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ADOPTION PROCESSREQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIONOut-of-State Adoptions: Our primary area of adoption is within the state of Virginia, but we do adopt out-of-state. Adopting a Puppy: If you adopt a puppy less than six months old, the puppy will not be spayed or neutered. You will be required to spay/neuter your puppy at six months of age. Adopter’s Minimum Age: You must be 18 or older to submit our adoption application and adopt one of our dogs. Adoption Fees: New fees are in effect beginning at 9 AM, Thursday, 8/3/17. If you submitted an Adoption Application prior to that date/time, the old fees will apply. There is a non-refundable application fee of $20. There are five steps in our adoption process. STEP 1: Submit an Application Complete an adoption application and pay the $20 application fee. The adoption application will let us know a little bit about you, your home, your lifestyle, and what you are looking for in a canine companion. STEP 2: Perform a References Check Once you have submitted your application and paid the application fee, an SSR volunteer will call your personal and veterinary references. STEP 3: Conduct a Home Visit Following a check of your references, an SSR volunteer will come to your home. During this visit, the volunteer will need to meet any members of your household and walk through your home and yard. We will discuss the adoption process with you, answer any questions you may have, and discuss the dog you are interested in. After the home visit is completed, the volunteer will submit a Home Visit Report to SSR. At that time, a decision will be made to either accept or deny your application. Please note: If approved, your approval will be good for two years. If there is a change in your address or family status, please notify us. STEP 4: Find the Right Dog Once you have been approved as an adopter, you are welcome to email any foster parent to arrange a meeting with a dog of interest. A great way to meet more than one dog is to attend a local adoption event. Foster parents reserve the right to choose a family best suited for their foster dogs. Communicating with the foster parent of the dog of choice is the appropriate next step. If the dog in which you are interested is not local, you are expected to drive to meet the dog. That could result in you bringing the dog home the same day, but is not a guarantee. We will also assign you a caseworker to assist throughout the remainder of the process. Having a caseworker is optional, but it is often helpful to have someone available to answer any questions that may arise. STEP 5: Introduce the Dog in Your Home We understand that you may not be sure how a dog will work out to fit your family’s needs, without bringing it home first. We offer a one-week trial period to make sure the dog is a suitable family member. If you have traveled to obtain your dog, it is expected that you will return your dog in the event that it does not work out. We will hold your adoption payment for one week, to ensure everything is going well. Our goal is to place the right dog in the right home, so there is no pressure if it isn’t a match. The foster parent of your dog will contact you to find out how things are going.
If you have any questions about our process, please contact us.
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