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Ralphie
answers your Frequently
Asked Questions
Ralphie
What is the adoption
Procedure?
Do you have Purebreds?
Can an older dog bond with me?
Where are you based?
Can you take my dog?
What about your adoption fee?
Why are you so picky about placing your dogs?
Do you do adoptions out of the Kansas City
area?
Are neglected dogs mean?
What happens if I adopt a dog but can't keep
him?
How can I help?
What is the
adoption procedure?
It's a multi-step process. First, you need to complete an
application (we have an email version or we can mail you a hard
copy); when we receive the application it will be reviewed. If
it passes the intitial review, we will get back with you with
any further questions, and then check veterinary and/or personal
references. Once the references are checked, we will schedule a
home visit/fence check. If that goes well, the application is
considered "approved" and the adoption can take place.
Do you often have purebreds for
adoption?
We may or may not have a specific breed (or breed mix) at any
given time. It's true that sometimes purebred dogs are adopted
quicker, depending on the breed. While in some instances rescue
dogs may be purebreds (and there may even be "papers" indicating
such), most other rescue dogs, while being predominately a
certain breed, are definitely "mixes." Given the circumstances
under which many rescues are obtained, there is really no
guarantee of any rescue being a purebred. Whether a dog is a
rescue or not, it should be noted that the existence of
registration "papers" does not absolutely guarantee that a dog
is purebred. If you are wanting to adopt a specific breed of dog
or puppy, we may be able to refer you to a local rescue for that
breed; please ask us! These days most breeds do have their "own"
rescue and we would be happy to help you look for information.
Can an older dog
still bond with me?
Yes, absolutely! Older dogs are just as capable of "bonding" as
younger
dogs. And in many cases, the older dog adjusts to his or her new
home
easily, learning the house rules quickly and enjoying a soft
place to sleep
at night. Also a bonus - older dogs are usually already
housetrained and
are beyond that "puppy chewing" phase. All in all, adopting an
adult dog or
a "senior" dog is an extremely rewarding experience, and your
love and
affection will be returned many times over!
Why do you have a mailing address of
"Osborn, MO" if you are based in Kansas City? And where the heck
IS Osborn?
Our group really is "based" in the greater Kansas City area, as
most of our volunteers live there. Our group President lives up
north of KC, which is why our mailing address is Osborn. Osborn
is a lovely small farming town about an hour north of the metro
area.
I need to find a new home for my dog.
Why can't you take him or her right now?
Because we are a small group with only foster care available for
the dogs, we do not always have space ready to take in a new dog
at any given time. If we cannot help you by placing your dog, we
may be able to offer other suggestions that could either help
you KEEP your beloved pet in your home, or help you locate other
resources to use to find your pet a new home. We have many
contacts with other rescue organizations and we may be able to
help spread the word. Please ask!
Please do NOT run a "Free to Good Home" ad in the newspapers.
This is a bad idea because some people are looking for a "FREE"
dog because they want it for evil reasons, including: Free bait
to train fighting dogs, to sell the dog for money to a research
lab, to torture or sacrifice the dog, or even just to breed the
dog indiscriminantly to sell the puppies for profit. "Free" is
all too often seen as "worthless" in the eye of the beholder; it
is better to charge an adoption fee for your pet, and screen the
person or family interested.
Why do you have an adoption fee? I could
just go buy a puppy, or get a dog free from the newspaper!
Our adoption fees help us recover some of the expenses we have
to get the dogs' veterinary needs met. Each dog or puppy is
spayed or neutered while in our care, and these surgeries are
expensive. Also each animal is fully vaccinated (appropriately
for their age), wormed and heartworm tested. Some dogs take
longer than others to be adopted, and even their food bills add
up. It is a fact that we actually lose money on most adoptions;
this is not a money-making venture!
Yes, you certainly could go just buy a puppy or get one "free"
from the newspaper, and those may well be wonderful pets.
However after you acquire that animal, YOU will have to pay for
the vaccinations and spay or neuter, worming, etc - and these
things add up very quickly. You may find that your "free" puppy
winds up costing you hundreds of dollars, and you have no
guarantee of health or support system to go back to if you have
a problem with that animal. If you adopt from us and take your
new family member to your vet within the 5 business days (as we
recommend) and there is ANY health question at all, we will
gladly take the animal back with no questions asked, or we will
pay for the vet needs. And if you ever have a problem with the
dog in the future, at any time or for any reason, we will always
take the dog back into our rescue, no questions asked. In fact,
our Adoption Contract stipulates that you must return the dog to
us if for any reason down the road you cannot keep him or her.
So we will always be there to assist you if problems arise. If
you have a problem with your "free" out-of-the-newspaper puppy,
who will be there to help you?
Why are you so picky with your adoption
requirements?
We feel that the dogs in our care have *already* been rescued...
by us. Some of them came from absolutely horrible living
conditions and it is our responsibility, and one that we take
very seriously, to find them the best home and best match that
we can make for them. We would rather have a dog with us for a
slightly longer period of time, than be in a hurry to find him
or her a home that might not be a good pairing. We spend a lot
of time with our foster dogs so we know their personalities,
habits and idiosyncrasies. Some have special needs or have come
from abusive situations, so their future homes/families need to
be capable and willing to address their needs. We realize that
our adoption requirements may seem strict, but please understand
that these animals are part of our families and we know them
well, and we owe it to them to find the best possible home.
I am a fabulous pet owner but I live
in another state. Why won't you consider me for an adoption just
because I am long-distance? I'm willing to drive to Kansas City
or do anything that it takes.
Because one of our requirements is a home visit/fence check
prior to adoption, we must have a local address to visit since
our volunteers live in or near the Kansas City "metro." We also
do follow-up work after the adoption that requires that you live
in our area, so that we can assist you with questions and make
sure the adoption is working out well. We suggest that anyone
looking for a particular breed or age of dog who doesn't live in
our area use the fabulous online resource of "Petfinder." If you
go to their main website at http://www.petfinder.com, you can
enter in the specific things you are looking for in a new dog or
puppy, along with your zip code, and Petfinder will list the
available matching dogs in local shelters and rescues in your
area!
Aren't rescue dogs usually abused or
neglected and if so, doesn't this make them dangerous?
Absolutely not! Most rescue dogs are simply the products of bad
decision making. If a dog HAS been abused or neglected, most are
simply grateful to now be in loving, caring homes. Most new
owners report their dog seems to know what has happened and is
all the more attentive and loving because of his former
situation. Happy Dogs Rescue will not accept or place ANY dog
that we know to be temperamentally unsafe or who has shown any
aggression towards people.
What happens if I adopt a dog but
can't keep him?
Happy Dogs Rescue makes every effort to match people and dogs in
order to make happy, lifelong placements. In the event that a
dog does not work out in its new home, for any reason at all,
the dog must be returned to Happy Dogs Rescue. We will accept
back any dog we have placed.
How can I help?
This might not be one of our most frequently asked questions,
but we wish it were! There is a lot to be done with rescue work
and we will always welcome new volunteers. The need for safe and
loving foster homes is enormous, but this can't be just a couple
day commitment. We need homes who will care for the dog until he
or she is placed, which could be a shorter time like a week or
few weeks, or could be several months or longer. We welcome new
helping hands at our adoption events, to help set up the crates
and water bowls, etc, walk the dogs and socialize with them,
talk to the public about the dogs and answer questions, and
break down the crates and pack up when we are through. It is
hard work but also a lot of fun, and very rewarding!
Do you have a particular skill to offer? Or do
you like to shop garage sales or bargain close-out stores? If
you see dog-related items and would like to donate to us, please
do!
We also
need donations of:
And of course money is always welcome!
No amount is too small to be of help and we sincerely appreciate
every penny! Monetary donations help us with vet bills
and ongoing needs like dog food! Don't forget that your donation
is also tax-deductible, and we will be happy to mail you a
receipt for your records.
You can also help reduce pet over-population in general by
always spaying or neutering your pets, and by encouraging others
to do so. If you ever see an animal suffering or in need, please
don't stand idly by; call Animal Control or the Police
Department and be sure that the animal is helped. One person
really CAN make a difference!
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