Adoption Process
Adopting a dog from SAGRR
Please be aware that rescued dogs are among the most grateful and loving on the planet, but sometimes it can take a period of adjustment for them to settle in. They have suddenly found themselves with strangers for a variety of reasons and perhaps they did not have a good home life before. Or, they may have dearly loved and been loved by their family who now must give them up for reasons like loss of jobs, divorce, foreclosures, deployment and the like. Because the dog is our first concern we take every precaution to help assure a good placement in your home. We are truly looking for FOREVER homes for these dogs.
We have worked with hundreds of dogs over the years and will be able to guide you through this process. Please always ask the questions you are concerned about, and we promise to answer them truthfully. We will tell you about any behavior or health problems related to the dog so you can make an informed decision on whether or not it is the dog for you.
This process can take a while or it can happen quickly, it is a lot like falling in love. We have seen families get a dog 48 hours after filling out an application, and we have seen families wait for months. Most fall between those extremes, but remember this is a family member and the fit needs to be just right. Also, bear in mind, we never know from minute to minute when the exact right dog for you will appear needing our help.
Adoption Fees
Our fees reflect our philosophy that we are looking for the best homes and believe love and commitment are more important than the adoption fee.
0 through 3 Years: $300
4 through 7 Years: $250
8 Years and up: $150
Fees for dogs with Special Needs will be on a case by case basis.
Application Process
If you would like to adopt a dog from SAGRR, please click on this link to see our adoption/foster application. If you have problems with the link please call (520) 792-4653 and leave a message.
After we have received your application, you will be contacted by one of our volunteers to set up your home visit. Having a home visit is required for all our adopters and is not designed to judge the size of your home or your housekeeping abilities but rather to make sure the environment is safe for one of our rescued dogs. During this visit you and the volunteer will figure out just what age and activity level dog is appropriate for you and your lifestyle. For instance, a small puppy who needs to go out many times a day is not appropriate for a family who is gone 12 hours a day. Or a 100lb 2 year old who needs lots of exercise might be the perfect dog for you if you are a runner, but not if you are a couch potato. But that nice, calm 6 year old who loves to lay on furniture might be your soulmate. The volunteer will also be able to answer questions that you may have about the process, and our organization.
After you are approved, your information will be sent to the placement team who will consider you for dogs that fit your needs. You will then be contacted when a dog that is a possible match is rescued. However, one thing that we see happen is that you may fall in love with a photo of one of our available dogs and decide that a 7 year old male is just what you want, when your records show you only want a 2-3 year old blond female. If that should happen to you, please contact us at PLACEMENT@SAGRR.ORG so that we will know of your interest.
Once you are matched with one of our rescues, arrangements will be made for your dog to arrive at your home. Introductions, if necessary, will be made to other pets you already have. You will be given your adoption contract and pay the adoption fee at this time. However, the adoption will not be final for at least two weeks while your family and the dog adjust to one another. If for some reason, this does not turn out to be the right match, another home will be found for the dog and you will be able to either wait for another match or receive a refund.
If however, as is usually the case, everyone is happy with one another your adoption will be finalized. Once your adoption is final, all paperwork necessary to license your dog with your local county will be sent to you. Your dog is now yours, however if you should ever need to give it up, you must return it to us where we will again search for the perfect home.
“I only want to foster.”
That is wonderful, fosters are incredibly valuable in this process. It’s a great way to help if you are a snowbird, travel a lot or for other reasons can’t have a dog full time. You get a dog fix, we get help, the dog has a caring home while we search for a permanent one and everyone gets to be happy. Or, if you have dogs of your own and can’t fit one more in the house on a permanent basis, but could stretch for a short time, you will find it is a lot of fun, and very rewarding.
Most fosters are relatively short term, lasting only 2-3 weeks, but some are longer. You can always say no, if you are planning a trip, are busy or just plain don’t want to right now, so don’t worry that you aren’t always available.
You will fill out the same application and the home visit will be the same. You will be contacted when we have a dog who needs a home and we do not have a match for it in our approved homes who are waiting for a dog. Or, perhaps a dog who needs a home NOW not in a few days. Oddly, we have heard stories from families who need to give up their dog today by 5pm because they are moving. Or, a dog is coming in from the shelter and it needs a place until we find out more about it so that we can make a good match.
If you would like more information about how it all works, or ask detailed questions, we would be happy to talk to you. Just leave a message on our “GOLD” line (520) 792-4653 and a volunteer will contact you.