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Adoption Process

Our adoption process is designed to help you and the right dog find each other. Our goal is to place each dog into a permanent, safe, and loving home.

To adopt a German Shepherd Dog from us, you must:

  1. Complete an Adoption Questionnaire, either online, or hard-copy (pdf format). If you do not own your home, you must have your landlord complete the Landlord Letter.
  2. Be interviewed by an adoption counselor.
  3. Choose, and be chosen by, the right dog.
  4. Live in one of the 14 Northern California counties we serve.
  5. Allow a home visit by an adoption counselor.
  6. With our approval, sign our Adoption Agree ment, and pay the associated fee.

If you come to an Adoption Day, the process of adopting can be completed in any order; otherwise you must complete an Adoption Questionnaire before we can assist you further. Normally, all our requirements must be met. Home visits may be waived in rare circumstances. We do not adopt to homes outside of Northern California.

After we receive your online Adoption Questionnaire, we will call you to begin the adoption process. Due to our home visit requirement, we only adopt to homes in Northern California. We encourage potential adopters to come to one or more Adoption Days because that is the best way to meet several German Shepherds and to find your new companion.

If you attend an Adoption Day and choose a dog, you may be able to adopt the same day, if all adoption requirements are met. The entire adoption process can be completed on the same day, or it may take longer.

If you can not come to any Adoption Day, we will try to assist you using email, the mail, and the telephone. This will probably take longer because the people who will help you are volunteers who usually have jobs, and scheduling meetings with dogs can be complex because our dogs live in many homes and kennels.

 

                

Mia Farrow
Post Date: 6/20/2010 7:29:37 AM

April 2005 I lost my Kara after 12 years - my very best loyal buddy. It would take some time to prepare for a new dog but little did I know what was in store that would prepare me. In late 2006 my father became seriously ill and my entire energy was directed for the next 8 months, spending time with him while he was dying. it was a gut wrenching time. He died on July 29, 2007 and when I came home to my empty house I knew it was time for another little soul to share my space. Growing up with shepherds, I knew it could be no other dog, but all I knew was getting a dog from a reputable breeder. This seemed ridiculous to me because of all the animals needing homes in rescue and shelters so I went to the internet and found SAVEGSD, thankfully. The volunteer met with me to do the screening and I was awarded my certificate allowing me to search. It was still all about ME, but would soon change. I saw Mia Farrow up on the site, she was pretty but there was something in her eyes that said "distant". When I met her at an adoption event in Redwood City, and took her for a walk, she was so good on leash but totally in her own world. Just how many "test walks" had she been on, I wondered. I went home and thought to myself "her coat is so light, she is so distant, she isn’t this and she isn’t that..." my rationale was so obvious but it wasn’t until I woke up the next morning and said to myself "this is NOT about ME, this dog needs a person to look after her!!!". I called GSRNC immediately and said I would take Mia. it has now been almost three years and she is so completely present. She had to wait a long time for a home - she had been given up by a soldier who went to Iraq, and GSRNC rescue got her out but didn’t have a foster home available so she had to be in a boarding kennel for a few months (home #2) then finally she got a foster family (home 3) and came to me (#4)6 months later. No wonder she was distant!!! I am grateful for the work of GSRNC and sing their praises whenever someone tells me what a beautiful dog I have - "she is a rescue from GSRNC!" and people are amazed.. Mia has settled and has no hint of distant in her eyes, and I write this, she is lying across the room on her back, talking to me about how much time I am spending on this story when we should be out for our morning hike with her daypack! okay Mia, I am done now....lets go!

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Important Note About Dog Descriptions

Please remember that the descriptions of dogs (of Dogs Available) have been written by GSRNC volunteers and are usually based only upon our observation of the dog since the time it was rescued. While we try to provide dog descriptions that are fair and accurate, the nature of our work involves contact with dogs whose background and history are unknown to us. GSRNC cannot warrant or guarantee any dog's future behavior. For example, if we say that a rescue dog gets along with children, cats, or other dogs, this statement is usually based upon the fact that one of our volunteers has observed the dog interacting with his or her own children or pets. While this information may be helpful, we cannot be certain of how a dog will do with the children or pets in your home. If you are considering adopting, we encourage you to come to one of our Adoption Days and meet our rescue dogs. Ultimately, only you can decide whether one of our dogs is right for you.