Are you interested in adopting a dog from Agape Animal Rescue & Training Center? Before taking the next step, read the following guide to find out what to expect.
Match Making Done Right
Here at Agape, we have put into place a dog adoption process that has proven to reduce the return rate on dogs to less than 1%. We love each and every furry buddy that comes through our doors, and we want to find forever homes where the dogs can finally settle in after surviving whatever rough life they may have had before.
Agape’s Pet Adoption Process
Once you have decided to adopt, the Agape Adoption Coordinator will guide you through the following steps:
- Fill out the Pet Adoption Application .
- Q & A. Once we receive your application, an Adoption Coordinator will ask and answer any relevant questions.
- Meet the dog. We will work with you to set up a time for you and your family to meet your potential forever friend.
- In-Home Visit. If all goes well with the first meeting, we will work with you on a time to bring the dog to your house for a home visit.
- Sign the Contract. When both parties decide it’s a good match, we’ll help you make it official by signing our adoption contract. You also get all of the dog’s medical records and a new family photo to document your special day.
Pet Adoption Application
When you fill out the application to adopt a rescue dog, you are helping us help you make the best match for your family and lifestyle. We know filling out applications isn’t the most fun thing to do, but aren’t the potential rewards in finding the perfect addition to your family worth it?
Pet Adoption Q & A
The opportunity to ask and answer questions is critical to discovering any potential incompatibilities between you and the dog you are considering. A dog’s personality, energy level, and in some cases special needs are factors you must consider when determining if a dog is the right fit for you.
First Meeting
Please understand that our foster parents all work full time jobs and foster on a volunteer basis. We will do the best we can to accommodate everyone’s schedules when setting up times to meet a dog.
Visiting In-Home
If you decide to move on to the next step in the adoption process, we will work out a time to bring the dog to your house for a home visit. Don’t worry; this is not a white glove test to see how many times you dust per week. This is simply an opportunity for everyone to see the dog in your environment to make sure the dog is a good fit for your family. And just because you’ve made it this far into the process doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind. We never want to pressure a family into adopting a dog, so you are welcome to take a night or two to think things over before committing to adoption.
Making the Commitment
If your family falls head-over-heels in love with the dog, and we feel the dog is a great fit for your family, then we will schedule an official adoption day. You will be provided with all of the dog’s medical records and other reading material to help you with the transition period. At this time, you will sign our standard adoption contract. Should you decide to adopt one of our dogs, the dog’s foster parent will discuss with you your new dog’s vocabulary, or commands that have been taught to the dog during Foster Care Training. Learning your dog’s language will make the transition into your home go smoothly and will help reduce the amount of stress on the dog. Our dedicated foster homes are committed to providing a loving environment where basic training skills and emotional stability are priorities. Click here to read more about our Foster Care Training Program.
Adoption Fee
Our adoption fee for an altered dog is $300. The adoption fee for an unaltered dog is $425 which includes a $125 refundable fee ($25 of this fee is required by the state) that is reimbursed after the dog has been spayed or neutered within 3 months of the adoption date. Another $25 will be reimbursed when your dog, of any age, graduates from an obedience training class within 6 months post adoption. On average, we spend $350 or more per dog while they are in foster care. Our dogs are fully vetted, spayed or neutered, and cared for medically at the time of adoption. Many dogs we rescue require over $1,000 in medical bills, yet our adoption fee remains the same. Although we cover most of the costs of caring for rescued pets, we do not pass it on to you. We work to make adoption affordable by keeping our adoption fees low. This way, we can do a better job at finding the perfect home for each and every dog. Click here to see our adoption , foster , and volunteer forms.
How Long Will it Take to Adopt a Dog?
Faster is not always better when it comes to adopting rescue dogs. People who work in animal rescue are well-aware that dogs can be purchased from a pet store in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, we see many of those puppies later in rescue after the dog’s family has decided the dog was purchased in haste. Agape has a less than 1% return rate on dogs we have placed into forever homes. One of the most important reasons for this high success rate is our thorough screening and matching process. We strive to match our dogs with the best family possible, working through as many applications as necessary to find a home that offers the dog the most fulfilling, enriched life. Because the screening process is so thorough, it takes time. The length of time to adopt varies and depends on many factors. The process may take anywhere from a week to a month or more as you wait for the right dog to come along. While you are waiting, make sure you have done your research about adopting a new dog. If you are interested in a particular breed of dog, do some research so you are familiar with the tendencies and conditions common to that breed. This ensures you are well-informed and know what to expect when your new family member does arrive. We appreciate that you are considering a rescued dog, as we have many on the waiting list needing our services that all deserve amazing forever homes! When you adopt from Agape, you save two lives: the one you adopt, and the one that we are able to bring into our program in the place of your new dog! Read about some of our success stories here . For additional questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or call 615-406-7799.