Adoption Process

Once a dog enters into Ruff Dog Rescue's (“RDR’s”) program, the animal is evaluated with temperament testing and receives a medical exam by one of our partner rescue vets to determine health and needs for vetting and care.  RDR also quarantines all pets rescued, ensuring that they are healthy prior to placement in a foster or permanent home. Before any of our rescues leave for their permanent home they are spayed/neutered, up-to-date with age appropriate shots, wormed and given a health exam by a veterinarian. As a non-profit rescue, we do our best to provide healthy, well-socialized, and nurtured pets.

The Adoption Process. Thank you for choosing RESCUE to ADOPT, it is the best breed! Our goal is to place a once homeless rescues into a suitable, permanent loving homes.  As we strive to place an animal, the RDR Application helps us to learn more about your home dynamics and level of experience with pets, ensuring an appropriate match. 

The first step in the adoption process is completing the online application. Whether you are interested in adopting any RDR rescue or a particular dog, or are even generally seeking information about one of the rescues, you must complete an online application. Once we receive your application, we will contact you within 24 hours. As part of the application process, you may meet the animal at either the foster’s home or an adoption event, bringing your current dog(s) if applicable. We’d like to ensure the animals get along!  A home visit may also be part of the adoption process. We work diligently to find the best home for our rescues. All in all, the process should not take more than a few days – we, of course, want our critters to be snuggled by your side as soon as possible!

The adoption application alone DOES NOT secure your selection of pet. We often receive multiple applicants on a specific dog, especially puppies. Payment of the adoption fee and an approved application will secure the animal in your name. You may pay the adoption fee by hitting the Donate button below for the appropriate pet category.

ADOPTION FEES:

$475 - Puppies & Small Dogs Under 25 pounds/purebreds
$375 - Mix Bred Adult Dogs over 1 year
$275 - Dogs over 10 years

All adoption fees are donated to RDR, helping another rescue in need.  The adoption fee includes vet examination, spay/neuter, age appropriate vaccines (2 boosters for puppies), Rabies, Bordetella, worming for parasites, heartworm test (and treatment if necessary) and a lifetime registered Microchip.  Adoption fees may be securely paid online via PayPal (can use as guest with credit card); we also accept personal checks and cash. Once the fee is paid it is refundable only within 3 days or if RDR denies your application; it is non-refundable should you change your mind later about adopting.  We only want what's best for our rescues and don’t want to pass on other potential homes, so please think long and hard about the responsibility, time and expense of pet ownership prior to payment and make certain the whole family is onboard.

Ruff Dog will offer out of state adoption only on specific dogs and only to certain states. Adopters must be agreeable to meet and pick up the pet in GA or from our sister rescue, Ruff Dog Rescue NE (RDRNE) in PA. Ruff Dog will not offer arranged out of state transport service of a dog adopted site unseen or allow adopted dog to fly on commercial airlines as cargo. We adhere to all export laws set forth by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and adopter’s residing state import laws of domestic animals (dogs). We will not adopt to Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut or any like state with strict import laws requiring extensive quarantine of the dog upon arrival, it’s too stressful on the pet and costly. Additional fees on out of state adoption will apply, including cost of health certificate(s). Ruff Dog Rescue NE (RDRNE) supports adoptions in the Tri-State and some of the New England area. Please visit RDRNE website for available dogs for adoption, www.RDRNE.org.

If you are not ready to complete an application, we welcome you to attend one of our weekly adoption events to meet our wonderful pets.  See our Adoption Events page for more information.