Adoption Process Explained
A Chance to Bloom Dog Rescue’s goal is to place homeless dogs into loving homes and families. We take special care to match the right home with the right dog, ensuring a lifetime of love for both the dog and the adopter. To ensure the best matches are made, we have a process that has been proven effective in determining the best homes for our animals. Our adoption process may seem time consuming or unnecessarily complicated, but please understand that we have our dogs’ best interests at heart. We strive to find the best homes possible for our dogs, as well as find the right dog for you and your lifestyle.
Please understand that our organization is completely run by unpaid volunteers, who dedicate their free time to help the dogs. If your vet references are unavailable, it will delay the process, since those must be checked before moving forward. The entire adoption process takes time; we are unwilling to sacrifice being thorough when the dog’s future is at stake. We thank you for your time and patience throughout our adoption process and hope you understand.
A Chance to Bloom Dog Rescue’s goal is to place homeless dogs into loving homes and families. We take special care to match the right home with the right dog, ensuring a lifetime of love for both the dog and the adopter. To ensure the best matches are made, we have a process that has been proven effective in determining the best homes for our animals. Our adoption process may seem time consuming or unnecessarily complicated, but please understand that we have our dogs’ best interests at heart. We strive to find the best homes possible for our dogs, as well as find the right dog for you and your lifestyle.
Please understand that our organization is completely run by unpaid volunteers, who dedicate their free time to help the dogs. If your vet references are unavailable, it will delay the process, since those must be checked before moving forward. The entire adoption process takes time; we are unwilling to sacrifice being thorough when the dog’s future is at stake. We thank you for your time and patience throughout our adoption process and hope you understand.
Step 1 – Fill out a Adoption ApplicationThe first step is to have you fill out a adoption application. This application will tell us about you and your lifestyle, training beliefs and background with animals.
Step 2 – Application Preliminary ReviewOur application review volunteers will initially screen your application to determine if all necessary information was provided. If not you will be contacted to either fill out another application or provide additional information.
Step 3 – Landlord Approval VerifiedIf it is determined that you rent your home, your landlord will be contacted to make sure you have approval to have a dog in your home. We also ask about any breed or size limitations.
If your landlord does not allow for a dog in your home, your application will be denied at this point in the process.
Step 4 – Veterinary References ContactedOur volunteers will contact the veterinary reference(s) you provided to determine if all your current pets are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and kept current on heart worm prevention. If you don’t have any current pets, we will ask about the veterinary care that your previous pets received. If you have never owned a pet, this step is skipped.
If your veterinary reference(s) cannot verify the spay/neuter and vaccination status of current or previous pets, processing of your application will be stopped until you can provide this information.
Step 5 – Home Visit and Applicant InterviewOur organization requires home visits to determine that the dog will be living in a safe environment. This is an informal chance for us to get to
know you, your lifestyle, home environment and determine which dog(s) in our program might be the best fit. (out of state adoptions have a little different process but do still require a home check)
Step 6 – Meeting between Approved Applicant & Available Dogs
Our organization does not have a shelter where the dogs can be visited. Most of our dogs are in foster homes. We do NOT arrange meetings between interested individuals and our fosters until an applicant has been approved via this adoption process. Once you have been approved, a volunteer (usually the foster) will contact you about scheduling a time for you to meet the dog(s) you are interested in. This meeting may occur at the foster’s residence or your home. Just because you are determined to be an approved adopter, you are NOT guaranteed a particular dog. For some dogs we receive many applications so we may allow multiple applicants to have a meeting with the dog before we choose the home that we feel will be the best fit for the dog. Also, if the volunteer involved in the meeting with you and the dog, does not feel you are a good fit for the dog, you may be denied adoption of that particular dog but you may be allowed to adopt another dog.
Step 7 – AdoptionIf you have decided upon a dog that you would like to adopt you are required to sign an adoption contract and to provide payment of the adoption donation fee and spay/neuter deposit if necessary. At that time you become the owner of the dog. We may also provide a small supply of dog food that will allow you to transition the dogs diet to another food.
If at any time you are having issues with the dog, email and inform us. A volunteer will be in touch with you asap.
Step 8 – Post Adoption Dog Rescue is committed to the life, health and well being of every dog we place for the remainder of that dog’s life. Should the adoption not work out or you need to rehome the dog, we require, by contract, that the dog be returned to us.
Step 2 – Application Preliminary ReviewOur application review volunteers will initially screen your application to determine if all necessary information was provided. If not you will be contacted to either fill out another application or provide additional information.
Step 3 – Landlord Approval VerifiedIf it is determined that you rent your home, your landlord will be contacted to make sure you have approval to have a dog in your home. We also ask about any breed or size limitations.
If your landlord does not allow for a dog in your home, your application will be denied at this point in the process.
Step 4 – Veterinary References ContactedOur volunteers will contact the veterinary reference(s) you provided to determine if all your current pets are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and kept current on heart worm prevention. If you don’t have any current pets, we will ask about the veterinary care that your previous pets received. If you have never owned a pet, this step is skipped.
If your veterinary reference(s) cannot verify the spay/neuter and vaccination status of current or previous pets, processing of your application will be stopped until you can provide this information.
Step 5 – Home Visit and Applicant InterviewOur organization requires home visits to determine that the dog will be living in a safe environment. This is an informal chance for us to get to
know you, your lifestyle, home environment and determine which dog(s) in our program might be the best fit. (out of state adoptions have a little different process but do still require a home check)
Step 6 – Meeting between Approved Applicant & Available Dogs
Our organization does not have a shelter where the dogs can be visited. Most of our dogs are in foster homes. We do NOT arrange meetings between interested individuals and our fosters until an applicant has been approved via this adoption process. Once you have been approved, a volunteer (usually the foster) will contact you about scheduling a time for you to meet the dog(s) you are interested in. This meeting may occur at the foster’s residence or your home. Just because you are determined to be an approved adopter, you are NOT guaranteed a particular dog. For some dogs we receive many applications so we may allow multiple applicants to have a meeting with the dog before we choose the home that we feel will be the best fit for the dog. Also, if the volunteer involved in the meeting with you and the dog, does not feel you are a good fit for the dog, you may be denied adoption of that particular dog but you may be allowed to adopt another dog.
Step 7 – AdoptionIf you have decided upon a dog that you would like to adopt you are required to sign an adoption contract and to provide payment of the adoption donation fee and spay/neuter deposit if necessary. At that time you become the owner of the dog. We may also provide a small supply of dog food that will allow you to transition the dogs diet to another food.
If at any time you are having issues with the dog, email and inform us. A volunteer will be in touch with you asap.
Step 8 – Post Adoption Dog Rescue is committed to the life, health and well being of every dog we place for the remainder of that dog’s life. Should the adoption not work out or you need to rehome the dog, we require, by contract, that the dog be returned to us.
FAQ – 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.
Is the dog I’m interested in still available? We try to keep our media current. If a dog is listed as ‘Available for Adoption’ on our 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 adoption application and review the dog’s profile page.
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 meet our dogs during our ‘Meet the Dogs!” events in the community or upon our receipt of and approval of your 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 for a meet/greet. You can play with and walk the dog. Many prospective adopters also bring along their own dog to meet the new one.
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, neglected, or abused and we do everything within our power to make sure the home they go to is truly a “forever home” where they will 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 area? Yes we do adopt dogs to homes outside of the local are. 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 but we make it happen.
If the adoption isn’t working out, can I give the dog back? Yes, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss.
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.
Is the dog I’m interested in still available? We try to keep our media current. If a dog is listed as ‘Available for Adoption’ on our 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 adoption application and review the dog’s profile page.
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 meet our dogs during our ‘Meet the Dogs!” events in the community or upon our receipt of and approval of your 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 for a meet/greet. You can play with and walk the dog. Many prospective adopters also bring along their own dog to meet the new one.
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, neglected, or abused and we do everything within our power to make sure the home they go to is truly a “forever home” where they will 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 area? Yes we do adopt dogs to homes outside of the local are. 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 but we make it happen.
If the adoption isn’t working out, can I give the dog back? Yes, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss.
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