So You Want to Adopt?

If you're like most of us, falling in love with a pup is easy.
And no wonder!

Sharing your home with a four-legged friend can be one of life's greatest joys. They give us unconditional love and even help relieve stress after a hard day's work.

Things To Know

Accidents from dogs who are not yet house-trained, a chewed up iPhone cable because your pup thought it was a toy, excessive barking because your new friend wants to protect you …

But before you make that decision to bring a furry friend into your life, take a moment to think over these questions:

Why do you want a pet?

It's amazing how many people fail to ask themselves this simple question before they get a pet.
Adopting a pet just because it's "the thing to do" or because the kids have been pining for a puppy usually ends up being a big mistake.
Don't forget that pets may be with you 10, 15, even 20 years.

Do you have time for a pet?

Dogs, cats, and other animal companions cannot be ignored just because you're tired or busy.
They require food, water, exercise, care, and companionship every day of every year.
Many animals in the shelter are there because their owners didn't realize how much time it took to care for them.

Can you have a pet where you live?

Many rental communities don't allow pets, and most of the rents have restrictions.
Make sure you know what they are before you bring a companion animal home.

Do you know who will care for your pet while you're away on vacation?

You'll need either reliable friends
Or money to pay for a boarding kennel or pet-sitting service.

Will you be a responsible pet owner?

Having your pet spayed or neutered, obeying community leash and licensing laws, and keeping identification tags on your pets are all part of being a responsible owner.
Of course, giving your pet love, companionship, exercise, a healthy diet, and regular veterinary care are other essentials.

Finally, are you prepared to keep and care for the pet for his or her entire life time?

When you adopt a pet, you are making a commitment to care for the animal for his or her lifetime.

Can you afford a pet?

The costs of pet ownership can be quite high.
Licenses, training classes, veterinary care, grooming, toys, food and other expenses add up quickly.

Are you prepared to deal with special problems that a pet can cause?

Accidents from dogs who are not yet house-trained, a chewed up iPhone cable because your pup thought it was a toy, excessive barking because your new friend wants to protect you.
Unexpected medical emergencies are unfortunate but common aspects of pet ownership.

Are your living arrangements suitable for the animal you have in mind?

Animal size is not the only variable to think about here.
For example, some small dogs such as terriers are very active-they require a great deal of exercise to be calm, and they often bark at any noise.
Before adopting a pet, do some research! That way, you'll ensure you choose a dog that will fit into your lifestyle and your living arrangements.

Is it a good time for you to
adopt a pet?

If you have kids under six years old, for instance, you might consider waiting a few years before you adopt a companion.
Pet ownership requires children who are mature enough to be responsible.
If you're a student, in the military, or travel frequently as part of your work, waiting until you settle down is wise.

Get A dog For Life

Sure, it's a long list of questions. But a quick stroll through a dog shelter will help you understand why answering them before you adopt is so important.

Many of the shelter's homeless dogs are puppies and kittens victims of irresponsible people who allowed their pets to reproduce.
But there are just as many dogs at the shelter that are over a year old, purchased by people who didn't think through the responsibilities of pet ownership before they got the dog.

Please, don't make the same mistake
Think Before You Adopt

Sharing your life with a companion dog can bring incredible rewards, but only if you're willing to make the necessary commitments of time, money, responsibility, and love-for the life of the pet.

If you are ready to adopt a lifelong companion, go to this page to see the wonderful dogs available for adoption from Amazing Dogs.

Adopt a dog

If someone tugs at your heart and you would like to meet him or her, please fill out an Adoption Application.

Adoption Application

Amazing Dogs will consider adoptive families in California and out of state, provided the adopters can make the trip to one of our events, we do not ship doggies at the moment.

Our process

Apply

We appreciate you wanting to bring a rescue dog into your home. Before we can set up a meet and greet, we need you to submit an adoption application. It is a short form and it will take you only a few minutes to fill out. We handle the applications in the sequence they come in.

Review

After receipt of your application, we will call you to discuss your ideal dog, and we may have some additional questions for you. If we think we have the right dog for you, you will be invited for the next adoption event.

If you want us to reserve a specific dog for you and make sure they are at the event, we will ask you to pay a $50 non-refundable deposit. This amount will go towards the adoption fee or, if you decide not to adopt from Amazing Dogs, will be considered a donation to cover part of the transportation costs.

Meet and Greet

If you reserved a dog, we will invite you for a meet and greet an hour before the official event starts. This allows you sufficient time to interact with your new best friend. If you have other dogs in your household, you should bring them to this event.

You Have a New Best Friend

If there is a match and our rescue dog feels comfortable with you and your other dog(s), if any, we invite you to sign the adoption agreement. After payment of the adoption fee, you can take your new best friend home.

We will provide complete and up-to-date medical records as proof of vaccinations and other treatment. You have to provide collar and leash.

Any Problems?

Our only concern is the well being of the doggies we rescued. If you are not happy with your new best friend, they will probably not be happy either.

For that reason, we will always take back any dog who has been adopted from us. 4 weeks, 4 months or 4 years after the adoption. Healthy or sick! If within 4 weeks, we will also refund 50% of the adoption fee.

Additional Information

We will not discuss adoption details regarding any particular dog if you have not yet applied
to adopt.

Amazing Dogs is a 100% volunteer, non-profit organization. Please be patient with us.
The dogs need our time too.

All dogs are spayed/neutered (unless our vet decided against it for medical reasons), microchipped and up-to-date on all shots prior to adoption.

Our adoption fees range from $250 to $600. Contact us for further information.

All funds go towards the care of the 500+ dogs in our rescue.

Adoption Application

The information below will give you some idea of how much we spend on a healthy dog before adoption.

But, most of the dogs that we rescue have been abandoned and left without proper care and need additional medical support to help them recover. These costs can run into the thousands.

$35

Wellness Exam

$30

Food

$10

Microchip

$35

DHPP vaccines (up to 4)

$15

Deworming

$15

Flea & Tick Treatment

$30

Combo Test

$50

Neuter

$65

Spay

Adoption Fees

Our adoption fees are between $250 and $600 depending on the dog. Contact us for information about the adoption fee for a specific dog.

All funds go towards the care of the 500+ dogs in our rescue.

Fees for dogs with special needs will be determined based upon circumstances and may result in a fee reduction.

Adoption Inclusions

Along with daily care costs, the adoption fees help Amazing Dogs cover vaccination and medical prep costs for the dogs.

All adult dogs are spayed or neutered prior to adoption unless our veterinarian advises against this for medical reasons.

When puppies change environment, the stress caused by this might cause some diarrhea or other issues. Upon adoption we will give you the medication to deal with this as well.

We do everything to ensure the health of our dogs before they are placed up for adoption, which includes:

Vaccination against Parvovirus, Distemper, Adenovirus and Parainfluenza

Vaccination against Bordetella

Vaccination against Rabies (dogs 5+ months)

Negative test (Idexx Snap 4Dx) on Heartworm, Lyme's disease, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis (for adult dogs)

Recent full panel blood test (value $150+)
for all adult dogs

Micro-chip

Deworming (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms)

Treatment against fleas and ticks

We even cut their nails for you