Frequently Asked Questions - Adopting

I am interested in one of your dogs. Can I have someone contact me to discuss it before I apply?
Please do not contact us and ask for personal assistance until you’ve filled out a pre-adoption application. Our resources are stretched and we simply don't have the time to answer questions from people who are not serious about adopting from us. Please fill out an application as your FIRST FORM of contact. We will process it, and the personal assistance will follow that. We do not allow you to visit with dogs before you’ve completed the process anyway, out of respect for the privacy and security of our foster homes. Asking for a special exception will only waste your time and ours, and that takes resources away from rescuing dogs. Be considerate, be helpful, be patient, and we’ll do our best to process your application quickly without undue delay.

What are your adoption fees?
Adoption donation fees are $150 for a dog that has been spayed/neutered. Otherwise, the fee is $100 plus a $50 deposit to be returned to adopter once proof that dog has been spayed/neutered is received. Our adoption contract requires all dogs to be spay/neutered within 1 month of adoption or when age appropriate.

Is the dog I'm interested in still available?
We try to keep our website current. If a dog is listed as 'Available for Adoption' on our Dog Gallery page, then we are still accepting pre-adoption applications for the dog.

Is the dog I'm interested housebroken, good with kids, good with other dogs, good with cats, etc?
We try our best to provide all the information we know about a particular dog on the dog's profile page. Please be sure to fill out a pre-adoption application and review the dog's profile page, including foster home feedback, before asking further questions.

Can I meet the dog before I fill out a pre-adoption application?
We do not have a shelter that you can visit to "see" the dogs. Most of the dogs in our rescue are in foster homes, where we can get to know them as family pets. You can only meet our dogs during our 'Meet the Dogs!" events at the West Fargo PetSmart or upon our receipt of and approval of your pre-adoption application.

Can I try out the dog before I commit to adopting him or her?
Yes, you will be encouraged to meet the dog either in the foster's home or somewhere that suits you both. You can play with and walk the dog. Many prospective adopters also bring along their own dog to meet the new one. Our adoption process includes a two week trial period, where the dog will be living in your home, that will give you time to decide if the dog is the right "match" for you.

I really have to have a particular dog I saw on the web site. If I'm first to apply for that dog, do I get him?
No. We do not place dogs on a first come, first served basis. Our main goal is to act in the best interest of each dog. We will evaluate all interested potential homes based on the needs of the particular dog. Most of these dogs have been abandoned and neglected, and we do everything within our power to make sure the home they go to is truly a "forever home" where they will be not only be loved, but well cared for physically and emotionally.

Our foster homes weigh heavily in placement decisions as they have the knowledge and insight into the needs of their particular foster dog. We believe a dog's foster family knows that dog's temperament and personality best. They will be your greatest asset (and ours) in helping to determine if their foster dog will be a good match for your family.

The foster's assessment of the dog/adopter interaction and interview with the potential adopter will be taken into serious consideration in any determination of approving a specific adoption.

Do you adopt outside of the local Fargo/Moorhead area?
Yes we do adopt dogs to homes outside of the local area, although we prefer to adopt our dogs locally. Part of our purpose as a rescue group is to be there for families who adopt dogs, to help them with any problems or questions that might come up. We also require in our adoption contract that if the adopter ever has to give up the dog, for any reason, for the life of the dog, that the dog comes back to our rescue group. That can be difficult to accomplish when the dog is living outside of the local area.

We do require a home visit to be completed before we can place a dog in a home. Distance is a factor in whether or not the required home visit can be completed. We are a 100% volunteer run organization. Although we do have volunteer contacts in many areas, some areas may be difficult for us to locate a volunteer to conduct the home visit. We will let you know ASAP if your application needs to be denied due to our inability to find a volunteer to conduct the home visit.

We do NOT ship our dogs. We prefer that all adoptive families travel to the Fargo area to meet their adoptive dog.

If the adoption isn't working out, can I give the dog back?
Not only CAN you......our contract (which you sign at the time of the adoption) states that if for ANY reason you EVER can no longer keep the dog, the dog MUST be returned to our rescue.