Adopt
TOGETHER FUR-EVER
Adopting a dog is a serious commitment. We strongly encourage anyone thinking about adding a new member to their family to spend some time doing research to be ready for this commitment. We are also happy to work with you to figure out what kind of dog is best for you. If you want to have a dog in your home but aren’t sure you can make the 10-20 year commitment, consider participating in our foster program and other volunteer opportunities.
Most of our foster dogs don’t get posted for adoption because once they are cleared for adoption, they will likely be matched with an approved adopter who has been waiting for a dog. If you are interested in adopting a dog, please go ahead and apply so that when the right dog for your home becomes available, the adoption team will be able to work with you as an approved adopter.
On occasion, we do post some of our harder to place dogs on Petfinder and on our Facebook page.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT ADOPTING FROM A FOSTER-HOME BASED RESCUE LIKE OURS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN ADOPTING FROM A LOCAL SHELTER. When a dog is cleared for adoption, the Adoption Team will review the information obtained from the foster parent about the foster dog and then match that dog with an approved adopter based upon the information gathered from the application and through the approval process. Applicants who have been waiting the longest will be looked at first. However, our top priority is to ensure that the dog is matched with the best home for that dog.
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Please be advised that we currently have a backlog of adoption applications that are in varying stages of the approval process and a waiting list of applicants who have already been approved to adopt. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ADOPT AN OLDER DOG (8 & UP) OR A SPECIAL NEEDS OR BEHAVIORAL DOG, WE WILL TRY TO EXPEDITE THE APPROVAL PROCESS.
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Everyone in our rescue is a volunteer and while we would much rather spend all of our time helping our pups, life does get in the way. Therefore, we ask that you be patient with the process. The date of your application (and not the approval date) is what we use to determine which folks have been waiting longer.
The adoption process explained:
01
Submit Adoption Application
Please answer the application questionnaire as honestly and completely as possible. There is a $20.00 non-waivable and non-refundable application fee to ensure applicants are committed to the adoption process. This fee will not count towards the adoption fee. Our rescue reserves the right to reject any application.
02
Application Review
One of our volunteers will review your application and check your veterinary references. If you are renting, we will also need to contact your landlord to ensure your new family member will be approved.
03
Phone Interview
A volunteer will contact you to go over your application. This may take several weeks depending on the number of applications we are processing at this time.
04
Home Visit
Next, we set up a home visit to verify your home is a safe place for a Boston. The home visit is also a time where one of our volunteers can answer any questions that you may have and discuss safety precautions with you. Your location and the location of our available volunteers may impact how quickly the home visit can be completed.
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Finding the Right Match
PLEASE BE ADVISED that we currently have a waiting list of applicants who have been approved and are waiting to be matched with a dog to adopt. At this time, the waiting period to adopt could be as much as 6 months or longer, depending on the age of the dog you are seeking to adopt and the makeup of your household. The wait is longest for younger dogs since the majority of our applicants want younger dogs. Additionally, for households with children and/or other pets, some of our dogs may not be a good match. Therefore, it is possible the wait time could be a little longer than for some other homes. The GOOD NEWS: we have new dogs coming into our rescue all the time. Often, things move so quickly that many are never posted for adoption before they are matched with a waiting applicant. With some patience, we are confident we will find the perfect Boston Terrier for your household.
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Adoption Agreement
Once the right match has been found for you, we will send you an adoption agreement with important terms and conditions that you will need to follow.
More important information regarding the adoption process and frequently asked questions:
01
Adoption Locations
Our primary area is Florida. While we do not prohibit adoptions applications from folks who live in other states, approval will be given on a case-by-case basis. This policy is based on what we feel is best for our foster dogs. If you would like to inquire as to whether your out-of-state application would be approved, please contact us at contact@bostonrescueflorida.org.
Any transportation, quarantine, health certificate, or other costs associated with certain State regulations will be at the sole expense of any out-of-state adopter and is not included in the adoption fee.
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Adoption Fees Explained
Because we have Boston Terriers of all ages, we have a sliding scale for adoption fees generally ranging from $200 to $800 based on the age and health of the dog. Our fees cover vetting costs, shelter fees, fuel for transport while in the rescue, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding, behavioral training and additional medical care. While the dog you adopt may not require all of these things, many other dogs in our system do. By adopting from Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.
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Included in Adoption Fees
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Microchipping
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Spaying/neutering
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Dogs will be current on age appropriate vaccinations
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Dogs are heartworm tested and are current on their heartworm medications
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Adopters receive a complete copy of all medical records
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Adoption Agreement Specifics
In our adoption agreement, we require that every animal be spayed/neutered (if not prior to adoption) by 6 months of age, unless one of our vets determines that the dog is not healthy enough to undergo surgery. This is VERY important as the overpopulation of dogs and cats in our country is a sad result of too many unplanned litters!
If for any reason the match is not as perfect as we all had hoped, the dog must be returned to Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida. Under no circumstance, are they to be given away or left at a shelter. The Agreement is legally binding and we take it very seriously.