New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue

Adopt

The Adoption Application link is at the bottom of this page; please read all information before applying. Thank you!

Adopting a dog is a wonderful experience, and one we promote wholeheartedly. Adoptions save lives!
However, because a large part of our rescue's mission is to adopt dogs to what we call "Forever" homes, we need to ensure that the adoptive homes are ready for one of our rescued dogs and give us reason to believe that they are fully committed to the care of any dog they adopt from us.
In order to do this, we require an application process. We want you to completely understand the process before jumping in with an application, so we do require applicants to read and understand our application guidelines, below:

You do not need to have a dog "picked out" before applying; we'll be happy to help you find a compatible dog.

Complete Information:
Our adoption application requires that all applicable information be included. We will not process incomplete adoption applications, or applications without responsive, appropriate references. Phone numbers must be included.

All applications must be in the name of, and contain the information pertaining to, the person who will be caring for the dog. This person must be over the age of 18. We do not adopt dogs as gifts for others.

References: Minimum of Three:
If you have or have had pets in the past three years, you must include a veterinary reference. Your veterinary reference must be for a vet who is familiar with your pets. If you have recently moved and have not established a relationship with your current vet, please list your former vet(s) as well. If you use more than one vet currently, please list all vets used.

If you have or have had pets in the past three years that required grooming, you must include a groomer reference.

If you not had pets within the last three years, you may still include a vet or groomer reference from your past pets, provided the vet or groomer will remember you and your pet history with them.

Your personal references cannot be currently residing with you in your home, and only one personal reference can be a family member.

If you rent, you must include landlord contact information. Landlords are not considered one of the options for the minimum three references.

Please notify all your references before submitting your application, and give them permission to speak to New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue about you when we call them.

What is the Adoption Application Process?
An adoption application is required in order to adopt a NBSTR dog. You can fill the application out online or request a printable application by email.
1. Application should be submitted fully completed with a minimum of three references listed.
2. Your application will be screened by our Applications Committee. You will be contacted by our applications coordinator within 3 days.
3. Once your application is screened and you are contacted and have responded to the application coordinator, your references will be called. Pleae be certain to contact your references to let them know we will be calling them. Some references will require your permission in order to speak to us about your application.
4. If your references are not acceptable, you will be notified by email. If your references are acceptable, we will contact you in order to affirm approval. A home visit will be scheduled when possible.
5. When your home visit is completed and accepted you will be eligible to adopt one of our adoptable foster dogs.

How Long Does the Process Take?
Because we rely on a system of volunteers, our adoption process can take anywhere from one or two weeks, to as long as several weeks. Applications must be fully approved before being eligible for adoption. Your communication with our Applications volunteers during that time is very important, but please do not call or email us with demands that your application be hurried along

Why Some Applications Are Declined and What You Can Do
Incomplete applications will be discarded without notification. You will receive a copy of your application in our auto-email response; please save this email. If you have not heard from a New Beginnings volunteer within a few days of submitting your application, you should assume your application was not complete; refer back to the auto-response from your first submission to verify. You may then go back and fill out the application completely. Applications indicating conditions where adopting a dog may not be the best choice for you at this time will be responded to with a letter of application decline. If you feel you have been wrongly rejected and would like to be re-considered, you may contact us at nbstr.board@yahoo.com .

Families with Children Under age 8
We prefer that children of our adopters are over age 8, and most applicants with children under 8 years old who do not have a current or recently passed dog will be declined automatically. If families with children under 8 years old have a current dog, we may consider the application. Please understand that we do not hate children. What we hate is to place a dog with a family at the risk of the child being injured, the dog being injured, or the dog relinquished or euthanized once the family discovers the dog is not a good match for them or that they can't give the dog the attention and care it requires.
If you have children under age 8 and want to be considered as adoptive candidates for one of our dogs, you should write to NBSTR before applying at nbstr.board@yahoo.com .

What Else Do Applicants Need to Know?
While applying to adopt a NBSTR foster dog does not obligate you to anything, we do expect applicants to be committed to the application process, and to be part of the process. Please do not apply on impulse or while "weekend dog shopping." We typically cannot help anyone find the right match in a matter of a weekend or a few days. Adopting a dog requires a commitment to the dog for its lifetime. Most small dogs can have life spans of up to 18 years, and we want to feel assured that our adoptive families are committed to caring for the dog throughout that life span, for better or worse as the dog ages and experiences any health issues. Please take this into consideration as you discern adding a dog to your family. The dog you get will be with you for a very long time, and their emotional and physical needs require your attention and interaction for many years.
Although we do not discriminate based upon race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or age, we do reserve the right to make placements appropriate for the dog which may be affected by an individual's ability to care for the dog long term. This may include factors such as age of the dog related to age of the person, or activity level and needs of the dog related to an individual's ability to give the dog appropriate company, exercise, and supervision.

Our adoption fees are not negotiable. Our current adoption fees are:
Puppy to 1 year old: $350
1 year old to 3 years old $300
3 years old to 6 years old $250
6 years old to 9 years old $200
9 years old to 11 years old $150
12+ years old $100

Our dogs are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccinations, microchipped, and vetted for those issues the foster dog experienced during foster care. Exceptions may be made for dogs who cannot receive a certain health procedure per veterinarian's recommendation. New Beginnings will disclose this information if so.

Go to New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue Volunteer Application