ADOPTIONS SAVE LIVES
APPLY
Submit our online application, which can be found here. It is important that the application is completed in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
Download our Adopter Checklist below for important information to help guide you through the adoption process.
OUR ADOPTION PROCESS
When you adopt from our rescue, you enable us to pull another lab from a shelter, which saves the life of another dog and creates more space at the shelter so that new dogs can be kept longer. All adoption fees are used to offset a portion of the costs we incur in caring for our rescues, so you can be sure your adoption fee will be used to save another life.
REVIEW
Your application will be reviewed by one of our volunteers. If your application meets our requirements, a reference check will be performed.
Note: We do require that all current pets in the household are up to date on vaccinations and are spayed/neutered. All dogs must be on regular monthly heartworm prevention.
PRE-APPROVAL & INTERVIEW
After. we have check all references, we will notify if you have been pre-approved. We will then schedule a home visit and/or telephone interview. Depending on your location, we may ask you to submit photos of the interior and exterior of your home in lieu of a home visit.
MEET & GREET
If the application is approved, we will make arrangements for you to meet any labs in your area that you may be interested in and that fit your requirements.
Note: There may be more than one applicant interested in a particular lab. In that case, we will make our decision based on which applicant is the best fit. If more than one applicant is compatible, the individual who was approved first will be given priority.
ADOPTION FEE
Once you have decided to adopt a lab, you will need to complete the adoption agreement and pay the adoption fee of $400. The adoption fee helps us to recover a portion of the expenses we routinely incur in rescue (boarding, vaccinations, worming, spay/neuter if age appropriate, and transport) so that we can continue to save other labs. Please note that the adoption fee is NONREFUNDABLE. An additional $200 deposit is required for unaltered animals and will be applied to the spay/neuter of your adopted dog. Please contact us for further information regarding the deposit.
MEDICAL RECORDS
After the adoption is finalized, you will receive copies of your lab's medical records and microchip information (if applicable). All adopters are required to take their new adopted lab to their veterinarian within 14 days of the adoption, for a general exam and to purchase monthly heartworm prevention.
AFTER ADOPTION INFORMATION
All of our labs are thoroughly vetted prior to adoption. This includes core vaccinations (distemper/parvo, bordatella, and rabies, if age appropriate), fecal test and deworming, general exam, spay/neuter and microchip (for dogs 6 months or older), 4DX heartworm test (if age appropriate), heartworm and flea/tick prevention, and treatment of any diagnosed illnesses (heartworm disease, ear infections, skin conditions, etc.).
14
DAYS
We require that you schedule a vet visit for your new dog within 14 days to have them examined by your own veterinarian. Your first visit should include another fecal test. Your dog may have been infected but tested negative on their previous fecal test due to the lifecycle of intestinal parasites. It is also possible that they may have contracted a parasite during their transport. So it's important to re-test during this initial visit.
6
MONTHS
Heartworm negative dogs and puppies must have a heartworm test in six months. It typically takes six months for an infected dog to test positive on a heartworm test, so this test is necessary to ensure that they are really heartworm-free.
9
MONTHS
Dogs who were treated for heartworm disease must have a follow-up heartworm test nine months after their treatment to ensure that the treatment was successful. Testing too early may yield a false positive result due to the antigens that are still in the dog's bloodstream.
We strongly recommend that you opt for a 4DX heartworm test since it also checks for tick-borne illnesses such as lyme disease. Tick-borne diseases usually produce no symptoms until your dog is seriously ill, and they can be fatal if untreated.
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Your vet may also recommend additional vaccinations such as lyme and leptospirosis, depending on where you live. Puppies may require additional booster vaccines depending on how old they are when they are adopted.
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We are here to help you at any time before, during and after the adoption process. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email our Adoption Coordinator at adoptions@savealabrescue.org and one of our volunteers will be in touch with you as soon as possible.