How to Adopt...

Owning a German Shepherd Dog can be a wonderful and rewarding experience!

It is also a big responsibility. German Shepherd Dogs tend to have traits and each dog has it's own personality and special needs. We try and match dogs to potential adopters based on the adopters lifestyle and the dog's characteristics and personality. We want all of our rescue dogs we place to remain in their new homes for the remainder of their lifetimes. We have developed the following adoption procedure based on these goals.

We take special care to match the right home with the right dog, ensuring a lifetime of love for both the pet 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. Our organization is completely run by volunteers, who dedicate their free time to help our dogs.

If your 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 making decisions on a rescued dog's future. We thank you for your time, patience and commitment to the process.

Step 1 – Adoption application - GSRBC asks all potential adopters to fill out an Adoption Application. Please send your email request for an application to GSDRescue@shaw.ca  This application will tell us about you and your lifestyle, training beliefs and background with animals. Please be advised that filling out an application does not guarantee an adoption. 

Step 2 – Application Preliminary Review - Our volunteers will initially screen your application to determine if all necessary information was provided. If not you will be contacted to provide additional information.

Step 3 – Landlord Approval Verified - If 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 Contacted - Our volunteers will contact the veterinary reference(s) you provided to determine if all your current pets are spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations. If you don’t have any current pets, we will ask about the veterinary care that your previous pets received.
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 – Personal References Contacted - Our volunteers will contact your three personal references and ask them questions in regards to whether they consider you to be a responsible petowner. This is the portion of the process that can take the most amount of time. It is helpful if you contact your references and let them know we will be calling.
If our volunteers have any major concerns about adopting a dog to you, based on communication with your references, your application may be denied at this point in the process.

Step 6 – Home Visit and Applicant Interview - Our 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. The home visit volunteer will do a short walk-through of your home and yard to ensure its safety and to advise on any areas of concern. All household members must be present for the home visit.

This is an opportunity to sit with a GSRBC representative and have any outstanding questions or concerns answered.
If our home visit volunteers have any major concerns about your home environment, or if you refuse a home visit, your application will not be processed past this point.

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 we are unable to complete the process.

Step 7 – Meeting between Approved Applicant & Available Dog - Our dogs are in foster homes. Out of respect and safety issues for our fosters, we do NOT arrange meetings between interested individuals and our fosters until an applicant has been approved.
Once you have been approved, a volunteer 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, a neutral place or your home.

Although you may become 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. Always, we will keep your application on file if we do not have a dog that is another match for you and your lifestyle. Our goal is to get great dogs into great homes!

Step 8 – Adoption Trial Period - If you have decided upon a dog that you would like to adopt, the adoption trial period (two weeks) can begin. At the start of the trial you are required to sign a foster contract. If needed, our organization can provide food/water bowls, leash and collar. We may also provide a starting supply of raw dog food that will allow you to transition the dog to your home.
If at any time during the trial period you are having issues with the dog, please call the number we provided to you, or email GSDRescue@shaw.ca. A volunteer will be in touch with you asap.

Step 9 – Adoption Official - If all goes well at the end of that two weeks, we will come back out to complete the adoption. At that time we will ask for a non-refundable adoption fee. Checks received will not be cashed until the adoption has been made official. Adoption fees are not tax deductable, but anything over and above it is. We will also bring you all paperwork and veterinary history we have for your new dog.

Step 10 – Optional Post Adoption Follow-up Visit - Our adoption contract contains a clause that allows one of our volunteers the ability to perform a follow-up visit. We want to make sure everyone is adjusting well and help you to iron out any problems should they arise. Our goal is to keep your new dog in your home. GSRBC supports our adopters! You are not alone!  We are committed to the life, health and well being of every dog we place for the remainder of that dog’s life.

 If at anytime you can no longer keep and care for the rescue dog, The dog MUST be returned to German Shepherd Rescue of BC. This is part of the adoption contract that you will sign. There are absolutely no exceptions. Through adoption, they become yours, but are under our wing for life. If you've made arrangements for a family member to take your GSRBC rescued dog should something happen to you - we thank you for being so responsible. However, we still want to know where our dogs go, and follow up with them accordingly. A new owner must enter into a new contract with GSRBC.

Lost or Stolen - Adopter must notify German Shepherd Rescue of BC IMMEDIATELY if the rescue dog is stolen or lost. Our contacts are far and wide, and your dog will have a much better chance of being returned to you if you contact us. Please remember - this dog once lived with one of us, and we feel a huge responsibility to them. We want to be able to help them return home to you as quick as possible. We have a huge base in our social media and a search team in numbers is what matters most.

We ask that all of our rescue dogs are treated as a member of the family. They need a lot of love, patience, leadership and understanding through this very stressful time.  Remember that they don't get a choice where they go. It is up to us humans to make their transition as easy as possible.

If you have any questions or comments about our adoptions procedures, please feel free to drop us a line. GSDRescue@shaw.ca

***We reserve the right to refuse adoption to any applicant that we may feel is not right for our dogs.***