important to us and we want to set them, and you, up for success. We are available throughout the trial period to answer questions and highly recommend all adopters review the resources and training information on this website.
Adoptions have a two (2) week trial period. If for any reason Fur-get Me Not and/or you decide that the adoption is not in the best interest of the pet or other family members, you will return the pet to the foster parents as soon as possible. Any adoption charges will be refunded, minus a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) administrative fee. Why are we now requiring this? Quite simply, if you can't make a decision by then and fulfill your commitment YOU are now holding the dog back from finding a home that can. Our dogs/cats are not a commodity. Our goal is to find them a committed, loving home. Respectfully, if you can't honor this commitment, then, please don't apply.
ALL money donated to the rescue or collected through adoption fees goes directly to the care of our dogs/cats which includes vet care, supplies, administrative supplies, food and training. We do not have any paid staff. Thank you for considering adopting!
Adoption Fees: Senior cats (7 years and older): $60 Adult cats (1 year-6 years): $80 Kittens (less than 1 year): $125 Senior for Seniors dogs (7 years and up): $200 Adult dogs (2 yrs and older): $250-$400 Puppies (up to 2 years) and/or including small dogs under 25 lbs (under 7 years): $400
* Fees are subject to change. Additional fees may be added if equipment, such as a crate, are supplied at time of adoption or excessive medical treatment needed to be provided to the pet. All fees will be disclosed to potential adopters prior to contract creation and close. What should I do if I have found a stray? If it's a stray you have found... Have the dog scanned by a vet for a microchip - this should be done free of charge at most veterinarians offices. Run an ad in the lost and found section of the local paper's classified section. In most cases, this is also a free service. Contact local authorities, including the County Dog Warden's office, police, shelters (Humane Society, Animal Protective League, etc) and leave a description of the dog and your contact information in case the owner calls looking to see if their pet has been found and turned in. Place a "FOUND" ad in the Lost and Found section of Craig's List AND their Pets section. Make sure to hold back some of the information about the dog so that you can verify that the person claiming the dog is really is the owner if contacted. Post fliers at area businesses with the pet's photo if possible If you find the pet around your own home, let your mailman know, especially if he or she does the route on foot rather than by truck. They may recognize the dog and know where it belongs. Put a sign in your yard that says you have found a dog. Someone out looking for their lost pet might see it, or someone who knows the people who are looking might see it. Include a phone number if you don't want people knocking on your door. If all else fails, refer to the above section for re homing your pet to see if we can help. You can also turn the dog over to the local Dog Warden. Some of these shelters rarely euthanize dogs unless they are sick or very aggressive, others need to do so on a regular basis for space considerations.