Adopting from Peace Love & Poms Rescue

 

STEP 1

Whether you think you know which dog you’d like to adopt or not, the first step is to fill out an adoption application.  A Peace Love & Poms Rescue Representative will review your application and contact the personal and veterinarian references that you provide. We will review applications for each dog to make a decision about which home best suits the dog’s needs. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received, however other applications could be considered in determining the best situation for each dog.

Please be sure to notify your veterinarian’s office and give them permission to discuss/release your records to Peace Love & Poms.

IF YOU RENT, YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE PROCESSED UNTIL YOU SEND A SIGNED LETTER FROM YOUR LANDLORD TO PEACELOVEPOMSRESCUE@GMAIL.COM STATING THAT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE A DOG OF THE SIZE AND BREED THAT YOU SEEK.

STEP 2

If the references indicate that you would be a good fit to adopt from Peace Love & Poms Rescue, the next step is a conversation with you.  Our representative will contact you to discuss your lifestyle to determine which dog/dogs may be a good fit for your home.  The foster family will also contact you to discuss everything about the dog that interests you such as medical and behavioral.  At this time all your questions will be answered about your potential new companion.  

STEP 3

The final step before your application is approved will be a home visit conducted by an approved and vetted volunteer.  This will include a visual inspection of your entire home as well as the yard.  We do ask that all family members are present during the home visit as well as your current pets.  Home visits will be arranged to suite the new family and the volunteer’s schedule.

STEP 4

If all goes well at the home visit, a meet and greet will be set up!  At that time you can make the final decision to adopt and you can take your new companion home with you after all the proper contracts are signed.

STEP 5

Once the dog is in his or her new home it is important to establish a schedule and help your dog make the transition.

STEP 6

Stay in contact with your Peace Love & Poms Rescue Representative.  This will be your resource for any questions that may arise, as well as provide any help you may need regarding acclimating, training, or concerns with your new dog.

What is the cost to adopt?

To ensure that families adopting can financially provide adequate food, necessities, and veterinary care we do require an Adoption Donation (which is not tax-deductible because a good, the dog, is exchanged) of $350 ($250 for senior citizens 65+). Being able to pay the Adoption Donation indicates that you are financially capable of all routine expenses. All dogs adopted from Peace Love & Poms Rescue will be spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccines, heart worm testing and preventatives, microchipped, and all other necessary vetting will be completed prior to adoption.  Adopting is a bargain; it would cost upwards of $500 to take a dog to a veterinarian and have the spay/neuter, vaccines, and microchip done, on top of the price of the dog.

However, it is important to remember that the cost of owning a dog is:

  1. A commitment that will last the duration of the dog’s natural life.
  2. Not just food. Dogs require food bowls, leashes, collars, crate, treats, toys, routine, veterinary care, and occasionally emergency veterinary care, which can be very expensive.
 

What are the requirements to adopt?

We require each potential adopter to fill out an adoption application, provide references, and allow a home visit. Each dog at Peace Love & Poms Rescue has different needs and has different requirements of their ideal home.  In general, we do not require a fenced-in yard, however, we do have a few specific dogs who do require a fenced-in yard. If you do not own your home, we require a letter from your landlord stating that they will allow you to have a dog of the breed and size you are seeking.  If there are other dogs in the home, Peace Love & Poms Rescue requires those dogs to be spayed or neutered, up to date on core vaccines, receive yearly exams, yearly fecal testing, heart worm testing and year round preventatives, unless there is a documented medical reason. We are adamant about vaccinations, regular veterinary care, socialization, and spaying/neutering as basic requirements for reducing the number of abandoned and euthanized pets. We do not adopt to homes where invisible/underground fences will be the only method of restraint for dogs.

 

How to help your new dog transition into your home.

It is important to understand and respect the life-changing transition your new dog experiences when he or she is brought home from the rescue.  Below we provide some tips you can follow and some resources that you can review to help make the transition smoother and easier on your new dog.

  1. Have an adequately sized crate (Peace Love & Poms Rescue Representatives can tell you what size is best for your dog), bedding, water and food bowls, toys, treats, harness, and leash ready before your home visit.
  2. Let the dog have some downtime in his or her new crate for varying periods of time, so he or she gets comfortable in “his or her” space. This also helps prevent the dog from thinking you will be gone for an extended periods of time every time he or she goes in the crate.
  3. Ask your friends and family to give you a few days before they swarm the house to meet your new addition.
  4. Establish a daily schedule for your new dog right away. He or she will get more comfortable as the daily routine is learned and he or she knows what to expect.
  5. As much as you may want to, do not bathe your new dog immediately if you don’t medically have to.  Let the dog get to know and trust you and the different areas of your home before you put him or her into the tub. This can be traumatic for a dog anxious about new people and the environment.  Peace Love and Poms Rescue ensures all dogs are fully groomed prior to adoption.
  6. Give your dog two to four weeks to really adjust to their new home and fully come out of their shell.
  7. Take all new experiences slowly and reassure your dog that it is OK.  Simple things like doorbells, vacuums, and stairs can be challenging new experiences for dogs who have never been in a home.
  8. Start obedience training with your new dog.  The experience will help build the bond between the two of you, will build your dog’s confidence and yours knowing you have a well-behaved dog.  Positive Reinforcement is always the way to go!

Stay in contact with your Peace Love & Poms Rescue Representatives.  They will be your resource for any questions that may arise, as well as provide any help you may need in regard to acclimating, training, or concerns with your new dog.