Best Friends Boxer Rescue Where your Best Friend waits for you! serving NY, PA and NE OH Home About BFBR BFBR Adoption Process Adoption Application Adopted Dogs Available Dogs Contact Us How You Can Help Lucy Says Adoption Process What are the steps to adopting a Boxer from BFBR? 1. Complete our Application. If you are at least 21 years of age, complete the online Adoption Application located exclusively on the BFBR site. If you filled out an application on another site, we won't have access to it. Be sure to complete all fields on our application. The more thorough you are, the more we can learn about you, your family and your lifestyle. We will have a better chance of finding the "right", best, new friend for you and your family. BFBR currently is experimenting with a "Foster to Adopt" program which requires interested families to fill out the adoption application and the volunteer form. If accepted into the "Foster to Adopt" program, you will be set up as a foster home with the option to adopt your foster dog within a set time frame. After the allotted time, if you decide your foster is not the dogs for your home, he/she will be placed on the website as an "available dog" for adoption to the public. Completing the online Adoption Application does not imply that you will receive a dog from BFBR. 2. Watch your email! Read your email regularly to look for your interview information which is our response to your completed application. You will be asked to forward three personal references to us and to arrange an interview with one of our BFBR interviewers. Completing your interview does not imply that you will receive a dog from BFBR. 3. Be ready for a visit.You may be asked to be available for a home check. A BFBR representative will call you to schedule a date and time that's convenient for everyone. Compliance with the home check requirement does not imply that you will receive a dog from BFBR or that you have been approved to receive one from us. 4. Participate in the matching process. BFBR begins the process of matching the most suitable dog to the most suitable home. While this is happening, we ask approved candidates to research trainers in their area, buy crates, toys and other items to prepare for a new arrival. This is the time everyone gets excited about - including us! This will also give you time to prepare for your trip - short or long - to pick up a dog that is matched with you. BFBR transports dogs via CUR (Canine Underground Railroad) to help get dogs out of shelters and into rescue, but we do not transport our dogs to their new homes. We do not ask volunteers to deliver dogs to the adoptive family. That is the new family's responsibility. Please plan accordingly. If we contact you about a placement and you are within reasonable driving distance to where the dog is being fostered, you may arrange with the foster family to come and meet the dog. Whether you are able to meet the dog or not, after you talk to the foster home, you will be given 24 hours to decide if this is the right dog for you. After 24 hours, we will contact you to find out your decision. If we don't hear back from you or if we can't reach you, the dog will be offered to another family. If you decide a dog is right for you, then arrange a time to get your new Boxer pal! How long does this process take? We cannot give you a time frame because each application is unique. We do not rush to place dogs and we do not rush the application process. We pride ourselves in our commitment to each dog in rescue and we are always trying to improve the process for them. If you are sure that you are ready to make a commitment to adopt a rescue dog, proceed to the adoption application. 5. Standard Descriptive Information for Each Dog Age: May be actual or estimated from shelter or vet Weight: Usually actual weight but may be estimated upon first arrival Small Children (under 4)? If a dog is good with children under 4, we put a yes here. If the dog is excitable or jumpy, we will probably put no as the dog will need training to be around young children. Children over 4? Same as above but with regard to older children Separation Anxiety? we are talking about extreme cases here where the dog will break out of a crate or window and cause injury to self if left alone. Mild cases will be noted, but what this means is that the dog does not do well at all when left alone. State: State where dog is being fostered. If you are not willing to drive to another state to pick up a dog, you will need to look for a dog that is fostered near you. BFBR does not transport dogs to their new homes. Neutered/UTD: Is the dog spayed or neutered? Is the dog up to date on all shots? When a dog first comes in, more than likely they will not be neutered or up to date. While in rescue you will see these values change. All dogs leave spayed and neutered and up to date. Micro chipped: If your dog has been micro chipped either while in the shelter or by the owner, the transfer fee will be posted here. Other dogs? Is this dog good with other dogs? If no, there will be a description as to why in the dog's biography Cats? Same as above Crate trained? If a dog does not come in crate trained, by the time he or she leaves, they will be! Watch their progress here. House trained? Puppies especially may not be completely house trained but watch how quickly they learn. Obedience trained? If a dog knows most basic commands, we will put a yes here. We try to have the dogs at least master "sit" before they leave. Currently attending obedience? Many foster dogs will also attend professional obedience classes while in their foster homes to help them get on their way to becoming adopted. This is above and beyond basic obedience that they get in their foster homes. It helps with not only their understanding of commands that are taught in class, but also is great for socialization. These are the same reasons why we ask adoptive families to continue obedience training. Leash trained? Boxers are infamous for pulling on a lead. Being leash trained means that they understand that they are on a leash and can walk with you although it does not mean they walk without pulling. That is what our adoptive families will need to work on once the dog is placed. Adoption Donation: The adoption donation varies according to a dog's age. The adoption donations are as follows: for puppies to dogs just under 7 years: $300, for dogs 7 years and over: $150. Please remember that the adoption donation is not for purchase of a dog, but rather to cover the medical expenses of all dogs in our care. Extra supplies: Dogs that have been heartworm tested and are negative may have been started on heartworm preventative. Adoptive families may be given the option of purchasing any remaining monthly heartworm pills at a cost of $7 per pill. 6. Placement/Adoption Once a dog is placed in a new home, the new family is required to begin obedience training and provide BFBR with the name and address of the trainer. The new family signs an Adoption Contract that, among other things, lists the dates when a family is REQUIRED to contact BFBR to provide an update on how the dog is doing. Scheduled dates: week one, month one, month two, month three, month six, and the one year adoption anniversary date. Why do we do this? So we have regular contact with the family to make sure the dog is safe, properly cared for, and happy. This also gives us a chance to answer questions or address a family's concerns. All adoptive families can participate in BFBR's private, adoptive family email group. This online email group is not open to the public. This gives the adoptive family a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and receive answers and suggestions from other adoptive families - who have experienced the same process.