We pride ourselves in placing our rescues in stable, loving, forever homes. This doesn't happen easily without preparation. All of our homes must complete an application before they are considered to adopt one of our dogs. Providing that the application contains satisfactory information, step 2 is a phone interview. This is our chance to actually have a conversation with the applicant and his or her family. This is the forum for both parties to ask questions about each other to understand where everyone stands. Some applicants change their minds during a phone interview. This is perfectly normal, and the right thing to do if you're unsure. Making the decision to add on the responsibility of a dog is not to be treated lightly.

After these steps, the rescue volunteer proceeds with the reference checks of the applicant. This includes a personal reference - one who knows your character as an individual, a pet owner reference - one who knows your family as a pet owner, a vet reference - who has cared for your current and past pets, and a landlord reference, if applicable. Sure, most people who are not familiar with rescue think this is a little overboard, but this is a necessary practice by most dog rescue organizations. We have to be certain that these dogs will be happy and stable in their new home - for the rest of their life!



After these steps, the applicant is almost there. The final step is the home visit. This visit is to observe the neighborhood and home environment of the applicant. It is also to meet all family members and any current pets.

Upon approval, you are listed as such. You will be matched with a suitable dog. This could, and has happened immediately, or, it could take several months. We match our dogs with the most appropriate family in which they would flourish the most. We try our hardest to meet your preferences, but we always put the dogs' best interest first. For this reason, it is not a first come, first serve priority list. Your selection depends entirely on the dog. An adoption contract will be given and must be adhered to.

Once a dog is placed, the process doesn't end. We require that the adoptive family keeps in contact with us. This is for us to monitor the dog's situation, but it's also to make sure that the new owner (or seasoned owner as they become) has no issues. If there is ever a problem, we help work through it. However, in the rare case that a situation changes and they can't keep the dog, he or she comes back to us. No matter what the reason. This is our way of protecting our dogs and protecting their families.

Every dog has a different story. Some have no known history, and it's up to us to try our best to figure it out. That's what fostering is for! Our dogs enter foster homes for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is for a proper assessment. Even surrendered dogs from loving homes will sometimes act differently when exposed to a new situation. We need to know this before an adopter could be faced with a 'surprise'. A foster home allows time for us to best know the dog, to find the best suited family for him/her.

This is also the time for the dog's health to be assessed. He/she sees a veterinarian for a full health assessment. Vaccinations are given when recommended, and all is disclosed to the new adopters. All of our dogs must be spayed or neutered. It's the responsible thing to do. This usually takes place during foster care as well, except in special cases.

Our dogs are not released for adoption until they're given the OK by a veterinarian, the foster home, and the new family is well prepared. This  is why we have such a great success rate.

The above reasons are why we request an adoption fee. This fee is based on the situation each dog was in, is in, and will be in. We try to make it as affordable as possible and would love to not have to charge a fee, but we cannot operate without it. We typically have very high vet bills, and these fees help to offset that cost. We do not calculate housing, feeding or travel costs into this - it is reserved for health care costs only!

We all care about our dogs, and have different ways to show that. We're also very private people, and realize when dog owners want or need to be such.

When dogs are surrendered to boxer rescue, no personal details are given about the original home. Details about the situation will be released to the adoptive home, but not in a manner as to expose the original owners of the dog. Only what is necessary for a dog to be known and to thrive is released. This protects all.

On the other side, when a dog is adopted, the privacy of the new home is not compromised. The surrendering owner is usually confident enough in us that they know their dog will be well cared for. However, we do, at times, send updates to the surrendering family through our volunteers. These updates remove any details that would compromise the identity of the adoptive family.

We know life is tough, and it doesn't always turn out the way we plan. Numerous conditions lead families to believe that they should give up their pet.

If you're in this situation, please contact us. Our preferred goal, and probably yours, would be for you to keep your dog. If it's a behavior issue, we'll try to help. We'd like to exhaust all possible options before you're faced to surrender your dog to us.

In some cases, however, there are no other options than to give up your dog. If this is the case, we will, in most cases, be able to accept your dog. We hope that you're satisfied and comfortable with the efforts we make to help these wonderful creatures. You may contact us for a surrender agreement and for details about your situation and the process.