Adoption FAQ
Getting a pet is a
responsibility that you will have for the life of the
animal. It should not be given away just because it
gets old, sick or the pet just becomes an inconvenience.
The pet should become a permanent member of your
family and you must realize it has the same feelings as
humans and can become depressed when losing its home.
Please be sure you understand this before you consider
adopting and you are willing to make the necessary
commitment. Please look at
Ten Rules for Getting a Pet and read the short but important
Dog Ten Commandments.
The
great advantage of rescue dogs is that they are beyond
the difficult, hyperactive puppy stage. This saves your
carpets, furniture and shoes from being chewed up or
urinated on, and permits you to get a full night's sleep!
Often, rescue dogs are already housebroken and with a week or two of
help to acclimate them to your home, they are fine. They come to your
home ready to love.
If you buy this dog from a pet store, you are supporting puppy mills,
where breeder dogs are treated inhumanely and used until they die,
virtually never leaving their breeding cages. Click
here to read about the horrors of puppy mills.
There are, of course, the emotional reasons. When
you adopt a rescue dog, you know in your heart you have done an act of
kindness. There's no feeling in the world like it, and no dog
purchased at a breeder can give you that warm
feeling of knowing that you have given this loving small bundle a happy,
safe and loving home. Click
here to see why
rescue dogs are better, written by a person who has rescue dogs.
 People give up their dogs for all kinds of reasons, many of them having
nothing to do with the dog or his behavior. Someone may be moving and
“cannot take the dog”, changing employment that requires too much time away
from home, or getting divorced necessitating a change in life style. The
owner may have personal medical issues or has died. Perhaps there is a new
baby and the owner doesn’t want a dog with a baby. On the other hand, there
may be issues related to the dog. Perhaps the owner can no longer afford the
expenses associated with a dog (both vet and grooming expenses can add up).
Perhaps the owner never properly trained the dog and doesn’t want to deal
with it any more and yes, old dogs CAN be trained. Perhaps there are issues with small children around the
house, as little dogs and small children who pull and poke do not go
together. There are many many reasons! We even had an owner give up a dog
because she was redecorating her home and the dog no longer went with the
new décor (true
story!). The point is, just because dogs are in rescue does NOT mean they
aren’t wonderful dogs. Sometimes they need a little training, sometimes not,
but they’re all terrific loving companions.
We also get discarded dogs from puppy mills, who are about to be shot or
starved because they no longer produce. These dogs need lots of medical
treatment, and we do it all and get them clean and showroom new, and
they are ready for a home. Adopters of these dogs will tell you
they are the BEST dogs they have ever had, bar none! They appreciate
love, a clean bed, and nutritious food. They have tons of love to give
and with a little patience, the adopter has a dream dog. We also
take dogs from other emergency situations.
There are rarely if ever puppies. If you want a puppy you need to go to
www.akc.org, look up the particular breed
club, and ask them to recommend a breeder in your area.
DO NOT EVER BUY A DOG FROM A PET STORE as they ALL come from puppy mills!
From rescue, you can expect to get a grown adult dog at least 4-5 years old. Of course,
small dogs live to be 15 yrs old, on average, so that’s still young for a
small dog. Adopting a 10 year old small dog is still not an issue as there
can be 5-8 or more remaining years.
You will not be getting a show dog. Most dogs, although not all, come
from pet stores and therefore puppy mills. Though they may not be perfect
specimens or show dog quality, they are still wonderful bundles of love,
devotion and fun.
Sometimes the dog will be shaved down if gotten in a matted condition,
but that’s not a problem since the hair will grow. Sometimes the dog will
need housebreaking help, and we will tell you exactly how to do that.
However, it does require you to be vigilant for a few weeks. Even a
housebroken dog may have accidents in the new home due to the trauma of
losing his old home, so you need to understand that the dog will not just
walk into your home and be a perfect.
You should expect a period of adjustment. Most dogs take from several
weeks to several months to adjust. A seriously traumatized dog may take
several years. You will see progress and a development of a wonderful
personality, but please realize the dog is a stranger in your home. He’s a
child who has been taken away from his mom and dad and doesn’t know why, and
he will be scared. If you have patience and love, it will be well rewarded
with devotion and tremendous appreciation, especially if the dog has come
from an abusive situation. When they have been mistreated, they seem to be
well aware when someone is treating them kindly, and they are deeply grateful
for the kindness.
In order to adopt through SOS Dogs, you must take certain steps before
you can meet a dog. (STEP 1) complete and submit an
Adoption Application.
Nobody will be considered for any dog without
first submitting an application. It is printable from the website and has to be filled in
by hand and
snail-mailed, scanned and emailed (preferred method), or faxed. Once we receive
your application and ensure that you meet our set of
preliminary requirements, you will either be considered for the dog for
whom you applied, or if just a general application, you will be
placed on the e-mail notification list and be notified by email of all dogs
available. If your application does not meet our basic requirements, it will be discarded
and you will be notified of that.
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transmit almost daily notifications to you. Please don't use AOL
as they reject our emails. If need be, use free Hotmail or Yahoo
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We have an enormous waiting list and dogs often go as quickly as they
become available. Unfortunately, there are far too many applicants for every
person to be called individually when a dog becomes available.
Therefore you must have an email address so you can be placed on our
emailing list and you can be notified of dogs we get for adoption. We cannot
accept an application without an email address.
When you are on the email list, you will receive notices of dogs
available. When a dog whose type and
temperament matches your family's needs, and your home matches the specified
needs of the dog, contact us. Please note the second part of the
previous sentence: "IF YOUR HOME MATCHES THE NEEDS OF THE DOG".
We are here to find what we feel is the best home FOR THE DOG. We are
DOG ADVOCATES and no matter how much you may want a dog, if we don't feel
this is the best situation for the dog we won't adopt to you. After reviewing all
factors to make sure the match is appropriate, and (STEP 2)checking your vet
references, we'll (STEP 3) make arrangements for a home inspection.
If that goes well, you and your family will meet the dog. In some cases, the dog may still be living
with the surrendering family. In those cases, you may be able to meet
this family and learn about the dog. In other cases, the dog may
already be in one of our volunteer foster homes and that is where you will
meet the dog and the foster person will tell you about his/her experiences
with the dog. Usually at this meeting an adoption takes place, as all
factors are then in order.
We will also inform you if we are notified of any small dogs in area
shelters or with other rescues. In those cases, you would deal directly
with the shelter or other rescue, signing their adoption contracts and
paying their adoption fees. SOS Dogs just helps the little doggies get good
homes by letting you know they are there. We only ask that you let the
shelter or rescue know you were referred by SOS DOGS so they will continue
to notify us when little helpless dogs need homes.
In order to adopt through SOS, we must have knowledge of your home
environment and family composition. We also require vet references so that
we may talk to your vet about the care you gave or are giving your dog(s).
We get a majority of this information from your
Adoption Application.
SOS Dogs maintains high standards when reviewing adoption applications.
Our primary objective is to find the BEST home for each particular dog. All
our rules and restrictions are designed to achieve that goal. The
following preliminary guidelines should help you determine your qualifications:
- For the safety of both the child and the small dog, we cannot adopt to anyone with children
under the age of 5. We welcome older children.
- For safety reasons, we cannot adopt to anyone with large and/or
aggressive pets but welcome small, loving dogs and cats.
- We will not approve homes that employ invisible fencing systems
that employ shock collars. We think these are cruel, especially for smaller breeds.
We encourage fenced yards.
- We adopt only to experienced dog owners who have a vet history, which
we will discuss with their vet . We will also accept copies of vet bills
as proof of their vet care. The vet history is an integral part of
our screening process and we cannot adopt to anyone without one.
Remember that these are just preliminary qualifications to get
onto our e-mailing list. Once we determine that your home may be
appropriate for a particular dog, we will talk to your vet and do a home
inspection.
 SOS DOGS understands your concern about our vet history requirement, but
past history is the best indicator of future behavior. There must be an
independent means of verifying the care a dog will receive. Without a vet
telling us how a particular family has cared for current or past animals,
how would we know? People will misrepresent themselves, and do so all
the time.
We need an independent verification of past care so we know what we can
expect for our dogs. We need to know that the dog will be kept up to date on
shots and monthly heartworm preventative, that it will never be let out
without being on a leash or in a fenced yard–lots
of little things that can be crucial to a dog's life. Oddly enough, love and
caring and "wanting a dog" are not enough. Knowledge and experience are crucially important,
especially with a rescued dog who may have some issues.
We are looking for the above average person who will keep his or her pet
for a lifetime, and care for it when it is sick. Vet histories can also tell
us that. We are here to provide the best and safest possible homes for the
dogs, and we need to be certain we are doing this. That is why a vet history
is essential when considering anyone for adoption through SOS DOGS and we
will not adopt to anyone without it.
If we call your vet to discuss the care you gave a deceased pet, they
will say that all records of deceased pets are put in transfer files and not
easily obtainable. In order to expedite your application, YOU need to
request a print-out of your records or "summary of services" from your vet
and send it to us with your application.
Vets can usually do a “summary of services performed” and it only takes a
computer page or two. If your vet does not have records in the computer to
print a "summary of services" but remembers you, we will accept a letter
from the vet stating you gave your pet all required care (vaccinations,
heartworm preventative, altering), including taking necessary steps when the
dog was ill. Alternatively, you can send us copies of the last several years
of your vet bills. In any case, it will be necessary for YOU to provide the records because we will
be told they cannot give us any information.
Unfortunately, we do not feel that shipping dogs is an acceptable
experience for the dog and will not ship dogs around the country. You
must be able to drive to NJ or a nearby state (or where the dog is located)
to pick up the dog. You must also be willing to have an SOS DOGS
representative visit your home for a home check. If you are out of our
serving area, try our helpful links section
to locate a rescue near you.
We do not maintain a shelter or often keep an "inventory" of dogs.
These little dogs are usually adopted immediately upon availability by
someone who has filled out an application and is on our waiting/notification
list. A few might be in our various foster homes. To get a dog, you MUST first fill out an
Adoption Application. Once you
receive preliminary approval you will be placed on
our e-mailing list and notified whenever a dog becomes available, telling
you the kind of home that dog needs. If you think your home is right
for that dog, you advise us. Then we do the vet check, home visit, etc.
before any adoption can occur. Check our Pet
List for any dogs currently available. If you are interested in one of
these dogs, please print and fill out the
Adoption Application and
email us for the fax
number if you wish to expedite the application. Otherwise mail it.
ABSOLUTELY!! Studies have shown that a free dog is often not cared
for, even abused. There are horror stories of terrible things some people
have done to "free to good home" dogs, including consumption,
sold for medical experimentation, ritual sacrifice, pit bull baiting, and
more!
Rescues also have considerable expenses, including huge veterinary bills.
Therefore, it is the policy of all rescues to require a substantial
adoption fee. As a general rule, we spend more on older dogs, yet get
a lower adoption fee, so the younger dogs help support the older ones.
 Adoption
fees : Our adoption fee helps to defray our expenses which
may include vet exam, shots (distemper and rabies), fecal check, spay/neuter,
heartworm test, grooming, dental, any required surgeries NO MATTER HOW
EXPENSIVE THEY ARE and also the fee we
may pay when we rescue from a shelter. Our fees are more than shelter
fees for a number of reasons: a shelter gets government funding and
we do not; a shelter doesn't groom, do all medical surgeries or
dental, and we do; a shelter requires a fee when it takes the dog in
and we do not. So shelter GET a lot more and SPEND a lot less
on each dog!!!! You will never get a dirty matted dog who needs medical care
from us! It will all be done for you. In most cases our ADOPTION
FEE DOES NOT COVER OUR COSTS! By the time we are done doing all
medical, you are getting the dog virtually free! Our adoption
fees are by age and as follows:
- $350 for the rare puppy under 1 yr + $100 refundable altering
deposit if too young to alter
- $300 for dogs 1 yr old
- $275 for dogs 2 yr old
- $250 for 3-4 years old
- $225 for 5-6 years old
- $200 for 7 years old
- $150 for 8 years old
- $125 for 9 years old
- $100 for dogs 10 years and older (small dogs live an average of
15 years)
Adoption fees are not based upon expenses for the
particular dog you are adopting. If it were done that way, dogs who
needed $6,000 in medical care, like heart surgery or extensive orthopedic
surgery, would never get adopted! Fees are the same for all dogs
of a particular age,
regardless of what the rescue spent on that dog. This means if we spent
$3,000 on your dog, or we spent nothing, the adoption fee is the same. This makes all dogs
of a certain age equally adoptable, which is our goal.
Anything you give above the requested adoption fee is tax deductible as a
donation.
100% of adoption fees are used to help the dogs, providing medical
attention for dogs who need it, and helping defray the costs of running a
rescue. All workers for the rescue, including the director,
do so on a totally
volunteer
basis and receive no pay. SOS DOGS is a registered NJ non-profit
corporation, and a Federal 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are
tax deductible, but adoption fees are not since you will be receiving a dog. When you receive something in
return, by law the fee is not a donation
At the
time of adoption, you will be asked to sign an
Adoption Contract, a legally binding
document. This contract
specifies, among other things, that:
- You will provide quality care for this dog, including food, shelter,
sanitation, grooming, exercise and inside shelter.
- You will keep the dog licensed and identified at all times.
- You will treat the dog as a member of your family.
- You will take the dog to the vet yearly for an annual exam and all
required shots.
- You will keep the dog on heartworm preventative year round and
flea/tic preventative in the warm months.
- You will never tie the dog outside or let the dog run loose.
The contract also states that if, for any reason, you can
no longer keep the dog you must contact SOS Dogs so that we can find another home. You may
NOT take the dog to a shelter or give the dog away. We may contact you
or your vet at any time for verification of the dog's welfare. Please read
the Adoption Contract carefully and be
sure you can accept the terms. We are truly concerned that these small
helpless babies go to good homes, and will take every possible precaution to
insure this.
YES!!!!!!! Without exception, all dogs adopted from SOS Dogs are usually
already spayed/neutered by us or, if for some reason we couldn't or the dog
was too young, will be spayed/neutered as part of the adoption process. Under
NO circumstances may a rescue dog be bred!!! There are already so
many homeless dogs. Recent statistics released by Petco show that pet
overpopulation is a heart-breaking problem:
- There are 45 cats and dogs for every one person born.
- Only one out of 10 dogs born ever find a permanent home.
- 450 dogs and cats are destroyed each HOUR in the U.S. because there
are not enough homes for them...MANY OF THEM PUPPIES AND KITTENS!
We do not want to add to dog overpopulation!
For more information about spaying and neutering,
click here.
 
There are approximately seven low cost spay/neuter plans in the South
Jersey area. Information on these plans can be obtained from:
- Pet Aid
PO Box 1402
Blackwood, NJ 08012
856-228-4411
New Jersey/Pennsylvania low-cost spay/neuter help:
- People for Animals in Hillside, NJ provides very low-cost
spay/neutering and shots. Contact them at 1-908-964-6887.
- Spay Club in the Philadelphia area, can be contacted at
1-610-275-7486.
National low-cost spay/neuter help:
- OUR MOST RECOMMENDED WAY: Friends of Animals
maintains a national low cost spay/neuter program . You send them the
money and they send you a certificate to be used at your own vet. You can
get complete information by calling Friend of Animals at 1-800-321-PETS or
you can do it online at
http://friendsofanimals.org/ . You can also
put in your zip code to see if your personal vet participates. Many
vets do. If you don't have a vet, I suggest choosing one from this
list as these are the caring ones.
- Spay USA is national and can be called at 1-800-248-7729. They
will refer you to a low cost spay/neuter program in your area.
Check out our
Spay/Neuter Links
section for additional sources.
When you are approved to adopt through SOS Dogs, you will be required to
sign an Adoption Contract.
You will also get an adoption package. Although the package varies, you will
generally receive:
- A Dog Training manual from Matthew Margolis, the famous trainer on the
TV programs “Woof, It’s a Dog’s Life” and “Good Dog U”.
- A DVD Training Your Adopted Dog
- Lots of training sheets, including housebreaking and other issues such
as jumping, chewing, etc.
- Lots of sheets and brochures with information on health and safety issues for your dog.
- Information on food and plants that are dangerous to your dog.
- Various things at various times, like toys, greenies, etc.
- Lifetime help through SOS Dogs. Once you are an SOS adopter, we are
here to help with any behavior problems you have with your dog. We will
also keep you informed on current issues that may effect your dog, like
new vaccination protocols. As long as you keep us aware of your current
email address, we will let you know of any critical items regarding the
health or safety of your dog.
Our helpful links section can refer you to many sites
which provide valuable information and resources on training issues, medical
issue, naming your dog and more. We
will also stay in touch, contacting you
periodically to make sure the adoption is a happy one for everybody. If you
ever find that you can no longer keep the dog, SOS DOGS MUST be
contacted.
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