When you adopt a dog from THDR, you save a life, and a space opens up which will welcome another great dog and save its life. In addition, you get a chance to find a companion who is a good match for your personality and lifestyle. You will work with experienced THDR volunteers who are familiar with the dogs and will help you choose the best one for your particular situation.
All of our dogs are vet checked, spayed or neutered, current on their vaccinations, and microchipped for identification. All our dogs are tested for heartworm. We also screen our dogs for behavior problems. Even with the best-behaved dog, however, you should expect to go through a period of adjustment as your pet becomes used to a new home, family, and routine. No dog, no matter where it comes from, is problem free, or comes with a health and behavior guarantee, but if you’re prepared to provide your new family member with some time, training, and patience, your reward will be a loving companion.
The first step is to choose a rescue from our list of adoptable dogs. Once you have found the rescue that has stolen your heart, the next step is to fill out the adoption application. Once that’s completed, one of our volunteers will interview you in person. The last step in the process is to have a home inspection. This is done to ensure the safety of the dog you want to adopt.
Once the dog you have picked is available, the adoption process will take as long as completing the face-to-face interview and the home inspection is completed.
THDR has partnered with the San Diego Humane Society and when full, other rescue organizations. Sometimes we will get a dog from Mexico. We will home owner-surrendered dogs and place all of our rescues into foster homes until they are ready to be adopted. Foster parents readies each dog under their care for adoption by training them in acceptable behaviors, house breaking, and routines of daily living. This improves the dog’s chances of being adopted. Our fosters also give us feedback likes, dislikes, temperament, etc.
Yes, you can still adopt from THDR. All that is needed is a written note from your landlord giving you permission to share your space with a rescue dog.
We require the adopting parent to be at least 25-years-old.
THDR charges a sliding-scale fee for each dog that gets adopted. The fee scale is based on the age and health of the dog. Seniors aged 7 or older will be set at a reduced fee. All other dogs will be a flat fee of $250. This fee is used toward other rescues under our care, providing food, leashes, harneses, and any other needs the dogs require.
THDR will provide some initial supplies such as a bag of food, collar, leash, and tag. We recommend purchasing a pillow or dog bed and blanket. If your adopted dog is crate trained, we will inform you and require you purchase a properly sized crate before adopting. Also, we recommend getting a new dog tag printed as soon as you can with your address and phone number on it. Lastly, any unique items to the dog will be discussed before adoption day.
THDR will provide a collar, leash, and temporary dog tag. We recommend having a second person with you to hold the dog on your drive home unless you have an appropriately sized dog car seat or way to secure your new dog. THDR may deliver the dog to your home if, for whatever reason, you are not able to this yourself.
Remember when you moved into a new house? How long did it take for you to adjust to the new setting? For rescue dogs it takes at least 3 days to adjust to their new home. Add to that 3 weeks for training and bonding. Give your new dog 3 months for continued socialization and training.
According to the ASPCA you can expect to pay roughly $3,000 the first year and $2,000 thereafter. These prices do not factor in crises such as accidents, unforeseen medical expenses, etc.
Ideally, your dog should not be left alone for more that 8 hours per day. If you have a family, will they be responsible to care for the dog in your absence? These are things to consider before adopting one of our dogs, or any dog for that matter.
Children under 5 are learning how to live and get along in our world. These young children cannot yet discriminate between their stuffed animal dog (which takes whatever a toddler can dish out) and a real dog, with real teeth, and with the ability to be hurt and to then hurt in return. Any dog can and will bite given the right circumstances. Rescue dogs often have unknown backgrounds/temperaments. Therefore, in the best interest of children and dogs not getting hurt, we reserve the right to deny adoption based on having young children in the home.
Always use positive reinforcement for good behavior by praise or snacks. Negative behavior such as excessive barking or possessiveness for, example, of a person, toys, or food, should not be rewarded. Instead, remove reinforcement and teach the dog the acceptable behavior.
We have volunteers equipped to talk you through any problems you might be experiencing. If, however, there are extenuating circumstances that cannot be overcome, we require that you call THDR first so we can determine the best home for the dog, whether it is with us, or another rescue organization.
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