Adopting Through AHDRS

Home
About AHDRS
About Dachshunds
What's New?
Available Dachshunds Why Adopt a Rescue Dog?
Adopting through AHDRS
Adoption Application Form
Adopt a Senior Dog!
Finding the Perfect Dog Happy Tails
Sanctuary Dogs
Dachshund Memorial Page
Little Round Bed Fund
AHDRS Boutique Can You Help Me?
How You Can Help
Dogs We Have Helped
Contributors
AHDRS Bonefactors Pet Store Puppies
Learn about Puppy Mills
What's a Backyard Breeder?
Breeder Checklist
Why Spay/Neuter? AHDRS Boutique
Links
Volunteer
Contact Us
Members Page

If you have never adopted through a rescue organization before, you might be unfamiliar with how rescue groups operate. There are some things you should know right off the bat.

First, everyone in AHDRS is a volunteer; we have no paid staff and no central office. We all have regular jobs and do our rescue work in our "spare time." We work very hard with our adopters, but please don't assume that if you apply to adopt a dog today, you will have the perfect dog by the weekend!
Second, the dogs we have available at any given moment are the dogs that needed to be rescued. If you have a very specific dachshund in mind -- red, female, smooth, under 12 pounds, under two years of age, gets along with cats, for example -- you may have to wait a while before such a dog comes along. We always do our best to find the dog you are looking for, but the more flexible you can be in your preferences, the better the chances we can find a dog for you.
Finally, some people find the adoption procedures of rescue groups to be "too much trouble." AHDRS rescuers want to place each rescue dog in a happy home, and we also want to help you find the right dachshund for you. Our goal is to place our dogs in their forever homes, and that takes some work! To ensure that a good match is made, we do ask for references and a home visit, and we ask that you complete our adoption application. Yes, it is easier to buy a dog from a newspaper ad than to adopt through rescue, but a person who will sell a dog to anyone who comes along, with no references or applications, probably hasn't given much thought to the breeding of that dog. When you adopt a rescue dog, you know what you are getting!

Here is what you can expect if you decide to adopt a dachshund through Almost Home.

Step One

Usually, the first step in adoption is filling out an adoption application -- either our on-line application or the rescuer's own app. These applications are designed to help the representative determine the type of dog that would fit you best. Just like people, individual dogs have distinct personalities. Some like nothing more than curling up on the sofa; others get bored if they can't spend a lot of time playing with you or with other dogs each day. Some dogs prefer a quiet home, while others love the happy chaos of a big family.

You will have a chance to state your preferences on the application too. Could you work with a dog who is not completely housebroken? Do you need a dog who doesn't mind cats? Are you experienced enough to train a lively dog who wants to be top dog in your home? If you have seen a dog on our website and are interested in that particular dog, you can specify your interest in the on-line application.

You will also be asked to supply references, including a veterinarian reference if you have, or have had, any other pets. In general, rescuers will not place a dog in a home with dogs that have not been neutered, unless there are legitimate reasons the surgery has not been performed.

Step Two

Once the rescue representative has evaluated your application, she or he will check your references and talk with you by phone or e-mail. The next step is the home visit. A rescuer will come to your home at your convenience and meet with you and all your family members, to talk about adoption. This visit gives you a chance to ask any questions you might have and talk with the rep about what you can expect when you rescue a dachshund.

Step Three

If you are dealing with a representative who is fostering the dog you are interested in, you will be able to meet the dog before you adopt. But in many cases, the dog isn't available because it is being fostered in another town or even state. It's a leap of faith, adopting a dog long-distance, but long-distance adoptions are very common and the great majority are successful. You can always talk to the person fostering the dog you are interested in adopting, and the foster parent usually has photos s/he can send you. The foster parent has been living with the dog and can let you know what to expect in terms of behavior. Feel free to ask any questions.

Step Four

Once the adoption has been set up, the next step is getting the dog to you. If the dog is being fostered locally, this is easy! If the dog is far away, though, setting up a transport can take time. Since everyone in rescue is a volunteer, we have to work around everyone's schedules, so please be patient. We routinely move dogs across half a dozen states or more, via volunteers who drive specific legs of the trip. We might ask you to drive the last leg of a transport -- not more than 50 miles or so. Dogs can often be transported on commercial airplane flights; sometimes a volunteer is available to fly the dog, but many times it turns out that friends or co-workers just happen to be flying to or from the city close to where the dog is, and they are usually willing to carry the dog with them in the cabin. The usual fee for flying a dog in the cabin is about $75, which is the responsibility of the adopter. We do not recommend flying dogs as cargo.

Final Steps

When you receive your new dog and have paid the adoption fee, the representative will require that you sign an adoption contract, which states that you will provide appropriate care for the dog and will never give the dog to anyone but the rescue representative, should it become necessary for you to place the dog elsewhere at any time. The contract also specifies that we have ascertained that the dog is healthy and up to date on inoculations. Any medical problems are described in the contract. We also turn over all veterinarian records we have for the dog to you, so that your vet knows the dogs health background. The records should show that the following procedures have been done:

Thorough physical examination
Heartworm test (in areas of the country where appropriate)
Fecal examination
Rabies vaccination
DHLPC vaccination

The dog will also be spayed or neutered, except in exceptional circumstances (medical issues that would prevent surgery, for example).

If you have any questions that have not been answered here, please feel free to send us an e-mail.

AHDRS Adoption Application Form