WE NEVER PLACE A DOG IN A HOME WITH AN UNALTERED PET UNLESS A VET CERTIFIES THAT THE PET CANNOT BE ALTERED FOR MEDICAL REASONS.
Our Adoption Process
We get many, many inquiries every day asking that we call a potential adopter about a particular pet. Because we are all volunteers with jobs, families, personal dogs and foster dogs, we cannot call you or arrange a meeting until you have submitted an application. The application does not obligate you in any way whatsoever; it just gives the foster parent something to go on in determining whether we (and you) need to go any further in the adoption process. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
Application.
The first step in our adoption process is an application. Please answer the questions as fully as you can, and if a question is not applicable, put N/A in the blank rather than skipping it. If you are not applying for a specific dog on the list, just put something in the blank that will tell us that (i.e., poodle, yorkie, small female, or even "any" if you want us to try to match you with a dog).
Once your application has been received, it is forwarded to the appropriate dog's foster parent. Again, please be patient. We hope that you will hear something within a week after submitting an application, but in the case of a dog that is receiving dozens of applications a day, the foster mom may be totally overwhelmed. Also, we sometimes need to wait and evaluate a dog a little longer before deciding what kind of home he needs, and that may be the reason for the delay. You are always welcome to email us and ask the status of your application (info@littlebitsrescue.org), but please give us at least a week or two.
Reference Checks.
The foster parent will do reference checks (especially with your vet to make sure that your current or formerly owned dogs are well cared for-altered, up to date on immunizations, and on heartworm preventative). Please note that we never place one of our dogs in a home with an unaltered pet unless your veterinarian certifies that the pet cannot be altered for medical reasons.
Personal Contact and Home Visit.
If the foster parent feels that you are a good match for the dog you want (or we have a dog that you would be a good match for), he or she will contact you directly to discuss the adoption. If you rent or lease, the foster parent will also ask you at this time to obtain the Landlord's Agreement to Adoption Form. If things are still a "go," the foster parent will arrange for a home visit. If you are local to the dog you have applied for, the foster parent may do the home visit personally and may or may not bring the dog along. If you are not local, the foster parent will find a volunteer in your area to conduct the home visit for us and submit a Home Study Form. Please note that we are NOT checking up on your housekeeping habits. We don't really care if you have dirty dishes in the sink or dust bunnies under the bed. We need to see that the dog would have a safe, comfortable, and loving environment, and this is best done with a face to face meeting, even if by proxy. We do ask that all members of the family be at home for the visit if at all possible.
Transportation.
Once the foster parent makes a favorable determination about the home visit, you are in a position to fetch your new baby. Each of our dogs' biographies indicates where that dog is being fostered. We do not ship or transport our dogs, so before you apply for a dog that is not in your local area, please be sure that you are willing to drive or fly to fetch your new family member. In order to fly, the dog must be small enough to fit in an under the seat, soft sided carrier. The dog must be small enough to be able to stand up and turn around in the carrier, and this is a very small dog indeed. If all other issues are equal, we do give preference to local adoptions or those that do not require extreme long distance travel. Furthermore,
each foster parent makes the decision as to whether an individual dog is available for a long distance adoption, so be sure to ask whether the dog you are considering is available for an adoption that requires out of state transportation.
Contract.
You will be asked to sign a legally binding adoption contract agreeing to provide the right kind of care for the dog and also agreeing not to transfer the dog to any other person-EVER. You are legally required to return the dog to us at your expense if you decide at some future time-next week or five years from now-that you are not able or willing to keep him. You are also agreeing that the adoption donation is non refundable. It is a good idea to read the contract carefully to make sure that you have no problem with it before proceeding with the application process.
Updates.
We love to get updates, especially with pictures. No foster parent ever completely "lets go" of a dog that he or she has cared for. There is always a special place in the heart for one, especially one that has been nursed back to health or taught how to love and be loved. Please keep in touch. As one of our adopters, you will forever be a part of the Little Bits family, and we always welcome your contacts. If you ever have a concern about your dog, we want to hear that, too. We also have some sources posted that might give you some help in training and behavior modification.
