Siberian Husky Rescue of Florida, Inc. Adoption Process

Thank you for your interest in adopting one of SHRF’s Siberian Huskies! Below is the adoption process from start to finish. This process may seem lengthy, but this has proven to result in the most successful adoptions. Siberian Huskies are an amazing, wonderful breed, but they are not the breed for everyone. All of the questions/checks done by the SHRF volunteers are to ensure that you and your family (and home!) are ready to welcome a Siberian into your life. Please also know that the dogs in the SHRF Doghouse may NOT be available by the time your application is approved and we often have dogs not yet featured on our website. Even though your adoption application may specify a particular dog, the result of a successful application only means you are approved to adopt through SHRF, not that you are approved to adopt that particular dog.

NOTE: Effective December 1, 2009, AFTER your Adoption Application is received and a Volunteer has spoken with you, you will be requested to pay a non refundable $25 application fee via PayPal before we can proceed any further with your application. This $25 will be applied towards the Adoption Donation when a successful adoption is completed.

Requirements to Adopt

Filling out the Adoption Application

First Step: Read our Husky education pages and decide if a Husky is the dog for you. If so, then fill out the online adoption application: http://www.siberrescue.com/adoptol.html

Second Step: Once SHRF receives your application, the Adoption Coordinator will contact you within a few days to talk with you. This is just a way to find out more about you and your family, your current pets, and a chance for you to tell SHRF what you would like in your future Siberian, and also a chance for you to have any questions or concerns answered.

Third Step: After your interview, SHRF volunteers will contact your references and your Veterinarian, and subsequently schedule a home visit. Below is a little more about each portion, which occurs in no particular order:

Reference checks: SHRF asks for 3 references who cannot be family members, whether living with you or not.


Why?

Your references can tell SHRF a little more about you and your lifestyle and help us have a better idea of what type of dog personality might fit best with your home. For a faster process, we strongly recommend you inform the people you have chosen that rescue volunteers will be contacting them and asking about you because you are applying to adopt a Siberian Husky.

Vet checks: SHRF volunteers will contact your Vet, either a current Vet if you have animals or your past Vet, if applicable.

Why?

SHRF needs to ensure you have provided your current and/or past animal’s with routine veterinary care. Many of the dogs in the rescue come in very unhealthy, heartworm positive, underweight, etc. We cannot adopt them into a home that does not provide basic care. Please let your Vet know a SHRF volunteer will contact them to inquire about your records, and please ask your vet to speak with us about them. Your vet will be contacted again shortly after you adopt a Husky.

Home visit: SHRF volunteer will come to your home and look over your house and animal accommodations and speak with your entire family. Please try to insure that all household members are in attendance.

Why?

SHRF has no desire to invade your privacy but we need to see where and under what conditions our Siberians will be living. We are only looking for situations or items potentially dangerous to a Husky. Also, it is important for us, on a personal level, to meet you and your family face to face, discuss any questions about your possible future Siberian or the breed in general, and have a chance to get to know you just a little better.

Fourth Step: If all goes well with the above processes, which can take anywhere from one to several weeks, the SHRF Board members will approve or disapprove your application. If approved, then the Foster Director will contact you to discuss available dogs and your particular needs. Then you will talk to the foster family about the dog. This is a chance for the two of you to talk about the dog because no one knows the Siberian better than the foster family. They are the ones who have housed and cared for the dog, often for months at a time, so they will have a VERY good idea about temperament, training, etc. Feel free to ask as MANY questions as you want. This may be your dog, so you have every right to know everything possible, and the foster family will be up front about everything they know. It is in everyone’s best interest to be forthright.

The foster family, who again know the dog best, does have the final say as to whom the Siberian they have loved and rehabilitated will be adopted. If the all clear is given after you speak with the foster family (which is almost ALWAYS the case), then you are almost done!

Final Steps: Once everything is approved, we then work with you to get your Siberian to you! We understand that you might not be able to take the dog that day, or even that week, and the foster family might not be able to, either. So we arrange a mutually convenient time to transport the dog to your home, or have you come pick up the Siberian at the foster family’s home or at an “in between” location. A SHRF transport volunteer may also be the one to transport the dog to you. If the potential adopter causes a delay in the adoption after they are approved, we CAN NOT guarantee the dog you are interested will still be available when you are ready, especially if there are other applicants interested in the same dog.

At that time, you will fill out the Adoption Contract, which the SHRF volunteer will carefully go over with you, as this is a legally binding contract. The adoption donation will be due at the contract signing. You will receive the medical paperwork, any favorite toys, a little bit of the dog’s current food, and whatever else the foster family may provide.

Congratulations!

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